Geoff Hopkins

Hammers Briefing: Christmas Seaside Shuffle, Late Drama and A Lost Season

Limping Around the Christmas Tree, Have A Loppy Holiday. West Ham stumble along from week to week like a drifter with no identity. A good point at Bournemouth but little of note to look forward to.

West Ham kicked off their three match seaside shuffle by sharing the points in an entertaining Monday night encounter at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium. After that, their south coast adventures continue by hosting the Seagulls of Brighton in a rare Saturday 3 PM start before travelling back down to Southampton on Boxing Day.

Although the Christmas programme is nowhere near as congested as it once was, the Hammers still face eight games between now and the end of January 2025. As we are routinely reminded the games come ‘thick and fast‘ – certainly thick in West Ham’s case if not always fast. There’s not even time to fit in an international break.

The final match of 2024 will be a visit to Anfield on 29 December where West Ham will be seeking to avoid setting a new Premier League for the most goals conceded in any calendar year. The current record, set by Newcastle in 2021, stands at 80 goals – West Ham have conceded 73 so far with those three games remaining. Looks touch and go given past performances against Liverpool.

The point gained at Bournemouth provided few clues on the future of Julen Lopetegui and the latest ‘three games to save his job’ cliffhanger. A quick look at the bottom of the league table suggests that, unless something drastic happens, the survival threshold this season will be be well below the magical 40 points – maybe even as low as 30 to 32. With West Ham having already scrambled 19 points, the likelihood of getting dragged into the mire of a relegation battle is extremely remote.

Perhaps a different record for the club to target is for the most consecutive weeks spent in the same league position. Having moved into 14^th on 2 November they have become so settled that they might be planning to give the place a lick of paint and replace the curtains. What are the chances of staying put right until the end of the season? Limping along to reach a disappointing on-target total of 45 points by the end of May.

It feels increasingly likely that Loppy will see out the rest of the season. I don’t suppose the Board are happy with their return on investment, but they appear not to look too far beyond preserving Premier League status in any given season. Why pay out more compensation than you need in the circumstances?That an underwhelming bottom half finish might lead to an exodus of any players who are frustrated by the club’s apparent lack of ambition is a problem for another day – and a boost to the summer revenues. Is it not now time for the UK’s new head postman, Daniel Kretinsky, to deliver at the London Stadium?

West Ham’s performance at Bournemouth was arguably one of their better efforts of 2024/25. For long periods in the first half there was a distinct impression of a slick one-touch passing team revelling in the possession they were allowed to enjoy. It was a call back to the Newcastle display, demonstrating that when given time and space the Hammer’s do have it in them to play attractive football. Unable to turn that dominance into advantage, an open and entertaining half remained goalless at the break.

The second-half took on a very different complexion as Bournemouth came out with far greater purpose and energy. Whether they were weighed down by too many half-time hobnobs or bemused by the half-time team talk, the visitors were soon on the back foot and a succession of smart saves by Lukasz Fabianski were needed in the opening five minutes to keep the scores level. With space now at a premium, West Ham struggled to get their passes together.

The game looked to be heading to a scoreless draw as it entered the final minutes. Lopetegui had made some of the strangest substitutions since Tesco sent me a can of peaches in place of a frozen pizza. The result was an assortment of eleven players (including three full backs) with no apparent formation looking uncertain as to what they were supposed to do. There was some logic to replacing Carlos Soler and Edson Alvarez with both players on yellow cards, but not Mohammed Kudus who had been the main attacking outlet and is always a potential source of inspiration. There was encouragement in seeing a couple of youth players finally make it onto the pitch, even if Kaelan Casey’s introduction was purely symbolic in order to waste a few more added time minutes. Oliver Scarles had a mixed Premier League debut, looking nervous in defence but putting in one delightful cross towards the far post.

While most of us were holding heads in hands when Niclas Fullkrug’s point blank header hit the Cherries goalkeeper, good old VAR was busy checking the potential handball that would lead to a West Ham penalty. Should it have been a penalty? If the rules were applied according to common sense, probably not. But under the current interpretation determined by the wise men of PGMOL then not awarding it would have been inconsistent. The priorities of PGMOL have long been a mystery to the average football supporter. More than happy with the growing trend of handing out meaningless cards to managers and coaches but making no attempt to address the blatant cheating and play acting that blights the game such as Kyle Walker’s exaggerated collapse in the Manchester derby.

I am always a little nervous with Lucas Paqueta’s penalty technique, but the kick was accomplished with aplomb. And interesting to see him make a beeline for Lopetegui to celebrate. All that was now required was to hold out for a further three minutes plus stoppage time and three points would be added to the stick of seaside rock for the journey back to London. Sadly, it was not to be, and Bournemouth conjured up a deserved equaliser in the time remaining.

It has become customary for some supporters to blame Dinos Mavripanos for every goal West Ham concede. Granted it was an unnecessary challenge to make in the circumstances but is the type that defenders make multiple times during a game. The resulting free kick was well (rather than spectacularly) struck by Unal, but Fabianski’s positioning had provided an open invitation to aim anywhere in that area of the net. In the end, a fair result.

Next up is the visit of Brighton on Saturday. One of the league’s form teams a few weeks back, the Seagull’s fortunes have dropped off in recent weeks and are without a win in four. They are unbeaten in seven Premier League encounters at the London Stadium having earned two wins and five draws. Adding one more to the draw tally would be no surprise.

Frankly, it’s all rather depressing to believe that a season that is not yet half completed offers so little in terms of hope. Oh well, it is a cross all West Ham fans must bear. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. COYI (or Allez les fers!)

Reasons To Do Nothing, Part 3: West Ham Win Against Wolves Gives Lopetegui Short Term Reprieve In Sack Race

West Ham are pleased to announce that the next game in the ‘one game to save his job’ series is scheduled for Boxing Day at St Marys Stadium, Southampton

Has there ever been a game, I wonder, where both managers have ended up losing their jobs after the final whistle? On the evidence of the first half, it wasn’t the most unlikely of outcomes as two extremely mediocre sides, who had conceded 63 goals between them so far this season, endeavoured to prioritise caution above enterprise.

The second half was thankfully more entertaining with three goals scored over eighteen frenetic minutes and various other incidents requiring the powers of VAR to intervene. Mohammed Kudus was so clearly offside for his disallowed goal that it is a mystery why the decision to derail his elaborate celebration took so long. As for the two Wolves penalty appeals, they could have gone either way – once again demonstrating the rather arbitrary nature of these rulings. The degree of contact, where it first took place, and whether it did or didn’t continue into the area must now all be taken into account when arriving at a split-second decision. Both were cases where the on-field decision was unlikely to be reversed no matter what. O’Neil seethed; Loppy was relieved!

