I was reminded on social media this week of Mark Noble’s comments on finishing his playing career at the club: “West Ham aren’t run like a circus anymore.” Some might suggest that this week’s shenanigans involving the sacking of head coach Lopetegui would differ from that. I guess all clubs should have succession planning, but somehow ‘the West Ham way’ of doing it did seem a little unsavoury being played out in public. Or was that just how I saw it? Anyway, as with all managers / head coaches who lose their job I am sure he and his staff will be well compensated for the remaining terms of their contracts.
Because just as I began to write this article the news that we knew was coming has finally been confirmed officially and Julen Lopetegui has been sacked. And he can have no complaints. Like so many I was underwhelmed by his appointment in the first place. But unlike many of our fans who are so called experts in who the club should appoint I didn’t know enough about him and was happy to see if he really was a good choice. Unfortunately he wasn’t and he has since proved that he was the wrong person right from the start.
We have not improved from a defensive point of view this season, and just like the last campaign under Moyes we have the poorest record in respect of goals conceded outside of the bottom three. Has it been poor recruitment in the summer or poor coaching / management since as we brought in Kilman, Todibo and Wan-Bissaka at the back to hopefully improve in this area? Wan-Bissaka has been relatively successful, but we don’t know about Kilman and Todibo yet.
But teams defend as a whole and I believe a key reason for our poor defensive record lies with the lack of pace in midfield which does not offer sufficient protection for the back four. Rodriguez just doesn’t seem to fit the Premier League, Alvarez (for whatever reason) seems to be getting slower and he wasn’t that fast to begin with, and Soucek for all his effort just doesn’t have the pace or quality. Paqueta has looked poor and disinterested for much of the time and has Soler got what it takes to be a success here, and why was he so easy to recruit and not wanted by PSG?
From the outset it just didn’t seem right. The players lacked direction or didn’t seem to understand what was required of them. What were the tactics? They weren’t very clear or again not understood. The team selections were baffling as were many of the substitutions. Inexplicably to me a player like Summerville just wasn’t given a chance, never given a full 90 minutes, hauled off when playing well then on the bench for the next game with no opportunity for continuity.
Prior to our game against Newcastle towards the end of November I wrote a poem entitled The Head Coach. I was expecting him to be dismissed very soon. I tried to predict the outcome of the game and was completely wrong as we won the game 2-0. My forecast was a 2-0 defeat. Pleased though I was (and always am) that we had won the game it didn’t really change my thoughts that he was the wrong choice. He was given more time, but even then I was convinced that he wouldn’t be around for too much longer. It has taken a further six weeks for the inevitable to happen. I repeat the poem here. Let us hope that this time we get it right.
The Head Coach
In the quiet of the changing room there’s tension in the air,
The head coach sits alone, lost in silent prayer,
The team, once full of promise, now struggles in the fight,
The season’s hopes are fading, slipping slowly out of sight.
In the cold winds of November under the floodlights glare,
The head coach stands in silence, with a burden hard to bear,
The team’s form has faltered, each defeat a painful blow,
The whispers growing louder, from the boardroom to below.
The night is cold, the winds are strong, the stadium lights are bright,
Two Premier League teams clashing on a freezing Monday night,
The Magpies on the front foot, their wingers standing wide,
The Hammers block is narrow, they fight to halt the tide.
He paces on the sideline, staring at the pitch,
Hoping to find the magic to turn this losing glitch,
He wonders about his lineup, he rethinks every play,
Hoping for a miracle to chase the doubts away.
One down at the interval, fans patience growing thin,
Every formation has been tried to bring the wins back in,
The half time talk determined, he rallies one more time,
A second goal goes in the net, the finish quite sublime.
After the game he faces the press, he knows not where to start,
Questions probing for cracks within, have the players got the heart?
He talks of faith and unity, of turning it around,
But shadows of the sack loom close, a win just can’t be found.
The players lack direction, the tactics quite unclear,
And baffling team selections, departure must be near,
Behind the scenes the murmurs rise, of replacements lined in wait,
Another loss, its Arsenal next, the coach awaits his fate.
