Geoff Hopkins

Lopetegui’s Baptism Of Dire. Time For The New West Ham Coach To Demonstrate His Tactical Pedigree

Nobody said it would be easy but there have been few encouraging signs of progress from new look West Ham style and squad. The run of three games before the next international break may take on more significance than expected.

It is fair to say that the record breaking start to Julen Lopetegui’s rein as coach of West Ham United wasn’t quite what he was hoping for. A third consecutive London Stadium defeat – this time at the hands of Chelsea – making it the first time in a chaotic history that the Hammers have ever lost their opening three home league fixtures.

In the summer I had speculated how the extent of the changes in personnel and style – plus the slow pace of recruitment – made a stuttering start to the season almost inevitable. Patience would be required. But with the appointment of Lopetegui not being the most popular of choices outside of the board room, the honeymoon period could well be short-lived.

Indeed, the first rumblings of discontent have already been heard through the dreaded ‘careful watch you wish for’ raising its ugly head on Saturday’s TV commentary. Of course, it is a cliché predicated on the false dilemma that there was only a binary choice between keeping the Scottish manager and bring in Lopetegui – which was simply not the case.

For now, Lopetegui must continue to get the benefit of the doubt. Not every manager is able to make an immediate impact, but it is difficult not to pick up on worrying signs from the haphazard nature of performances to date. And especially having recently watched the abysmal showing against Chelsea in what should be one of the Hammer’s premier London derbies of the season.

Had we witnessed encouraging performances that were blighted only by individual slips as players acclimatised to the new style it would be easy to explain away. However, the apparent absence of intensity, passion, organisation, and cohesion is a whole lot more difficult to overlook.

Failure to put in decent showings against Liverpool in Thursday’s EFL cup-tie and the two remaining league fixtures – Brentford away and Ipswich at home – before the next international break will surely increase the pressure. How long before we see the first sighting of a headline on Hammers Zone News websites proclaiming ‘Lopetegui has just four games to save his job’?

Precisely how the coach plans for his team to approach games has not yet become apparent. From what we have seen and what we were told to expect it may or may not involve some of the following: an emphasis of possession; playing out from the back; a high defensive line; full backs providing attacking width; central midfielders supporting the centre backs in defending and beating the press; wide attackers playing narrower as inside forwards; and a striker providing link up play as well as being the arrowhead for attacks.

In an ideal world, the coach has his philosophy, and the recruitment guy finds the individuals capable of slotting into it. The scale of the personnel changes required has clearly led to compromises and the jury is out as to which players in the squad have the attributes to embrace the new philosophy quickly. Current evidence is of a huge gap between the sum and the parts.

The biggest question marks for me are the absence of pace and athleticism in midfield and the confusing role of the full backs. We might also add in the ongoing striker debacle once we have had the chance for a proper look at Niclas Fullkrug. The instinct is that a quicker, more mobile alternative would have been a more productive addition but perhaps Fullkrug can become the perfect foil for the talents of Bowen and Kudus.

Of the defensive midfield options, none of Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez or Tomas Soucek is blessed with the pace or mobility required to provide rotational defensive cover or to shift the ball quickly once in possession. In theory, using two defensive midfielders two centre backs in a box formation prevents opponents attacking through the middle, but West Ham have been ruthlessly exposed in this area during each of the early games this season. Without the use of conventional full backs, the backline becomes strung out rather than compact.

It is the role of the full backs which raises the most eyebrows. It doesn’t help that the first-choice pair are completely different in style to start with. Emerson happier in the attacking wing back role, capable of cutting inside but weaker in defending. Aaron Wan-Bissaka regularly touted as the best one-on-one defender in the league but looking lost and confused as a tucked-in wing back that has left him jogging back as opponents exploit the oceans of room vacated.

Wan-Bissaka was one of those implicated in the opening goal last Saturday. It was schoolboy defending (possibly unfair to PE teachers across the country) to turn backs or look away as their opponents prepared to take a quick free kick. It set the tone for much of the match. Alvarez was criticised for not being able to run faster than he can in tracking Jackson’s run, but at least he gave it a go. He might have been better advised to stand and watch like his colleagues. Too often West Ham players are static, standing on their heels rather than playing on their toes – one of the hallmarks of the entertaining Greenwood and Lyall teams of old.