The narrow Hammer’s win allows the can to be kicked a little further down the road before a decision is needed on Julen Lopetegui’s future. In times like these the Chairman likes nothing better than doing nothing. With each passing week the compensation for the Head Coach and his entourage reduces incrementally, and the list of potential replacements gets progressively longer – until they get snapped up by clubs more willing to pull the trigger. The view from the Boardroom is not of a team hovering just outside the relegation places, but one competing in an enthralling lower table mini league with the heavyweights from Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United. Let’s carry on limping along for now until the next “one match to save his job” event is scheduled against Southampton on Boxing Day.

There are, of course, significant financial consequence of jettisoning a coach or manager early in his contract and/ or buying another out of his contract at their exising. The costs involved must be accounted for under Profit and Sustainability Rules and will impact the amount available to spend in future transfer windows. It is said to have cost Manchester United £21m to ditch Ten Hag and recruit Amorim. A rounding error for the Red Devils but far more substantial for a club like West Ham with significantly lower revenues.

Aside from the financial hit, the Board are no doubt reluctant to admit to making a mistake in appointing Lopetegui in the first place. Many supporters regarded it as an uninspiring choice at the outset. Arguably better than what we had, but never the right man for the job of building for the future. It is yet another example of a club without the vision or understanding of what it takes to compete regularly in the financially skewed modern game. Muddling through from one season to the next with no strategy for smart recruitment or youth development is doomed to disappoint. It has been the trademark of the entire 15-year Sullivan/ Gold/ Brady era. And who trusts the current board to make a sensible or enlightened choice when Lopetegui is eventually replaced?

Monday Night football was once a highlight of the televised football week. But with more games now shown live and midweek action dominated by European competition, the Monday slot has become an anachronistic scheduling quirk. An opportunity to fill quotas by showing less glamorous sides compete in meaningless contests. A sign of the times that the Hammers will have been shunted to the Monday graveyard slot for three consecutive broadcasts. Given the late kick-off time and the number of added minutes that is now the norm, it is a wonder that anyone manages to get home afterwards.

Lopetegui made two changes to the side starting in the 3-1 defeat to Leicester. Emerson replaced Vladimir Coufal at full back and Crysencio Summerville came in for Danny Ings. The enforced absence of Michail Antoinio following his shocking road traffic accident is a huge blow to West Ham’s striking options and surely must be addressed in the January transfer window. It is difficult to imagine ever seeing Antonio in a West Ham shirt again and we wish him well in his lengthy recovery. He has been one the Hammer’s better signings of recent years, and his level of effort and commitment has never been in doubt.

The latest midfield ensemble of Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez and Carlos Soler failed to stamp their authority on thegame. Soucek continues to be an enigma. Playing in a more forward role, the game largely passed him by in open play with his lack of pace and mobility all too apparent. But then, up he pops to open the scoring with a looping header from Bowen’s corner. If that is typical of Wolves sleepy defending, it is no wonder they have shipped so many goals this season.

West Ham were once a team feared for their set piece prowess, but now it is only Soucek who presents an aerial threat. Although the benign floaty corners that have become the norm rarely trouble opposition defences, the current crop of centre backs appear reluctant to attack the ball in the style that endeared Craig Dawson to our hearts.

The Wolves equaliser and Jarrod Bowen’s winner were well taken goals even if you might question the effectiveness and quality of the defending for both. Bowen and Soucek remain neck and neck as the Hammers top scorers this season with four goals apiece.

Lopetegui’s obsession with always using his entire allocation of substitutes made for a very nervy end to the game. Replacing the pace of Summerville and Kudus with older, slower models gave his side few outlets for keeping possession during the 8+ minutes of added time. For the record, the average age of the 11 West Ham players on the field at the end was 29 years and 340 days.

Next up for West Ham is a trip to Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium next Monday evening. The Cherries have moved up to 8^th, with a six-point advantage over the Hammers following a run of three consecutive victories. It came as a surprise when Gary O’Neil was replaced by the relatively unknown Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth but it has proven to be a masterful move.

When West Ham beat AZ Alkmaar in the 2023 Conference League semi-final I suggested they should make a move for their Hungarian international defender, Milos Kerkez. Instead, he signed for Bournemouth and has become one of the best left-backs in the country – apparently attracting interest from Real Madrid. The type of in-your-face opportunity that our scouting regularly overlooks.

I am always pleased to see West Ham win, but it is frustrating to see our great club devoid of identity and direction. It is fairly obvious that nothing much can ever change under the current ownership while they continue to meddle in matters on the footballing side of the club that they don’t understand. Will we ever see a better time, when all our dreams come true? Or is that simply a Fairytale of Stratford? COYI!

West Ham’s Tale Of Three Corners: One Unturned and Two Undefended

Rumours of a West Ham revival under Julen Lopetegui were mercilessly squashed in a dismal first half showing against Arsenal at the London Stadium on Saturday evening

Expectations prior to Saturday’s London derby with Arsenal were less about possible victory as putting in a performance that would demonstrate Monday’s victory at Newcastle was no fluke. A sign to unconvinced supporters that the Lopetegui revolution had finally discoverd traction and a direction of travel. We were to be sadly disappointed.

Tentative and unconvincing from the start, it was if coach and players had written the game off before a ball had even been kicked. A gut had been busted at St James Park and a more winnable appointment was scheduled for Tuesday evening at the King Power Stadium. Let’s just go through the motions today, then! It’s a strategy that might suit a newly promoted team focused solely on survival – but don’t we deserve better than that?

A case could be made for calling out the decisions made by referee Anthony Taylor that resulted in three of the Arsenal goals. And that is what Lopetegui resorted to. But it was nothing more than an attempt to deflect attention from what looked to be poor preparation and ineffective tactics. The promising foundations established at Newcastle crumbling on their first encounter with a determined and energetic opponent.

Nowhere were the shortcomings more evident than in midfield where the new partnership of Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta and Carlos Soler failed to exert any of the composure tht had been exhibited the previous Monday. Control was meekly surrendered to the strength, skill and tenacity of Odegaard, Rice and Jorginho. Soucek huffed and puffed but was slow, lost and lumbering; while Paqueta served up one of his frustratingly casual displays that verge on the cusp of liability. Soler was the brightest of the three – and what a stunning pass it was to set up Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the first West Ham goal – but was deployed too far forward to stamp any authority on the game. Collectively, they failed to compete, unable to provide a platform for retaining possession or building forward momentum -especially during that woeful opening 36 minutes.

Some observers saw a sliver of positivity from the more even exchanges of the second period. The introduction of Edson Alvarez certainly added spark to the midfield but doing so at the expense of Crysencio Summerville was a damage limiting call rather than a brave one. Although Alavrez may well have made a difference had he started, would he have made it to half-time given his love of the rash callenge and the ease and drama with which Arsenal players fall to the ground?

