Julen Lopetegui is struggling in his return to the Premier League at the helm of West Ham United. He has managed just eight points from a possible 21 at the start of the league season. The fans and the board are beginning to doubt the Basque coach who signed for the ‘Hammers‘ this summer, with a great project on his hands and on which they placed high expectations.
Lights and shadows:
Currently, West Ham with Lopetegui in the dugout have only three wins, the first at home against Crystal Palace on the second day of the league, the second in the EFL Cup against Bournemouth and the last victory took place this past weekend away against newly promoted Ipswich Town. A win that helped Lopetegui breathe a sigh of relief after all the pressure put on him following the poor results.
In this last game, we could see some glimmers of light in the team that had been hidden until now. Above all, we could see a fantastic Jarrod Bowen who must be one of the main pieces of this new West Ham. The England international stood out with a great goal. In addition, he assisted his team-mates on a couple of occasions and had a great influence on three of the four goals scored by the Londoners in the match.
However, the expectations of the fans and the club’s board, looking at the squad at the disposal of the Spanish coach, are very high. Therefore, they will continue to look at Julen Lopetegui critically until the team doesn’t climb further up the table.
Unfinished business:
One of the aspects that has angered the club’s fans the most and that Lopetegui must fix in the coming games is the team’s lack of performance in big games against ‘Big Six’ rivals.
In the league, they lost 1-3 to Manchester City and 0-3 to Chelsea at the Olympic Stadium in London, heavy defeats that were particularly painful because they were at home in a stadium full of Hammers fans, who saw how, despite having a seemingly more competitive squad this year, they still failed to perform against the stronger teams.
However, the defeat that most dented the confidence of the former Spain coach was the EFL Cup third round defeat against Liverpool at Anfield. A dreadful 5-1 defeat in a match in which the Londoners were totally overwhelmed by the Liverpool side. A historic drubbing that fans won’t forget for many years to come.
Lopetegui, known for his experience and ability to improve teams, will continue to work hard to find the right formula. The club’s fans will be hoping that the ‘Hammers’ can find their rhythm and start picking up better results in the coming fixtures.
Translated by Marcos Rodríguez.
Main image: @WestHam.
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