Julen Lopetegui has spent the first months of this Premier League campaign constantly tinkering with his starting eleven. Whether through club politics or misguided loyalties, it seems that players who don’t sit as favourites with him are ignored, benched or left behind. And it’s not been in the best interests of the club or his own prospects of survival. Comments on our forum have asked if he was actually trying to get himself fired with his team selections.
Now nobody is suggesting that. But by keeping ‘naughty boys’ Jean Clair Todibo and Edson Alvarez on the bench he’s seriously weakened the Hammers starting eleven. Now that Max Kilman is a doubt and Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez are suspended, Lopetegui has to recall these two for the Liverpool game: Maybe sit them down in a quiet place, rebuild bridges and ask them to show us, him and the world exactly what quality they can offer to show to a world-wide audience.
And Lopetegui urgently needs to take a deep breath and find a way to incorporate his three best players into the same front line. Bowen, Kudus and Summerville need to be in the same starting line up if West Ham are to take any goal threat to Liverpool and ‘defend from the front’. Every publication seems to repeat the same mantra that Kudus is not suited out left.
Sell him to Arsenal and we know Arteta wouldn’t dream of paying £100 million and then starting ‘star boy’ away from his favoured central or right sided preference.
It is simply beyond me why Lopetegui persists. I shout at the TV towards journalists in Lopetegui’s West Ham press conferences, urging someone to nail that very question.
Lopetegui’s stubbornness means Kudus is still a brooding shadow of his former self. Summerville the David Sullivan pick gets a bit part appearance if he’s lucky.
Lopetegui needs to stop trying to re-invent the wheel and actually start that best XI. Last time out in the Carabao Cup Liverpool demolished West Ham who tried merely to contain them: Whatever the result, better to go into the game with a fighting chance and a London Stadium on-side rather than keep his most entertaining, skilful players benched.
If all the team give 100% as Bowen, then Lopetegui wouldn’t have to fall out with players.
Fair point Darkhorse.
We can all see that some players are not fully committed, 100% of the game.
But that may also be part of Lopetegui’s strategy, to conserve energy and finish strong?
Darkhorse & The Artist. Sensible points very well made. A delight to read and consider.
thanks for these comments.
COYI
Lopetegui doesn’t seem to be able to bury a hatchet is one of the issues I have with him.
Bust ups happen, it’s an imperative that there’s an ability to get over them when players cost tens of millions and harbouring a grudge means fielding weaker teams than are necessary in addition to ongoing bad feeling.
I read an account of where Moyes and Antonio had a humdinger but it was all made up within minutes where both were bigger men.
He needs to be sacked. No ifs or butt’s we all know that, Sullivan doing his normal stuff will not admit it. To get out played by the bottom clubs is no way to run a club, get lucky wins and draws. Still doesn’t hide we are the worst. No style no system of play, the players look like rabbits in head lights.
We can all see it experts see it, Sullivan blind to it as it’s his and his alone cock up on the manager. I am thinking of not renewing my ticket anymore. They are robbing all of us with the rubbish they are giving us to watch.
It is rubbish to watch, you’re right, I haven’t felt motivated to watch the extended highlights for weeks now. I think Everton was the worst my God that was dreadful, widely deemed the worst premier league game this season.
The question is why do both Moyes and lopetegui both keep playing kudus on the left and not in the middle? Is there something we are missing to make this judgement?
A very difficult game for the manager. I think we have to park the bus, get two on Salah and rely on a break to have any hope of getting a result.
Going with the famous 6-4-0 formation? 😄
…and getting pummelled again. take it to them and see what happens. can’t be worse than those tactics