They say that football is a game of opinions and that is increasingly becoming the norm for refereeing decisions. At one time a push in the back was an obvious offence but now it is down to the official’s calculation as to the degree of force exerted. The shove on Paqueta by Timber for the visitor’s opening goal was overlooked by the referee and VAR declined to enter the debate. Likewise, penalty decisions have become increasingly subjective and impossible to judge – harsh say the Hammers; stonewall say the Gunners – as matches become more concerened with generating content for post-match analysis than for the beauty of the game itself. The new directive for VAR to defer increasingly to on-field decisions makes one wonder what purpose it is now serving.

Arsenal’s corner tactics would have made Don Revie a proud man. As would the way the Gunner’s have embraced the cynical dark arts of diving, cheating and time-wasting. Arteta comes across as a deeply unlikeable character and he has successfully created a team in his own image. Still, in the world of win-at-all-costs football it has helped them get results. As long as they continue to be runners-up, let them get on with it.

Lukasz Fabianski is far from the ideal candidate to cope with the agricultural Arsenal corner routine. A far more commanding keeper is required, and it is a position that West Ham must address sooner rather than later. The Hammers have long been suckered by opponents attempting overloads at set pieces with several Brentford reverses springing to mind. Ultimately, the Set Piece Defensive coaches (if there is such a thing) up and down the land must find a way of coming to terms with the tactic. Possibly finding a way to avoid adding to the general confusion and congestion by defending zonally or building a wall at the back post to block the runners. It was a mystery what Max Kilman’s role was supposed to be when Gabriel headed in the opener – but apparently it had been practised on the training ground.

The Lopetegui circus now moves on to Leicester tomorrow night for what some have billed as another ‘must win’ game. The Foxes were abysmal in their defeat to Brentford on Saturday but will have new manager, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, in the dugout for Tuesday’s game. If the Hammers are to resist the new manager bounce, they will need to wake their ideas up sharpish. Vardy’s eyes will have lit up watching the Havertz goal at the weekend and it will not have escaped his attention that Kilman and Jean-Claire Todibo have been consistently vulnerable to the simple ball over the top.

Something else to watch out for tonight is the FA Cup Third Round draw. West Ham are ball number 43 and will be hoping to avoid the traditional poisoned chalice of a trip to Manchester or Liverpool. I must add a ‘very well done’ to the Daggers for reaching the third round. A trip down the road to Victoria Road would do very nicely. COYI!

Expecting the Unexpected, Sensible Selections and Turning The Corner: West Ham Win At Newcastle

A surprise win for West Ham at Newcastle provides a boost for Julen Lopetegui in his quest to escape the Premier League sack race. How did it happen and was it anything more than a freak result?

Was this just like watching West Ham of old? A match where only the rosiest of claret and blue tinted spectacle wearers had predicted an away win, while most of us (myself include) could not see past the first of two heavy defeats that were going to put an end to Julen Lopetegui’s short-lived reign at the London Stadium. But just as all hope for something to shout about this season was being abandoned, the Hammers reeled us back in with a commanding display and well-deserved victory at St James Park.

This was no smash and grab raid. Lopetegui’s side had their fair share of possession and, for once, there was a confidence and slickness to the passing that grew as the game progressed – buoyed by the early goal from the head of Tomas Soucek. It was encouraging to see the team refusing to drop into a low block once the lead was secured, and to witness the levels of commitment and effort on show throughout. Any speculation in the media that the proverbial dressing had been lost appeared well wide of the mark based on the evidence of last night’s showing.

There were two things that stood out for me with the team selection and tactics. The first was that (at long last) no-one was being asked to play out of position or in a role that they clearly didn’t understand. No inverted wing back roles for full backs. No defensive midfielder being asked to fall back into a fluid back three. No central midfielder marooned out on the left wing. The second was that populating the centre of midfield with players familiar with controlling and passing the ball contributed massively to overall cohesiveness. A partnership of Lucas Paqueta and Carlos Soler provided far improved ball retention and freed up Soucek to do what he does best – getting in the way (in a good way) in both boxes. I thought much of the criticism directed at Soler had been harsh and premature given the limited minutes played in his preferred position. I have previously suggested that playing more than one of Soucek, Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez in the same midfield would never be a wise move if possession football was the name of the game. On this occasion, Lopetegui got his selections spot on, but one must ask why it took him so long to get there.

There were fine performances throughout the team. Lukasz Fabianski defied the years in goal and showed a surprise gift for passing and dribbling along his goal line, while the defence as a unit was largely solid in earning its second clean sheet in a row. And I have already mentioned how better balanced and flexible the midfield engine room looked – including a tidy cameo from Andy Irving in the last ten minutes. But it was the performances of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen that really stood out on the night.

West Ham were the main beneficiaries of Antonio losing his passport and being unable to travel for Jamaica’s CONCACAF Nations League fixture. The rest appeared to have worked wonders as he worked tirelessly to unsettle a perplexed Newcastle defence until his late replacement by Danny Ings. Bowen was arguably the most effective player on the pitch. He may not be the most obvious of materials for skipper but can certainly lead by example. He popped up all over the pitch, was always available as an outlet from defence and was a constant source of menace in his link-up play with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The West Ham squad is built for counterattacking and Bowen firing on all cylinders is central to that threat.

It is difficult to know what to make of Newcastle. After a bright start they faded badly. They have a surplus of attacking players who didn’t appear up for it, looked lethargic in midfield and vulnerable in defence when put under pressure. They strike me as a group of individuals without much of a collective ethos. Whether their failure to deliver was down to their own inadequacies or to West Ham’s efforts is debateable. Eddie Howe is another who may be looking over his shoulder at the job centre queue by the end of the season.

The result and performance for West Ham last night inevitably turned to speculation as to whether the legendary corer has been turned or not. As a whole, the performance stands as an outlier in a sequence of otherwise underwhelming and unimaginative showings – and on the back of one of the very worst against Everton two weeks ago. It’s fair to say that if the same effort and endeavour had been shown all season – even if the points tally remained the same – there would have been far fewer calls for Lopetegui to be replaced. Could it be that his methods are finally bearing fruit? Or has he accidentally stumbled upon a style and formation that suits the players and works in the Premier League? He has certainly given himself breathing space and will surely remain in charge at least until to the end of December, with a run of games that reads: Arsenal, Leicester, Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton.

We can now look forward to Saturday’s game against the Gunners with a new found air of confidence. But we’ve all been there many times before, haven’t we? COYI!

“I Know Nothing”: Faulty Hammers Must Bite The Bullet and Replace Lopetegui Before More Damage Can Be Done

Can there have ever been a poorer excuse for an elite level football match than the turgid stodge served up by West Ham and Everton on Saturday afternoon?

If you booked a table at a supposed elite level restaurant and the fare served up was anywhere near as poor as that at the London Stadium on Saturday, you would most likely never return unless it re-opened under new management. West Ham and Everton, probably the two dreariest teams in the Premier League last season, offering no suggestion that anything was about to change this time around.

