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West Ham Rebuild Nightmare Exposed in Brutal London Stadium Reality Check

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The full extent of the West Ham rebuild required next season was laid bare for all to see at the London Stadium last night.

Seeing the Hammers’ new manager set up the team defensively, with only two attackers and mustering just a couple of shots on target, was sobering. But what has become clear is that this West Ham team just can’t seem to play any other way.

There was a microcosm of this late in the second half when Graham Potter eventually used all of his attackers—they simply didn’t know what to do.

Former Irons boss David Moyes tried to switch styles at the start of the 2022/23 season but had to revert back to parking the bus. And who can forget Julen Lopetegui’s attempts to get the team playing on the front foot, which only resulted in defensive capitulations?

To put it bluntly, more than half the squad will need to depart if West Ham are to truly switch from counter-attacking to something more fluid. Sure, we have more possession than under Moyes, but with Alphonse Areola hoofing the ball up to a couple of small attackers, we have little about us that can genuinely change styles.

This Hammers team is slow and lacking in technique, with the midfield in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Next season can’t come quickly enough

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Kris Gonzo (commonly known to the West Ham community as Gonzo) is the co-founder of Hammers Chat (established 2014) and the lead video content creator and columnist for Claret and Hugh.

With over a decade of professional sports media experience, he is a frequent West Ham United analyst and contributor for Sky Sports News, BBC Football Focus, and BBC Radio 5 Live. He previously served as an official video and content creator for West Ham United FC during the club's tenure at Upton Park and featured in the official documentary commemorating the historic final game at the Boleyn Ground.

A lifelong Hammer since the legendary 10-0 victory over Bury, when he isn't providing daily match analysis on the Hammers Chat YouTube Channel or broadcasting on X (@GONZObignose), he can be found walking his dog and restoring classic pinball machines.

1 comment

  • Rob says:

    Gonzo what do expect. It’s the same players all be it with a better attitude than with the last manager. It’s no good complaining, the players been brought in are not suitable in one way or another and a lot of the long serving players can’t play fast football, mostly the older players. Potter has made a vast difference now we just want the players to go with him.The only question is the use of 1 young player sitting on the subs bench last night. LG.

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