Despite Chelsea’s dominance, the Hammers might have been handed a unlikely lifeline had the referee correctly awarded a penalty when Fofana held back the run of ‘Jimmy’ Summerville. It appears this kind of foul has a length of hold time limit – like the three second rule when you drop a piece of food on the floor – during which it is acceptable to carry on as normal. But only if it happens inside the area. Fofana was booked for a similar offence on Summerville in safer territory some moments later. Every year PGMOL come up with new and imaginative ways to spoil the game. This year’s special is the blitz on delaying the re-start which will be quietly forgotten before the clocks change.

A ray of light from the early Lopetegui era is a willingness to make substitutions earlier in the game. Once he learns to make wise ones it will be an added bonus. No-one could argue against the withdrawal of Guido Rodriguez but replacing him with Tomas Soucek was akin to switching one dud battery for another in a Duracel bunny and wondering why it still doesn’t work. While making first half changes might be applauded it could also suggest poor team selection or tactics in the first place. Replacing Summerville with Michail Antonio was particularly perplexing as it removed one of our most dangerous players and forced another (Mohammed Kudus) to switch to a less favoured position. Declining to bring on the rarely seen Jean-Clair Todibo and previous week’s saviour, Danny Ings, were equally questionable.

The next three games may go a long way to defining the direction of travel. They will either deepen the gloom or hint at a light at the end of the tunnel. Starting with an away visit to Anfield in the compromised draw of the EFL Cup is not where you would want to start but there needs to be encouraging signs even in anticipated defeat. Surely a chance for Todibo as well as for Carlos Soler and Andy Irvine who both looked as if they were familiar with a football during their late introductions against Chelsea. They could do no worse than Lucas Paqueta who continues to offer only intermittent inspiration rather than the sustained playmaking influence required.

West Ham expects. COYI!

Lop-sided West Ham Contrive To Pilfer Undeserved Point From Craven Cottage

A strange team selection was a case of inexplicable self-harm for West Ham’s ambitions as they struggle to build momentum or impose themselves against Fulham. Here are the takeaways.

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss?

With three Premier League games and an international break under the belt the short trip across town to Craven Cottage should have been the perfect opportunity to get a better understanding of what can be expected from Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham.

Most supporters will have appreciated the need for patience during the transition from the cautious approach of the previous manager and the bedding in of a host of new signings. But many will be left scratching their heads at how little has changed so far – or at least the pace at which change is taking place.

Lopetegui is not known as a leading-edge progressive coach. But the expectation was that he would prepare a team capable of imposing themselves in games such as this by jealously guarding possession of the ball. There are few signs yet that this is anywhere close to happening and it was Fulham – no more than a decent mid-table team – who by some distance looked the better coached of the two teams.

Claims that the performance was little different to what was seen last season are wide of the mark with obvious differences in a higher defensive line and desire to play out from the back. However, it was thanks to the Scottish manager’s old chestnut of resilience that eventually allowed the Hammers to scrape out an undeserved draw in the game’s dying minutes. Critics might also point to the fact that West Ham continue to be at the lower end of Premier League teams for possession (43% compared to 41% last season) and (in terms of minutes played) they are now the oldest side in the league.

Growing Pains or Bad Judgement?

There must have been a collective groan across the West Ham supporting world when the team sheets again revealed starting positions for both Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek – and the absence of any semblance of creativity in midfield. It is ironic that while every supporter in the land is aware of the deficiencies these two have with ball control, it is lost on a highly experienced coaching team who work with them every day. Are we to believe they are the masters of one-touch and instant control in training all week, and only revert to clown shoe wearing incompetents once the referee’s whistle blows?

An argument might be made for the coach showing loyalty to members of the squad that he inherited but they have had their chance, and their time has now passed. Everything else that went wrong in the performance stemmed from that initial inexplicable team selection decision. Playing a high defensive line while being incapable of keeping the ball through the middle was never going to work out well.