Football clubs are extremely fortunate in being able to rely on and take advantage of the blind loyalty of their fan base. But perhaps they are mistaken in believing their complacency can go on unchecked forever. With each passing season the needle has gradually shifted from matches as sporting, cultural and community matchday events towards games that serve as content and talking points for media outlets to pick over, speculate upon, and analyse with increasingly spurious statistics on a daily basis.

I have long thought of West Ham and Everton as two teams from the same pod when it comes to the modern game. Both struggle to find their niche in the shadow of more illustrious city neighbours, but both with delusions that they are a rung above those smaller clubs – Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth – who follow sound organisational and recruitment strategies in order to survive. I can recall a conversation with a Birmingham City supporter around the time Gold & Sullivan took over at West Ham. He told me that rather than taking sound football decisions, they were regularly in thrall of shiny, glamourous appointments or signings who they believed (usually mistakenly) would reflect well on them. Nothing much appears to have changed over the years. It is the reason why we have endured a string of continental big name flops and been saddled with a manager appointed on the strength of having once been manager of Real Madrid – no matter how badly that turned out.

What can be said about the Everton game itself? The first half was virtually devoid of anything noteworthy. An excellent saving tackle in his own box by Crysencio Summerville to deny an Everton breakaway, and a first West Ham attempt on goal by Jarrod Bown in the 44th minute. The second half was marginally more memorable. A headed chance for Everton, Summerville hitting the post after a fine pass from Lucas Paqueta, and two goal bound shots from Danny Ings that Pickford did well to keep out. A dull draw reflected the balance of play between two poor teams, even if the Hammers had more of the ‘big’ chances. I suppose one might celebrate a rare clean sheet although the visitors had few meaningful attacking aspirations.

On paper, Julen Lopetegui had not selected anyone to play out of position this week and had reverted to a back four after the previous week’s failed experiment. In practice, he used Guido Rodriguez (and later Tomas Soucek) as auxiliary centre backs and allowed his full backs licence to wander forward at the expense of defensive of duties. Other than that, it was a repeat of the slow, pedestrian fare that has become a feature of the manager’s game plan. There was still no sign of an intended identity, style of play or sense of urgency. Whatever the direction of travel, it is either a mystery to the players or they are ill-equipped to deliver it. The possession stats might look better than last season, but it is possession for the sake of it. Build ups are too slow and lacking penetration to worry opposition defences.

Summerville was by far the standout and liveliest player for West Ham, raising the question why had it taken so long for him to be given a chance? One might also question why Danny Ings has been given so few minutes (75 across 5 games) when he is the only fit player in the squad to possess a striker’s instinct. His West Ham career may be a huge disappointment overall, but he has looked much sharper than the alternatives during those limited minutes. Bowen came to life in the second half but is wearing the captain’s armband like an anchor around his neck. Indeed, leadership is currently impossible to spot both on and off the pitch.

Unlike some observers, I thought Paqueta had one of his more enterprising games this season – although admittedly this is a low bar – no matter what the statistics might say. If your play maker’s passing stats are in the high 90% then he is not being adventurous enough. I also think Carlos Soler deserves more than his single start to show what he can do. He may have the look of someone attending a fancy-dress party as a caricature Spaniard but I’m sure there’s a talented player in there somewhere, if only it is given the opportunity to flourish.

Vladimir Coufal was a surprise 67^th minute replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka allowing the Czechkle Brothers to reprise their famous to me, to you routine close to the right touchline – until Soucek puts the ball into touch. Some players are just not cut out for possession football and big Tom is one of them. If he is not scoring goals, he is a passenger who simply gets in the way and slows everything down. Michail Antonio is another unsuited to a game that is built upon passing and movement.

Lopetegui has now managed 13 West Ham league and cup games with 4 wins and 6 defeats. It currently stands at one less game than he lasted in his spell at the Bernabeu. There is plenty of speculation as to whether he will survive to surpass that total or whether he will be released during the international break. With games against Newcastle and Arsenal on the horizon, the Hammers could well be flirting with the relegation zone going into December.

There is little doubt on the evdience to date that the appointment has been a huge and expensive mistake. If there were signs of progress, then there could be justification to allow more time to “turn things around”. But that rarely happens and all we can see is a muddle with a confused and unhappy squad. The only rationale for hanging on would be to avoid the financial penalty of paying up Lopetegui’s contract – but at what long term cost?

Plenty of names for potential replacements have already been thrown about in the media. We have no way of knowing how reliable any of those reports are. Many supporters – and I am one – will be doubtful that the Board are capable of making a sensible decision based on footballing criteria alone. Much of the anger is directed at David Sullivan but he no longer is a majority owner and surely the other shareholders will want their say. The niggling suspicion, though, is that ambitions do not extend far beyond the maintenance of Premier League status necessary to preserve the asset value of the club.

Managing a Premier League club in London makes the West Ham job an attractive proposition for any ambitious manager keen to prove his worth. Hopefully, any search can go beyond the unemployed although the financial aspects of changing manager cannot be ignored. As far as I know, money spent on compensation would not only burn a hole in the Board’s pockets but also have an adverse impact on spend in future transfer windows. But it is time to take a long-term view on the future of the club. One based on sound principles and the type of succession planning that has been succesful at Brighton. A younger rising star manager, who I may well have never heard of, with fresh progressive ideas, and a focus on youth would be just the job. COYI!

Lopetegui’s Road to Nowhere and an Out of Capital Punishment Beating

The promised Lopetegui revolution continues to shuffle aimlessly from week to week. Time to pull the plug or sit and hope that a well concealed plan will eventually emerge?

As in all long running soap operas, each game in West Ham’s season ends with a cliffhanger to keep us talking until the next unstalment. Has the corner been turned? Will the manager be sacked? Is there an oubreak of turmoil and unrest in the Hammer’s camp?

Two weekends ago, a welcome win and an encouraging second-half performance of up-tempo football against Manchester United left us wondering whether this was finally the point where Lopetegui-ball shook off its slumber and gained momentum. On Saturday’s evidence it was no ore than a lucky break?

It had been a very different story for the Red Devils who shaken by the ignominy of defeat by West Ham ended their patient support of Erik ten Hag. The twist being that the next Old Trafford boss will be the same Ruben Amorim, who had been interviewed in the summer from the London Stadium job but – according to reports – was considered too risky an appointment at this stage of his career. The board opting to go for a safe pair of hands in the guise of former goalkeeper and compensation-free, Julen Lopetegui.

It was the battle of the goalkeeping managers when the Hammers headed to Nottingham for their first Premier League fixture of the season outside of the M25. The high-flying hosts now coached by another former Wolves manager, Nuno Espirito Santo.

