As former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said, “Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.” If that principle forms part of the DNA around the corridors of Anfield, it remains elusive in the boardroom and on the training ground at West Ham. Simply put, those in control at the London Stadium do not know better and refuse to learn from experience.
The simplicity of football is the foundation of its popularity. As long as you have a ball and jumpers for goalposts you can have a game. The underlying simplicity has remained even if, at the professional level, the surrounding veneer has changed significantly from Bill’s day. Under the influence of TV money, it has slithered down an insidious path from community spectator event to tarted-up and over-hyped media content. Yet looking beyond the tactical constipation, gamesmanship, win probabilities, set piece coaches, VAR reviews and talking points, the basics are the same: gain possession, control, pass, receive, move, create space and attempt to score. If a team of (supposedly) elite footballers in the self-styled ‘best league in the world’ cannot demonstrate those basics, then something is badly amiss.
It’s not that I expected the Hammers to beat Liverpool. The visitors are a smooth, well-oiled outfit who are highly competent across the pitch and possess several outstanding individuals in selected positions. They are probably the best club side in Europe on current form. But as a minimum we have a right to expect our team to compete in games and demonstrate at least the impression of resistance. It was surprising the game remained scoreless as long as the half hour mark. But once the first goal went in, heads dropped, and it became obvious another rout was on the cards. Just as had happened in heavy defeats to Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal.
I’m guessing Julen Lopetegui’s team selection must have made sense to him when it first took shape in his mind. A cunning plan to clip the wings of Mohammed Salah by playing several players out of position to counter his threat. Without such a genius tactical ploy he may have reaped even more havoc than his one goal and two assists suggested. If Mr Lopetegui had found a pair of Marks and Spencer sports socks underneath the Christmas tree, alongside the boxes of Hamlet cigars and Old Spice, he will have noticed they helpfully embroidered ‘L’ and ‘R’ on each of them. Something to remember when it comes to full back selections in the future.
It is understandable that fans direct their frustrations at the performance of individual players, making judgements on whether they are putting in a shift or not. We all see things differently but for me everything come back to the coach rather than the players. Small margins make big differences at this level and if the coach and players are singing from different hymn sheets then all harmony is lost. A case could be made that Lopetegui doesn’t have the players to play his preferred style (whatever that is); but the very job of a head coach is to make the best use of the resources available. By now it is patently clear that the extensive summer recruitment was not fit for purpose. It did not satisfy the most pressing priorities and failed to remedy the problems of age and pace that had been allowed to develop. Too many fingers in the pie and although Tim Steidten is implicated in some of the duff deal it is far from his failing alone.
The West Ham squad may be unbalanced but is packed with internationals. In half a season, Lopetegui has been unable to find any semblance of an effective unit. The team often look in disarray and have rarely performed in both halves of any game. The team defends in a way that exposes its lack pace – no other team has offered up more chances from fast breaks than West Ham – and square pegs are put in round holes either to accommodate his favourites or because he has fallen out with the alternatives. A lack of belief or understanding by the players as to what is expected – and few leaders on the pitch – can easily be interpreted as an absence of commitment. Compare and contrast how talented coaches have done much better with squads of lesser reputation at Forest, Fulham and Bournemouth – opting for collective endeavour rather than hoping for moments of individual brilliance.
By the middle of next month, the Hammers will likely have succumbed to heavy defeat by Manchester City (and Erling Haaland) – after they finally exorcised their recent demons at Leicester yesterday – and been eliminated from the FA Cup. In theory these are the latest two games Lopetegui has to save his job. In practice, as there will be little left to play for, the Board are just as likely to opt for the default ‘do nothing’ scenario until the end of the season. Another season lost and wasted without a shred of hope to cling to for the future.
The greater frustration is that when Lopetegui is eventually removed, who has any confidence that his replacement will be identified as a results of thorough scouting analysis that matches ability and potential with the club’s strategy for long term development? Rather it will be another short-term fix pushed though by David Sullivan either for reasons of expediency, having the right agent involved, or because he has been seduced by a sparkly cherry-picked fact on the applicants CV – such as used to be manager of Real Madrid. As long as Sullivan continues to make arbitrary decisions in his self-styled role if football guru – without taking advice from professionals – nothing will ever improve.
Ultimately, West Ham failed to break the record of most goals conceded in a Premier League calendar year. The final tally was 79 – 44 in 19 games last season, 35 in 19 games this season – and just one behind the record held by Newcastle. In this year’s standings, only Wolves, Leicester, and Southampton have conceded more. Just as well the club invested heavily in new defenders.
Performances for the whole of 2024 have been unacceptable. Winning just 10 of 38 league games, losing 16, scoring 50 and conceding 79. In all competitions, being thumped by five goals or more on six occasions. A footballing annus horribilis by any definition. How much longer must we put up with this shambles? COYI!