Formations and Substitutions

It would have been a major surprise if Antonio and Soucek had not been hooked off at half-time. It was such an obvious change that no credit can go to the coaching staff for spotting it. It was a better West Ham performance in the second period but, in truth, it would have been impossible to be any worse. Despite that, it was never a convincing turn around and after an initial flurry, the hosts largely remained in control.

Formations can be very fluid in modern football and vary depending on whether you are in or out of possession. It was not apparent after the break that everyone fully understood their role. The full backs rarely got far enough forward to provide the width that we are told Lopetegui expects, but neither did they resembled a traditional back four – largely occupying a no-mans-land between the two. And the front three – Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and ‘Jimmy’ Summerville – who should be a handful for anyone failed to operate as unit to put the Fulham defence under pressure. It is as if there is still a fixation with ‘one’ up front rather than ‘three.’ Failing to address this structural issue will not resolve the isolated striker problem that had haunted the Hammer’s attacking play for many a season – whether it is Bowen, Danny Ings or Nicklas Fullkrug playing as the arrow head.

We should perhaps give credit to the coach for flooding the field with attack minded players in the closing stages although positioning was somewhat anarchic as Kudus switched from left to right to left again and Summerville popped up on the right in the build up to the equaliser. The Ings goal was well taken and suggest that he can maybe do a job for now if given the right level of support.

The Strange Case of the Missing New Signings

I am not as negative on Dinos Mavropanos as other West Ham supporters appear to be. Goals conceded are more often a case of joint enterprise where it is defensive shape and cumulative failings that lead to a defence being breached rather than individual error. Mavropanos was certainly excruciatingly slow in closing down Smith-Rowe but how was the latter given so much space in the first place? And where was Aaron Wan-Bissaka who after previous encouraging performances was given the run around for most of the afternoon by Iwobi and Smith-Rowe?

Having said that, Mavropanos has not been so outstanding as to deny giving Jean-Clair Todibo the opportunity to show what he can do. Todibo comes highly rated, so his lack of game time (8 minutes in total) is a mystery. There is no chance of adapting to life in English football from sitting on the bench.

And what has become of Luis Guilherme who neither gets a place in the matchday squad or seemingly the opportunity to play for the U21s. It’s an unusual way to develop a player even if he is regarded as one for the future.

Must Do Better

Four points from four games is not a great start to a season where the ambition has to be competing for one of the available European places. It’s early days but the hopeful shoots of improvement have yet to emerge.

The current trajectory of one point per game would have us on the fringes of relegation battle, although that will surely improve as the season progresses. The coach has another four of five games to demonstrate the club is on the right path before the pressure mounts. On a more positive note, West Ham earned just one from the equivalent four fixtures last season, so arguably we are already ahead of the curve. COYI!

Windows, Breaks, Free Agents, Formations and Squad Lists As West Ham Return To Premier League Action

With the Premier League squad list deadline looming this weekend will there be even more new arrivals at the London Stadium and where are they all going to play?

I have always loved those American blues songs where the singer wakes up one morning to discover his wife has done left him, the dog has died, his truck won’t start, and the house has been repossessed. It is exactly the same sort od sentiments I get whenever we have to put up with yet another international break. It’s now one down and three more to go for the remainder of the season. The next popping up to spoil our enjoyment in just four weeks’ time.

Putting the new season on hold with only three games played is particularly frustrating. Especially in Europe where I have yet to be convinced about the wisdom of creating the Nations League – the Europa Conference League of international competition. But I suppose the authorities needed to find something marketable to promote while the South Americans commence their World Cup qualification campaign, and the Cup of Nations qualifiers proceed in Africa. Sometimes you can’t help feeling there is too much football being played for players and supporters alike.

West Ham went into the first break with 100% records both home and away. Unfortunately, at home that had meant consecutive defeats as Manchester City extended their dominant streak against the Hammers to 16 wins in the last 19 league encounters. Erling Haaland has now scored seven times in five appearances against West Ham. His latest hattrick even lacking the customary penalty.