People say that Lopetegui is a steady rather than innovative manager and yet his ability to find new and ingenious ways of deploying players out of position really takes some beating. His response to the Manchester United success was not to build on the success but to introduce a surprise overhaul of formation whereby Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Dinos Mavropanos formed a three-man central defence. The full backs would become wing backs for the day, there would be a double pivot of Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez and Jarod Bowen would operate as the central striker, in preference to either Michail Antonio or Danny Ings.

While the coach had bowed to calls for Crysencio Summerville to be given a start following his game changing exploits a week earlier, he was conspicuously consigned to an inside-left berth where he could do less damage. For balance, Lucas Paqueta was also given the opportunity to demonstrate he could be equally s ineffective at inside-right as anywhere else on the pitch. The Brazilian is clearly not in the right frame of mind for football.

West Ham saw a lot of the ball in the opening period, but it was possession for the sake of it, without any hint of penetration inside the box. Forest were the more incisive side by some distance. Nuno’s style is not far removed from that of the old Scottish manager, favouring the low block and quick transition. But with pace to spare in both midfield and attack, it was too hot for the Hammers to handle – even while the game remained 11 a-side.

The opening goal came as Forest again exploited the acres of space that West Ham were gifting along the flanks. Not for the first time, Mavropanos was more concerned with adopting the hands-behind-the-back Riverdance pose than closing the space between him and his opponent. Moreno allowed all the time in the world to calmly pick out Wood’s head as several Hammer’s defenders looked on.

Despite fashioning a first meaningful shot at goal just before the break, the game was effectively done and dusted when Alvarez picked up two yellow cards in the space of eight minutes. Taking one for the team has become an acepted part and parcel of the modern game but the more astute sides know how to spread the load and are careful not to use up lives when it isn’t absolutely necessary. Both of Alvarez’s card were avoidable as the threat wasn’t immediate at either time. In defence of the Mexican, he often looks to be the only player interested in hunting down the ball in midfield or chasing lost causes in defence. He has always liked a card though, and it is difficult to lump this behaviour with any wider lack of discipline that may be creeping into the club.

In the second half it was simply a matter of time before the hosts scored again, and a lottery as to how many goals they would rack up before the final whistle. There was little sign that the visitors had any hunger or passion to make a fight out of adversity. Ultimately, Forest contented themselves with extending a three-year home sequence that has seen them score 1, 2 and then 3 goals against West Ham without reply. It was a win that saw them climb into third spot in the table as the season passed its quarter way point.

A common reason put forward for Lopetegui’s poor start to his West Ham career is that “he doesn’t know his best team yet.” That has always felt a lame argument to me as lineups are never static. Players lose and find form, injuries and suspensions must be managed, and approaches to games are adjusted according to opposition. What is a concern though is that after 12 league and cup games we are no nearer understanding what the coach is trying to achieve. What evidence exists of progress towards a style, formation and tactics that can be effective in the Premier League, while suiting the players available to him? Lopetegui has been stumbling from match to match apparently learning little and reacting to events with apparent random acts of management.

Everyone knew that the Hammers faced a major squad rebuilding in the summer. Looking at the individuals recruited in isolation, a case can be made for the sense of each signing. But as an overall strategy, the conclusion has to be that the club got the priorities very wrong – both from a positional sense and the age profile of the squad.

This is perfectly illustrated with a midfield that can neither cover the ground defensively nor support rapid transition in possession. No matter who is selected out of Alvarez, Rodriguez, Paqueta, and Tomas Soucek the midfield is short of legs without anyone capable of breaking forward with the ball at speed. A data driven analysis isn’t required to tell us this. We can all see it with our own eyes. Games are often won and lost through control of the midfield and our solution is akin to entering a Morris Traveler in a Formula 1 race.

The question now is how much time Lopetegui will be allowed to demonstrate he has a plan, and knows what he is attempting to do. I doubt even the extravagantly patient board members will be convinced by what they have seen to date. Or impressed by the stories of unease that arisen within the squad. If a slow and gradual improvement could be detected, we might be inclined to grin and bear it in the near term. But that has not been happening. It would be out of character but does it make cutting the losses – even at this early stage – a sensible course of action.

The dilemma, of course, is that if Lopetegui was sacked who would replace him. Assuming David Sullivan would again be the primary decision maker we know how predictable and unimaginative he will be. Dazzled by coaches who have managed at big clubs, regardless of how successful that ha turned out. And narrowing the field to those currently unemployed where no compensation would be required. Any chance of boardroom coup? COYI!

Don’t Tease Me This Way: Summerville’s Spark Propels West Ham To Unlikely Victory

The classic game of two halves as West Ham survive a first half bombardment to claim victory with a spirited response in the second. Relief also for Julen Lopetegui who managed to fix his own mistakes at half time to earn a welcome three points.

Sometimes you have to wonder what is going on inside a coach or manager’s head when they make their team selections. With Mohammed Kudus starting his red card suspension, the world and his wife were confident that Crysencio Summerville was the obvious natural replacement to fill his boots. But Julen Lopetegui had other ideas and decided that playing Carlos Soler out of position on the left hand side was a far more sensible and insightful solution. Does he consider Summerville too direct for his particular brand of slow build-up football? And doesn’t Soler deserve an opportunity in the Lucas Paqueta position to do himself justice? After all, the Brasilian is rarely at the races these days.

The other changes from the drubbing at Tottenham saw a recall for Lukasz Fabianski in goal, Dinos Mavropanos replacing Jean-Clair Todibo at centre back and Edson Alvarez ousting Tomas Soucek in midfield. The unbalanced nature of the starting lineup instinctively looked liked poor judgement. But it did allow the coach to take the plaudits when he fixed his own mistake with three substitutions at half-time. Perhaps it was the plan all along to start with a duff formation in order to demonstrate the genius of his tactical use of substitutes later.

The first half ably demonstrated the folly of both selections and tactics. The team lacked any sense og cohesion, control or goal threat. What’s more, the persistence with the use of inverted full backs, the high defensive line and the uncertainty of how the defensive midfielders should fill the resulting gaps allowed Manchester United to pick off the Hammers at will through simple balls over the top. Time and again the Hammer’s defence found itself exposed by the simplest of all plays. A deficiency of organisation and tactics rather than personnel.

It is always easy to speculate on should-haves and could-haves in football games depending on what story you are wanting to tell. Not all the chances that the visitors created were gilt-edged, but a couple were more than presentable – especially the comical Dallo miss and the Fernandez header. Had West Ham found themselves two or three goals down at the break, there could be no complaints that it didn’t reflect the balance of play.

It was a different story after the break. The introduction of Summerville was the catalyst for change. His energy and single-mindedness at driving at the Red Devils defence inspired his team-mates and the crowd. All of a sudden, the Hammers looked like a team with purpose, One that was prepared to ask questions of its opponent. Todibo speed, awareness and positioning also gave the defence a more solid feel. He looks to be a very good signing – whoever would like to claim the credit for that one! Tomas Soucek did OK without being influential. I would like to have seen Soler moved centrally for a while although he doesn’t have the same aerial abilities as the Czech.