Under The Hammers 
Hi Geoff, a ‘stormer’ to end the year. We all believe that one person is truly responsible for this debacle and I am sure he will say that he bought in a top ‘finder’ who had to operate within whatever budget. The trouble was that Moyes had left such a depleted squad the budget did not match the ‘top’ players required and we offered and lost several players we wanted and maybe settled for lower grades. Will we ever know the truth about Coach selection? or about Duran and Villa. How we can keep Lope now is quite beyond me and 000’s of supporters but Sullivan loves himself and ‘his’ wallet. A seemingly depressing New half year. The future, who knows. Regards Michael
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Hi Michael, I don’t see what is gained by keeping Lopetegui on any longer other than reducing the compensation package for him and his entourage. There’s zero chance of him ‘turning things around’. The only dilemma for me would be whether to look to appoint a replacement now or bring in a caretaker (not Moyes) now and make the appointment in the summer when there is likley to be greater choice. But as I said, until there is a change in the way the club is managed from the Boardroom, the outcome will just be a different variety of disappointment and chaos. Geoff
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Hi Geoff, a ‘stormer’ to end the year. We all believe that one person is truly responsible for this debacle and I am sure he will say that he bought in a top ‘finder’ who had to operate within whatever budget. The trouble was that Moyes had left such a depleted squad the budget did not match the ‘top’ players required and we offered and lost several players we wanted and maybe settled for lower grades. Will we ever know the truth about Coach selection? or about Duran and Villa. How we can keep Lope now is quite beyond me and 000’s of supporters but Sullivan loves himself and ‘his’ wallet. A seemingly depressing New half year. The future, who knows. Regards Michael
https://westhamway.net/2024/12/30/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new-at-west-ham-all-change-at-stratford-please/?like_comment=2315&_wpnonce=5ec4afba63
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When the BBC Sport news describes my team as “ abject” it really hurts. The very least us fans expect is a little fight, some guts and , above all, some pride in the shirt. The current WH squad, with one or two exceptions, seems to have none of the above, and our Coach seems unable to inspire it. One day we may understand how we ended up with Mavropanos, Alvarez, Soler, Fullkrug and Rodriguez instead of the LB and CF we really needed. To see Wan- Bissaka regularly played out of position, asked to push forward and not castigated for failing to make any meaningful effort to get back and help his teammates when caught out of position is heartbreaking. If Lopetegui was to go tomorrow, would anyone from Chairman to boot man miss him? What exactly has he added to our great club since his arrival? No shape, no commitment, no improvement and certainly no youth development. So why is he still here? Answers, on a postcard please, to Mr. Sullivan.
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It was a truly abysmal showing. It would be difficult for anyone to argue otherwise. Personally, I still think there are a nucleus of decent players at the club which a more insightful coach would be able to get a tune out of. It was always likley to be a long hard road from the mess the squad was in to one capable of sustained challenge at the right end of the table. If there were signs of progress I think we could put up with it. But we are going backwards if anything with a nother coach who loves his favourites, falls out with those he hasn’t personally selected to sign and has no interest in youth development. The present woes sit squarely with the coach and the guy who appointed him. So depressing how little there is to look forward to each weekend.
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Lopo arrived at the club after being sacked 4 times, in 3 cases for runs of poor results. Before that he coached Spain’s kids. Not sure what the Wolves fans think about him but it is now clear this can’t work. He is miles out of his comfort zone against better opposition. Against lesser Premiership teams we have enough talent to scrap the points to survive. Unless there’s change now, that will be, I think, the story of 2024-25.
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I did think his reputation was somewhat exaggerated when he first arrived at Wolves. I have also heard it said he is meticulous in his preparations for each opponent – but see little evidence of that
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He may be meticulous and there is that story about him working for months on a West Ham dossier. But he doesn’t seem to motivate the players or pick formations that will do anything but defend and rely on luck (of which we’ve had far more than our fair share). His over-the-top urgings to players on the touchline look desperate. Slot sent them on with a few words. Then Van Dyke and Robertson shouted the instructions around. Liverpool has leaders on the pitch – several of them. We seem to have a far more authoritarian setup and little leadership of that kind amongst the players, who look for the most part bemused by what’s going on around them. But there is – to use Antonio’s phrase – the odd ‘scrap’ to feed off. In other words we are still where we were a year ago. No real plan or connected thinking on or off the pitch. I’m most saddened by the way the club consistently fails to let talented attacking players shine by employing very defensive tactics and (a big part of the problem) the lack of decent midfield players. The only one I currently rate is potentially Soler who, though a loanee, at least had the guts to give the post-match interview on the club website.
too desperate on the touchline (which TS has now abandoned pre-match).
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Sorry something else semi-deleted crept in…But Tim Steidten must be wondering what on earth he is doing at LS. I think he’s done pretty well for us (Kudus is a fantastic player and the others have been good or okay so far). But he can’t possibly have sanctioned Rodriguez, can he? And it’s generally accepted that Lopo was not his pick. Unless there is a change of manager I can see him leaving, which would be a shame.
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Agree with your points John. We can only guess at what goes on behind the scenes, but the impression is not of a happy or connected club. Loppy doesn’t come across as an inspirational figure either on the touchline or when talking to the media. Coupled with little leadership on the pitch and the players struggling to understand or fulfil their roles it leaves us rather rudderless. It was shocking that they sent Soler out for the post-match interviews.
It is no surprise that Sullivan has not embraced the TS role. He can’t resist meddling and keeping his agent pals involved in recruitment. It would be no surprise if TS walked. Can’t see any real difference in the way that the club is run – muddling along from season to season without any clear direction.
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