While City looked in control for most part of the London Stadium contest it was a spirited performance from the home side. A West Ham team intent on making a game of it rather than sitting back and spending 90 minutes without the ball was a palpable relief after the experoences of recent years. There were certainly positive signs that a more entertaining and enterprising brand of football is in the works, even if it is one that is developing at an evolutionary rather than revolutionary pace. If there is one team who are guaranteed to seize on and punish the merest of wayward passes, then it is Pep Guardiola’s side. Although the Hammers came close to drawing level at 2-2 the suspicion was always there that the visitors could up a gear whenever they chose to. Only severe FA sanctions are likely to prevent a fifth straight Premier League title for the Sky Blues.

Although the main transfer window ‘slammed shut’ several weeks ago it is still possible to squeeze a free agent or two through the sky light in advance of the League’s squad list deadline on Friday. If the rumours are true, this loophole may see further arrivals turning up at the London Stadium to prop up the positions remaining short of cover despite the summer spending spree.

A recent trend with transfer windows has been either to rate them out of ten or to put forward an opinion as to whatever club ‘won’ it. There are, of course, no prizes for winning the window and its success or otherwise will only become clear over time. On paper the summer business at West Ham looks decent as Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui set about reshaping and revamping the small and unbalanced squad left behind by the previous manager. I am in danger of repeating myself, but it still baffles me that pundits and commentators – who are presumably paid handsomely for their laughably superficial opinions – believed that the Scottish manager had left the club in good shape. If it had been in good shape, it wouldn’t have needed the transfer kitty to be spread across ten or more new signings.

The biggest disappointment of the window was the failure to command much in the way of fees for the players seen as surplus to requirements. While the loan departures of Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, James Ward-Prowse and Maxwell Cornet may have helped trim the weekly wage bill, little residual value will remain once a further year has passed on their contracts. Trading players is now a significant factor in determining the revenues on which future recruitment must be based.

Once the dust has fully settled, the greatest concern with the squad is with strikers. Lopetegui’s perseverance so far with Michail Antonio has been a huge surprise. Even at his peak of pace and power, Antonio would never have been first choice for a team following a possession-based philosophy. The alternatives of Niclas Fullkrug (allegedly now out injured) and Danny Ings require a very different level of service from the supporting players. If either is to make a noticeable contribution, they need the wider players (whether it is Jarrod Bown, Mohammed Kudus, or ‘Jimmy’ Summerville) to be deployed narrower rather than stranded out wide. This, in turn, requires the full backs (Aaron Wan-Bissake and Emerson) to offer the width in the attacking half.

An alternate plan would be to replace the idea of an outright striker with a flexible front three of Summerville, Bowen, and Kudus. The advantage would be better use of resouces, rescuing Kudus from a position marooned wide on the left but may result in a loss of focus for attacks. Done well it could be difficult to defend against but would be another transitional challenge for the coaching staff.

The midfield permutations have become ever more complex following the late addition of (Carlos) Soler energy to the equation. It leaves Soler, Lucas Paqueta, Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek, and Andy Irvine fighting for three or four starting berths – according on which nominal formation Lopetegui elects to play in any given game or against any given opposition. Perhaps there will be an indication of his thinking when the team is announced for Saturday’s game at Fulham. It is difficult to imagine too much playing time for Soucek and can Paqueta and Soler be accommodated in the same eleven?

It can’t be long before Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo become the preferred centre-back partnership. With only Dinos Mavropanos as cover this is the position where additional free-agent backup is believed to be wanted before the weekend’s squad deadline. The current names in the frame being Joel Matip and Joe Egan.

All in all, the squad that has been assembled should be capable of competing towards the top end of the table. It would be disappointing not to be in the mix for a European place during the final weeks of the season. For it to happen, though, requires the pace of change to quicken and for an effective way to be found to integrate the undoubted attacking talent that the club now has. I remain confident for an exciting and interesting season ahead – at least until the next internation break. COYI!