As the second period progressed, it was West Ham who looked the more threatening even if it was manifested in enterprising approach play rather than the creation of scoring opportunities. When the opening goal came there was a touch of good fortune as Danny Ings scuffed shot became a perfect set up for Summerville to slot home. His joy at scoring was obvious despite the yellow card shown for removing his shirt. It is good to see that the officials have a handle on the most serious issues apparent in the game – such as this and delaying the restart for a nano-second. While blatant diving, cheating, time wasting and other dark arts go unpunished.

Another piece of officiating that provides a solution to the wrong problem is forcing a player who has had treatment to leave the field until the referee sees fit. Of course, it is meant to discourage fake time-wasting injuries by Arsenal, but was there really any suspicion that Alvarez had faked a ball crashing into his face? I believe he was still off the pitch when Manchester United equalised – an equivalent situation that Ten Hag had complained about the previous week. We should, however, acknowledge the achievement of Alvarez in lasting the full 108 minutes without incurring a single yellow card

The circumstances surrounding the West Ham winner have overshadowed much of the reporting on the game. I doubt that many watching the game in real-time had seen anything untoward in the brief goalmouth skirmish and it came as quite a surprise when the game was stopped, and the referee directed to view the pitch-side monitor. In the days of VAR, we have become well aware how subjective these penalty calls are, allowing pundits and commentators alike to waffle on incessantly about whether there was contact and whether it was ‘enough’ – presumably measured in Newtons per square metre. How much is enough is never fully explained and we must await development of the AI powered degree of contact test before it can be resolved. It is rare for a referee to go to the monitor only to disagree VAR. I’ve a sneaking feeling by the time taken by David Coote to review the five seconds of footage that he was not convinced with. But he knew better than to incur the wrath of Michael Oliver. It is said these things even themselves out over time – so, just another dozen or so dodgy decisions in our favour and our account will be back in balance.

Jarrod Bowen dispatched the spot kick with aplomb and after that there was just 15 minutes of added time to cope with. Bowen was another who came to life in the second half and his run was instrumental in the opening goal. His corner kicking is terrible though and generally results in a gentle chip into the keeper’s arms.

Summerville was the obvious choice for man of the match (or man of half a match) but I thought Aaron Wan-Bissaka was outstanding throughout. A good shift also from Michail Antonio who can still unsettle defences with his physical presence under the right circumstances, as long as you don’t try to involve him in any quick, intricate passing movements. Well done also to Fab for a sound display of goalkeeping – and not forgetting Mr Oliver. COYI!

The Reign From Spain Fails Tamely At The Lane: West Ham Are Humbled By Tottenham

Another shameful surrender and defeat by close London rivals leaves the Hammers tottering in the bottom six and the future of coach Julen Lopetegui looking increasingly shaky.

Following a convincing victory just prior to the international break, the question was raised as to whether West Ham had finally turned a corner or had that been a very poor Ipswich performance. I think we now know the answer to that one.

I felt little optimism going in the run up to Saturday’s game at Tottenham. The Hammers have been notoriously slow starters after international breaks and I fully expected to be a couple of goals down in the opening quarter of an hour. Events didn’t turn out like that, though. In fact, the first half was reasonably competitive, even if the defensive approach owed more to an old-school low block rather than high lines and defending by maintaining possession. Dropping deep and deploying Guido Rodriguez as an auxiliary centre back, meant the home side struggled to fashion any real threats on the visitor’s goal during the initial exchanges. West Ham even looked dangerous on the break and prior to scoring the opener from Jarrod Bowen’s pull-back, Mohammed Kudus was thwarted in an equally presentable early chance from the same source.

Everything changed, however, after the Tottenham equaliser. Lucas Paqueta lost possession, Tomas Soucek missed his tackle, the gap between midfield and defence was huge and Tottenham were up and running. If that wasn’t bad enough, the opening 15 minutes of the second half were nothing short of shambolic. With no obvious sign of leadership on or off the pitch, heads dropped, and all sense of discipline or organisation was lost.

Typical of the disarray was that while the decision was made to make three substitutions at 2-1 down, the players did not enter the pitch until it was 4-1. Were Julen Lopetegui’s instructions ‘lost in translation’ and where was Kevin Nolan’s old iPad when you need it?

Seeing the coach standing on the touchline, his face twitching as the game plan crumbled in front of his eyes, brought to mind Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther movies. Difficult to believe a seasoned manager with over 400 games under his belt would look this startled.

The performances so far this season have not had sufficient consistency to identify what the style or pattern of play is meant to be with any confidence. Assuming it revolves around enjoying a greater share of possession, the evidence suggests there are serious questions as to whether the squad has the right calibre of players to carry that off – including those who have been newly recruited. The gap is particularly noticeable in the midfield three which lacks serious pace or anyone capable of storming forward with the ball under control. While Lucas Paqueta is able to pick out the occasional sublime pass, these have been few and far between since his mind has been distracted elsewhere. But even he is not the quickest or adept at running with the ball

The shortcomings in midfield lead to transitions being far too slow and relaint on long diagonals. And with no obvious ‘out-ball’ option the opportunity to break the press is almost non-existent. I have sympathy with Alphonse Areola in this respect as attempts to play out from the back routinely end up with the ball played back to him under pressure. He is then caught between an instinct to clear his lines and the instruction to play the ball short.

How to fix this in the short term should be the coach’s top priority if the team are to improve. I don’t see how more than one of Rodriguez, Soucek and Edson Alvarez can be in the team at any one time. It needs Carlos Soler, Andy Irving – or perhaps Lewis Orford – to be given the opportunity to show if they can offer anything different.

Julen Lopetegui was not what most supporters wished for when the club took the correct decision not to renew the Scottish manager’s contract. Unfortunately, when imagination and foresight were needed from the Board, we got predictability with the apparently ‘safe’ option. Someone who had managed at big clubs (regardless of how successful that had turned out) and, perhaps most importantly, was out-of-work and available without compensation. It never felt like an ideal fit for a club that is second tier in terms of finances which wanted to punch above its weight through a programme of smart recruitment.

Despite this, most supporters understood the degree of change required and were prepared to see how the appointment went. That patience is wearing perilously thin. As the 2024/25 campaign moves towards the quarter mark it looks set to be playing out as a lost season with lower mid-table the most probable outcome.

The Rear-View Transfer Window Mirror

In the summer, there were excited claims that West Ham had won the transfer window. From what we have seen so far though, it is just as well the club held off on the open top bus parade to celebrate that particular victory.

As supporters, we don’t have the inside track on who does what with recruitment. The impression in some quarters is that Tim Steidten arrives back at the London Stadium with a shopping cart of new players to show the coach what he has bought him. It is highly unlikely it works like that and there is sure to be input from the coach on the type of players he requires, and from the Board on what deals can be completed from a financial perspective. Steidten’s reputation is for unearthing little-known gems and only Lusi Guileherme and Mohamadou Kanté from the summer intake truly fits that bill. Only time will tell whether they turn out to be gems.