Under The Hammers 
Hi Richard, I don’t think we could be more circus- like if we were sponsored by Bertram Mills! Both the appointment and departure of the unfortunate Lopetegui were a shambles, and our recruitment under Steidten has been, at best, variable. Some may regard this as normal, amusing even, but it’s easy to overlook what in current parlance they call ‘ reputational damage’. Does our Board ever stop to consider the impact of their indecision,their dithering, their unerring ability to make the wrong choices and then their cruel and very public attempts to put those things right on our players and staff? Do they ever think about what players we may one day wish to recruit think when they see all this going on , or what comfort our about – to – be opponents take from the obvious impact it all has on the club? I don’t think so. Will we now appoint the best Head Coach out there? Would the best Head Coach out there want to join having seen Lopetegui ( for whom I had no time at all as a Coach) treated in the way he has been? More likely , it will be whoever is available at no additional cost – as ever. You can say what you like about the Coach, the DOF and the players, but our real problems start and end with our Board. Happy New Year to you and yours. COYI. Mike Owers.
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Hi Mike
Interesting you refer to Bertram Mills – I’d actually referred to Billy Smart initially but then taken the reference out.
You are spot on – the success or failure of businesses, organisations, football clubs etc. relies almost exclusively to the top. Unfortunately little will change while the Board / Ownership remains in its current format. I fail to understand why the top man even wants to stay. Surely he doesn’t need to build his fortune any further. He’s not even a real supporter unlike David Gold who was. But while he remains we just have to put up with it. If you support a team you cannot change allegiance.
All the best. COYI
Richard
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Totally agree that Lopetegi was the wrong man for us. Steiden needs looking at if he’s been responsible for some of our poorer signings, but the biggest take away from this is that our board is a collection of totally arrogant individuals lacking any class or dignity. The way they treated Moyes was disgraceful, albeit I wanted him gone, and now they’ve done the same with Lopetegi. OK, he’s hung about to collect his reported £3m compensation, but, as a club, we should hang our heads in shame. On a positive note I’ve watched Potter’s interview and he comes across as articulate and pretty intelligent, more so than most in his role. Fingers crossed that I can start to make the painful experience of getting home via Stratford Station a lot more bearable. Keep up the good work.
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Hi Richard, as always good article and poem. A lot better morning than yesterdays. I think/hope that Potter will be an improvement on what we have just left. In fairness he did a great job at Brighton. I can ignore the Chelsea debacle because he seemingly had no proper management team and an owner that unlike our Sully spent millions like it was water and had to try and weld together 30 alleged super stars. He won’t have that problem now that is for sure. I don’t expect miracles but hopefully top 10. Having watched the Wolves and Crystal Palace recently I was quite concerned that we could end up in ’the dreaded zone’ but I think Potter will be safe from that. He still needs time and hopefully at least a CF and energetic midfielder. Maybe he will use our own junior left back. Regards Michael
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Hi Len
So true re the board but we are stuck with them. I saw Potter on a Sky tactical session talking to Carragher and was impressed with him at the time. I am hopeful he can do a decent job.
I also heard today that he is not an autocratic boss – he likes to include the players in discussing tactics etc. and is a good listener too.
Time will tell but I look forward to the rest of the season more now than I did.
All the best
Richard
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Hi Michael
As I wrote the poem in November I was expecting him to go anytime soon – I wasn’t expecting it to drag on this long. Like you I am hopeful that Potter will be a significant improvement on what we have had to put up with for the last couple of years now, Time will tell. Wouldn’t it be great to sign a really good goalscoring centre forward and one or two who will provide more energy in midfield.
I know many didn’t like him but I was always a fan of JWP and wished he wasn’t shipped out.
I’m optimistic for the future but time will tell.
All the best
Richard
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Hi Richard, as always good article and poem. A lot better morning than yesterdays. I think/hope that Potter will be an improvement on what we have just left. In fairness he did a great job at Brighton. I can ignore the Chelsea debacle because he seemingly had no proper management team and an owner that unlike our Sully spent millions like it was water and had to try and weld together 30 alleged super stars. He won’t have that problem now that is for sure. I don’t expect miracles but hopefully top 10. Having watched the Wolves and Crystal Palace recently I was quite concerned that we could end up in ’the dreaded zone’ but I think Potter will be safe from that. He still needs time and hopefully at least a CF and energetic midfielder. Maybe he will use our own junior left back. Regards Michael
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Well done Len and Owen hard but true. I do think that sometimes things get blurry because so many people (alledged reporters etc) constantly report ‘scoops’ that are total fiction but fan the flames. I have been a supporter for more than 60 years so have seen a lot of problems caused by consistantly bad senior management. Heres hoping for better remaining season. Michael Batchelor
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