Having Sunk Below Par Eagles West Ham Look To Cherry Pick EFL Cup Success

After an unexpected three points last Saturday, the Hammers set off on the path to Carabao Cup glory with the visit of AFC Bournemouth to the London Stadium

Picking up the first points of the new Premier League season last Saturday came as a huge relief. With only the annual slaughter at the hands of Manchester City standing between zero points and the first of the interminable international breaks, it was a perfect time to put them on the board. With West Ham facing a ninth consecutive league defeat at the Etihad, it could be time to add a charge of bullying to the 115 others faced by City.

The build up at Selhurst Park was again dominated by a sense of disbelief that Julen Lopetegui had named the same starting eleven which struggled to impress the previous weekend. It was largely the same side who had been soundly humiliated at the same venue just four months previously. At this rate it is shaping up to be the slowest transformation of football style in recorded history with the majority of summer signings continuing to kick their heels on the bench. And with wonderkid Luis Guilherme nowhere to be seen.

If the personnel looked familiar, then the display was similarly reminiscent of the Scottish manager’s early period. By that I mean the more enterprising days of swift counter attacking rather than the dour cautious fare that typified its long, painful death. This season’s performances are not yet the high press, possession based football promised on the tin – but neither has it been the dreadful low block and ten man defensive shield. And a precious away win will invariably forgive many sins.

The hosts had ended last season on a roll and might have expected to find themselves among the early pace setters when the opening fixtures were announced. As it is, they are one of five clubs yet to open their 2024/25 accounts. The departure of Olise has been a big loss and while Eze was the standout creative force of the first half, he is now operating as a one-man band.

The two West Ham summer signings that did make it into Lopetegui’s starting eleven both put in top class performances. Some felt the club had overpaid for Max Kilman but on the evidence of Saturday’s contribution it looks like money well spent. The carry out of defence to set up the second goal for Jarrod Bowen was a thing of beauty and simplicity. His defensive dominance rubbing off on centre-back partner Dinos Mavropanos who put in another sound shift and delay the introduction of Jean-Clair Todibo. The Greek could turn out to be a valuable squad member if he continues to keep the unforced errors to a minimum.

After seeming to be well off the pace in his debut against Aston Villa, Guido Rodriguez put in a far more settled performance to demonstrate his experience and competence in anchoring the midfield. The return from injury of Edson Alvarez as a second half substitute highlighting Lopetegui’s growing selection dilemmas – especially in the midfield areas. Even allowing for injuries, suspensions and option for squad rotation according to opposition it will be a challenge to find the right balance and keep everyone happy.

While Rodriguez and Alvarez would provide a formidable defensive midfield partnership who will take responsibility for directing midfield operations? Or will they not be played as a pair or double pivot? Will Lucas Paqueta be deployed in a deeper lying role and can he add better decision making to the undoubted crowd pleasing flicks and tricks? And what of Tomas Soucek? The Czech’s contribution is a perfect enigma. Useful for his defensive height and his late runs into the attacking third he offers virtually nothing in the areas inbetween. His goal attempts count is almost as high as his number of successful passes.

Attacking options are similarly confused – in both a good and bad way. Surely the pain of watching Michail Antonio flounder upfront has to put to a humane end sooner rather than later. His attributes of pace, strength and power have been useful in their day but are no longer relevant or as effective as they once were. The alternatives are more game time for Niclas Fullkrug, the signing of A N Other before the transfer window closes (not Tammy Abraham please) or playing without a recognised front man. A False 9 in modern parlance.

It is perhaps the ultimate dilemma that two of the squad’s best players – Bowen and Mohammed Kudus – are at their most effective from the same position wide on the right. I can’t believe the coach has reached the conclusion that Kudus is best deployed hugging the left touchline. It both reduces his effectiveness and keeps a natural alternative in “Jimmy” Summerville out of the mix. Kudus has to play, but where? A central role could be ideal but would require Paqueta to played much deeper.

On top of all this we have the closing days of the transfer window where – if the internet is to be believed – the Hammers continue to chase further signings, as well as shiftingout a number of players considered to be surplus to requirements.