The greatest failure of the transfer window was in not resolving the long-running striker problem. The injury to Niclas Fullkrug is obviously unfortunate but a 31-year-old journeyman was never more than a temporary fix. Second to that, recruitment of a midfield general (do they still exist?) with pace and energy was sadly overlooked.

No Club For Young Men

Despite splashing a significant quantity of cash during the summer, the club have not addressed their ageing squad problem. West Ham were the oldest squad in the Premier League (weighted by minutes played) until knocked off the bottom spot by Everton a week or two ago.

Similarly, West Ham are ranked 19^th out of 20 for matches played by former academy players in their current squad – only Brentford have a worse record. The only Hammer’s entry is the one minute played by Kaelan Casey against Luton last May. We would have been able to add another 32 minutes for George Earthy had he not been out on loan, but it would not have affected the overall rankings. Not an impressive statistic for the self-styled ‘Academy of Football’.

Premier League appearance this season for players under the age of 23 have been limited to Crysencio Summerville (174 minutes) and Guileherme (5 minutes).

Who Referees the Referees?

Nothing in the performance of the referee, Andy Madley, impacted the final outcome of Saturday’s game. The match was not close enough for that to happen. Under the current interpretation of the rules, it was no surprise when Kudus received a red card in the aftermath of his tussle with van de Ven. Such scuffles were not uncommon when I first started watching football and a stiff talking to was the usual outcome. But now, when there are more bookings in a single match than you would previously see in a whole season, it was obvious that action was going to be taken.

But what seemingly continues to go unpunished is the acting and simulation that have become a feature of the modern game. Kudus would have had to walk anyway given the number of players he had altercations with, but the reaction of both van de Ven and Richarlison – who both went down as if there was a sniper in the stadium – was pure cheating. The sole objective of getting an opponent into trouble. Crackdowns are regularly threatened but short of being pulled up for imaginary card waving, players have little to fear from their antics in diving and rolling around on the floor.

The situation where referees both establish interpretations of the laws and then enforce them doesn’t seem right to me. It lacks accountability. And trying to replace common sense judgements with hard and fast codified rules has resulted in ridiculous situations that clearly hadn’t faced a sniff test by people with experience of playing the game. The handball rule is a perfect example of this as demonstrated in the incident when the ball struck Udogie’s arm on the goal-line and a penalty was (correctly) not awarded. For the past few seasons, the ball hitting anyone’s hand in the penalty area was seen as an unquestioned offence but now it isn’t. How does that happen? Did no-one ever consider the implications of how fast the ball can move or how players use arms for balance? It is difficult to have any faith in the wisdom of the PGMOL.

“Went Better Than Expected.” From unconvincing team selection to runaway victors as West Ham thump Ipswich

Fearing the worst when the teams were announced, the Hammers surprised us all with an enterprising and spirited performance to overcome the Tractor Boys and record a first London Stadium league win of the season

One of the great innovations of the 2024/25 Premier League season is the unveiling of team sheets 75 minutes before scheduled kick-off time. It provides an additional 15 minutes in which to fume over the idiocy of the coach’s latest selection brain fog and to share those frustrations to all and sundry on social media.

And so it was that a collective “what is he thinking?” reverberated around the London Stadium when confirmation was received that Julen Lopetegui would keep faith with the same eleven who performed so inadequately in the first half at Brentford the week before. Edson Alvarez returned from suspension but only to a seat on the bench, while Andy Irvine could celebrate his call-up by Scotland by being omitted completely from the matchday squad.

Already, I was planning the article headline that would follow a fourth consecutive home defeat by the visitors from Suffolk. “Tractor (rather than Taxi) for Mr Lopetegui” might be appropriate given the identity of the opposition. The extra 15 minutes even allowed time to invent an imaginary agricultural vehicle ride hailing app know as TUber!

The pre-match gloom, however, was quickly shattered when the Hammers joined the growing trend for scoring first minute goals. It was a move initiated by one pantomime villain – Tomas Soucek – and finished by another, as Michail Antonio anticipated Jarrod Bowen’s cross to stroke the ball into the net. The goal even featured a contribution from the hapless Kalvin Phillips who meekly conceded possession and belatedly made a positive impact to the West Ham cause.

Despite the visitor’s early equaliser – a shocking example of token defending by Lucas Paqueta – West Ham were the more dangerous side throughout. Even if the intensity ebbed and flowed during different phases of the match, the Hammers were largely in control. Other than set pieces and crosses, Ipswich posed few problems for the home defence where the axis of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo has the hallmarks of a promising partnership.

I sensed two significant tactical adjustments introduced by Lopetegui for the game. The first was a more obvious and balanced representation of the 4-1-4-1 formation which better suited the cast on the pitch. Guido Rodriguez played the anchor role effectively (albeit without spectacle), dropping into a back three as required and giving the full backs greater licence to roam. The second was an intent to move the ball forward quickly wherever possible. This was the tactic mistakenly branded as long ball by the Ipswich manager in his post-match gripe. It was a perfect example of West Ham playing on their toes (at last). It particularly plays to the strengths of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus who arre at their most dangerous when attacking the space in front of them. It was also reassuring to see them more active inside the opposition box when the full backs provided width.

We should also mention a further deciding factor which was that McKenna clearly thought his side could win the game and heap further pressure on the struggling hosts. Gone was the caution that had underpinned their performances against Brighton and Villa to be replaced by an adventurous high-line that on the day played directly into the West Ham hands.

Despite a creditable all-round team performance by West Ham, it was amusing to read some of the ratings on the clickbait websites who appear contractually obliged to have a scapegoat highlighted in their misleading headline. This week, Aaron Wan-Bissaka – who put in a very decent performance in my eyes – was singled out for a 3/10 rating and summed up as ‘Useless’. At least they didn’t say ‘he stunk the place out’.

Surprise package of the afternoon was probably Antonio who rolled back the years in causing grief to the Ipswich defenders – at least until he tired just after the hour mark. It was good to see but does excuse the fact that the club has so few options in this critical position.

The greatest concern is the indifferent form of Paqueta who continues to play without the creative spark that we know he can offer . No doubt the ongoing betting scandal – and the prospect of a lifetime ban – will be playing on his mind but he needs to sort out his antics and attitude. There is a point in every game where he loses possession to a fair challenge but goes down as if struck by a thunderbolt as the game continues around him. Is he now only being picked because there is no viable alternative. Although Carlos Soler might have been signed as a positional alternative, all we have seen so far is a player content to make short 5-yard passes.