Before all that happens West Ham face the ignominy of having to compete in the second round of the Carabao cup for the first time since 2020. Theoretically, the less glamourous League Cup offers West Ham their smoothest route to domestic glory but is a trophy that has so far eluded their grasp. With no European competition to muddy the waters, could this be an opportunity for a first EFL final since 1981?

Being drawn against Premier League opposition is not ideal at this stage of the competition. And we must wait to see how seriously the respective managers approach the game. It has become custom and practice – for unaccountable reasons in my opinion – to field weakened teams and it will be interesting to see if that happens tonight. At least Lopetegui has a stronger squad to pick from and it is an opportunity for several summer signings to get a full ninety minute run-out. It would be no surprise to see Todibo, Guileherme, Summerville, Fullkrug and mabe Lewis Orford and Oliver Scarles from the academy getting an outing.

The EFL Cup Final will be played on 16 March 2025. Put it in your diaries. COYI!

Lopetegui’s New Look West Ham Fall At First Hurdle In Invincible Stakes

A surprisingly tentative approach to blooding new signings and a competent Aston Villa opponent take the wind from the sails of optimism that had been blowing around the London Stadium

It was not the result we had wanted to kick-off an exciting new era at the London Stadium, although it was not too far away from what many had expected. The phrase ‘there’s still work to be done’ is likely to become a well-worn one over the next few weeks as new players are introduced, and the intricacies of a new style of play ironed out.

There were few clues on the extent of the work outstanding following Saturday’s outing in the season opener as Julen Lopetegui’s team selection baffled supporters and observers alike. Excluding so many of the new signings from the starting eleven was a huge surprise. Had Edson Alvarez not been injured it is quite feasible that Maxi40milian Kilman would have been the sole debutant on show. The coach may have felt he needed to show loyalty to the squad members he inherited, but is it not counter-productive when the aim is to have your best players performing as a cohesive unit in as short a time as possible?

It was disheartening to discover that the likes of Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek, and Michail Antonio would be starting on Saturday. Each have had respectable West Ham careers, but it is impossible to imagine them as part of the bright new future, except in a backup capacity. The omission of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo was equally baffling. Both had completed a full pre-season and were presumably raring to get their first taste of football with the Hammers.

With a reliance on the old guard, not much was revealed on the evidence of Satrurday’s game as to how Lopetegui expects his team structure, formation and tactics to evolve. The low block had disappeared, a higher defensive line was apparent and there was some attempt to move the ball forward by passing rather than quick transitions and long balls. However, there was little in the way of pressing, the front players rarely intercated with each other, too much space was conceded through the centre and the role of the full backs was ambiguous.

Some of those deficiencies may have be down to the personnel involved but others suggest the system is far from fully understood. If the intention was to prevent opponents attacking through the middle it did not work. Villa’s runners repeatedly sliced through what passed as the midfield defensive shield. And was the narrow back four a carry over from last season’s set-up or is it an intentional Lopetegui tactic? Either way it presented far too much space for Villa to exploit down the flanks. Although it was positive that Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed weren’t expected to operate as auxiliary defenders, the resulting space was an obvious weakness.

Saturday’s game was not completely one sided, but Aston Villa were easily the better side and deserved winners. They made better use of their possession, were more incisive and ramped up the majority of the presentable goalscoring opportunities. The opening goal was fully down to Alphonse Areola in my opinion – if a keeper is not going to take responsibility for that part of his six yard box then who is?

For a while it appeared that the visitors might run away with the game, such was their dominance. A disjointed Hammers attack had got little change from the Villa defence until Matty Cashed a West Ham Czech to concede a borderline penalty. I’m not a fan of the stuttering penalty technique but Lucas Paqueta despatched the spot kick with aplomb.

All square at the break, the equaliser had the effect of boosting the Hammer’s confidence and postponing what would surely have been a couple of half-time substitutions. Ultimately, it was surprising how late the substitutions were delayed in the context of an evenly balanced scoreline and a game that available to win.

In fact, it was Unai Emery who made the first moves to introduce fresh legs and when Jhon Duran replaced Ollie Watkins you just knew that the immutable laws of football consequences would contrive to ensure that he scored the winner. And a very well worked goal it was with three substitutes combining in a quick passing move that once again exploited the space conceded down the Hammer’s right flank.