Goalkeepers have been increasingly in the news recently, not because of their shot stopping antics but due to calamatous bloopers when attempting to play out from the back. It has been puzzling listening to pundits crticising keepers for having an inflated sense of their ball-playing abilities when in fact all the short passing around the box is done under instruction, rather than by choice. It is abundantly clear how uncomfortable our own keeper, Alphonse Areola, is with the concept. But he will know that it will incur the wrath of the data guy and his iPad if he doesn’t go along with the craziness.

One interesting aspect of West Ham’s four goals is that only one – the first – is credited with an assist. I’ve never been a fan of the assist concept in that it is no more than identifying the previous teammate to touch the ball before a goal is scored, regardless of theusefulness of their input. So, there can no assist for Emerson’s fine run and cross or Antonio’s powerful header before the Kudus goal because the ball had hit the bar. And no assist for Bowen on the Paqueta goal, presumably because the ball brushed an Ipswich sock on its path across goal.

It was a welcome first home win for Lopetegui and three points which give the table a more respectable look going into the international break. The question is whether the team can build on it when the games resume. Was it a West Ham performance that demonstrated clear signs of improvement under a new regime or merely a victory against a naïve opponent who got their tactics wrong on the day? We often read or hear in the media about corners being turned in football – usually about Manchester United who turn so many corners in a season that they end up back where they started – but we must wait for two weeks and a trip to the Spursy Stadium for the next instalment. Although I’ve not checked the results, my instinct is that West Ham retrun from these breaks with a below par performance.

At least we have a feel-good factor to carry us through the next empty weekend. COYI!

Unpicking West Ham’s Tactical Knot: Is It The Players Or The Plan?

As the stuttering disjointed start to West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui enters its third month we still awaiting signs that the tactical plan and player capabilities are converging.

It is always tempting at the end of a disappointing game of football to channel one’s dissatisfaction towards the performances of individual players. It fuels the fascination for player ratings and the juvenile clickbait reports as to which of this week’s starting eleven had ‘stunk the place out!’

Of course, there are games where individual performances have stood above the rest as match winning or where individuals have let the side down through ill-discipline or poor execution. But generally, the success or otherwise of a team relies on the collective efforts. And at the elite level – especially with the modern trend of obsessive micro coaching – that depends on everyone being aware of their roles and responsibilities and capable of carrying them out within a team dynamic.

The job of the coach is to know the strengths and weaknesses of each of his players – accepting they haven’t all necessarily been hand-picked to meet his specific needs – and deploy them in a manner that maximises their effectiveness as a group. The sum must become greater than the value of the parts if success is to be forthcoming. It can be no use having a theoretical style of play if the players do not collectively understand it or do not have the individual attributes to pull it off.

As things stand, it is apparent that Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham team are a long way short of team comfortable with the style of football they are meant to be serving up. It remains a group of individuals rather than a team. If we are to believe it is a ‘work I progress’, then shouldn’t we be seeing an obvious shape starting to emerge by now? On the evidence so far tactics and formations look all over the place.

It is a possibly unfair comparison, but it brought to mind the star studied squad which managed to get relegated under Glenn Roeder in 2002/3. If you can remember that far back, this was a side that featured the talents of Di Canio, Sinclair, Kanoute, Cole, Carrick and Defoe but which misfired chaotically for most of the season until Sir Trevor instilled a degree of organisation in the final knockings.

It is far too early to speculate that an equivalent outcome might arise, but it does highlight the importance of structure and organisation in making the most of individual excellence.

At the weekend, several pundits had suggested that Lopetegui didn’t yet know his best eleven. That may be true, but the bigger issue is the failure to create an identity and style of play that can be executed on the pitch by the resources available. Can we know the who before we know the what and the how? This was the part of the tactical transition where many understood the need for time and adjustment where a balance was struck between the coach’s dream and the player’s capabilities. Compromises were always going to be needed – but right now progress is looking slow and painful.

Let’s take the tactic of playing out from the back as an example. We have a goalkeeper who was never recruited for his ability with the ball at his feet. The centre back pairing has yet to be settled, the full backs have very different attributes, and the defensive midfield options are lacking in pace, and touch. The upshot is that collectively they find it difficult to break the press resulting in one of two things happening. Either they ultimately play it back to the keeper under pressure who resorts to the time-honoured punt up field, or the ball is switched repeatedly from side to side, losing momentum and the opportunity for rapid counter attacks.

While better movement and positioning can perhaps improve with practice, no amount of coaching can instil pace where it does not already exist. If the plan and the people don’t coincide then one or other must change. Unless a solution is found for moving the ball forward quickly and accurately then creating quality chances in the final third will remain challenging.

The implications of the ponderous build-up are obvious further forward. Creative midfielders get dragged deep into their own half where they can cause no damage, and attacking players, whose strength is running into space, are faced with one or more opponents in their path. Frustration takes hold and they end up down blind alleys or taking hopeful pot shots from distance. That West Ham are top seven for number of shots but bottom six for Expected Goals illustrates the quality of the chances being created.

To conclude that, say, Mohammed Kudus is sulking, or Lucas Paqueta is disinterested in this context is based on flimsy evidence – although it makes for a good headline. It is staggering how many pundits and commentators speak fluent body language these days. The player’s role in most teams is tightly defined with little independent scope to try something different when they are having little success carrying out the coach’s instructions. It must surely lead to tensions and my immediate reaction to Kudus being replaced at half-time was that there had been a dressing room bust up Later reports have supported this version of events although we cannot know if they are true. Are there any supporters who believe that Kudus is being played in the position where we will see the best from him? The interesting thing was that he was replaced by Carlos Soler rather than ‘Jimmy’ Summerville who would have been the natural replacement – and who had been very unfortunate to have been benched in the first place.

Whether it was because of or in spite of the substitutions, the Hammer’s second half showing against Brentford was much improved. Having scored their customary first minute goal – at least we held out longer than Manchester City and Tottenham thanks to the advantage of taking the kick-off – the home side appeared reluctant to press home their early advantage. They would not pick up the pace again until after the West Ham equaliser. In all it was a scrappy, low-quality affair in which the Bees might point to a lengthy injury list in mitigation.

The West Ham highlight of the afternoon was the performance of Aaron Wan-Bissaka who excelled back in a conventional full back role. And proved he is both our best right and left back. Can he be cloned? It was another unexpected choice to introduced Dinos Mavropanos instead of Vladimir Coufal but it was a move that gave the defence a more solid feel.

It was another enigmatic showing from Tomas Soucek. No-one can dislike the big Czech for his attitude and commitment, but he is as much a part of the defensive midfield problem as he is of its solution. However, he has managed to pick up a re-brand during the early season struggles as the old dependable – and while he is popping up with a share of the goals, who can argue with that?

The final game before the international break will see the Hammers hoping to break their London Stadium wipe out against new promoted Ipswich Town. The spirit and determination of the visitors cannot be underestimated and will need to be matched if the first home points are to be put on the board. COYI!