West Ham had a few opportunities to snatch a draw in the closing exchanges despite an apparent lack of urgency as the minutes ticked away. The closest efforts were a Danny Ings header and a near range Soucek miss – which may have attracted the attention of VAR for a foul had he completed the simple task of putting the ball in the net rather than ballooning it over the bar.

Kudus was the standout man for the Hammers. What a player he is! From an end product perspective, he is wasted wide on the left where the option to cut inside and shoot for goal is restricted. ‘Jimmy’ Summerville is a ready made replacement for that position and looked very bright when he was introduced late on. Kilman had a steady game as did Dinos Mavropanos although the latter will surely make way for Todibo by next Saturday. Bowen was very quiet by his own standards (and is a strange choice for skipper in my opinion) while Coufal and Antonio were the weakest links. Have to say I didn’t really notice the work of Guido Rodriquez other than his speed of movement was towards the sluggish end of the spectrum. A penny for his thoughts on his Premier League debut.

Lopetegui had little to offer in his post-match interview comments. To say that the team must ‘keep doing the good things and improve on the bad things’ is an obvious everyday mantra for each and every coach. Still, it is only one game, and we weren’t expecting miracles anyway. The major disappointment was the decision to stick with the old guard instead of introduing new recruits or youth players. With more tough games on the horizon, the direction of travel needs to be more obvious even if the points tally remains modest during the opening weeks.

Player Ratings: Areola (5), Coufal (4), Kilman (7), Mavropanos (6), Emerson (5), Rodriguez (5), Soucek (5), Bowen (5), Paqueta (5), Kudus (8), Antonio (4). Subs: Fullkrug (5), Summerville (6), Ward-Prowse (5), Ings & Todibo (N/A)

With the transfer window still open, speculation is unlikley to dry up over its remaining days. Further ins and outs are highly possible. It is clear an additional striker option is badly needed (as long as its isn’t Tammy Abraham). Although I was not convinced a player like Duran could be relied upon as the sole striker in the squad he would be a great acquisition now that Fullkrug has also signed. The other significant gap for me is someone capable of carrying the ball forward at pace in midfield. It is a skillset currently missing anywhere in the squad.

Onward and upward then. It’s no time to panic but we must see the new signings bedded into the team starting from the very next game. COYI!

West Ham Season 2024/25: Hopes, Dreams and Expectations

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But in the wake of the big kick-off will it be the hap-happiest season of all for the Hammers?

The numbers are in, the deals are done, and the collection of new home, away and 3^rd kits have been revealed. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty business of the 2024/25 curtain raiser.

It will be a team of virtual strangers who take the field for West Ham at the London Stadium late on Saturday afternoon and then into the opening games of the new campaign. At best the coach’s preferred starting eleven will comprise only five or six survivors from last year’s ever presents. It is an unprecedented level of change usually only seen when a newly promoted club is desperately seeking to consolidate its place in the top flight. The extent of renewal that was necessary in the squad is a sad indictment of the mess left by the previous managerial incumbent. I still have to scratch my head when I read comments as to how he left the club in a good position, was underappreciated, or will be sorely missed. I trust I never have to witness a West Ham low block ever again.

On paper, the work done by Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten to refresh the squad on a tightish budget – without little in the way of saleable assets – looks impressive. How that translates onto the pitch will only become apparent over time. Once the players have become familiar with each other and the new style of play. A possession based game not only requires players to be comfortable on the ball but also needs far more movement off the ball than we have been used to. Attempting to play out from the back without at least a couple of passing options would be courting disaster.

The modern football supporter needs to understand finance and the intricacies of PSR and FFP as much as getting to grips with formations and tactics. While the media focuses mainly on transfer spend, the impact of player salaries cannot be overlooked. As an example, the recent transfer of Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been reported as £15 million (amortised at £3 million per annum over 5 years) while his earnings might well be in the range of £3.5 to £4 million (my estimate) for each of the seven years of his contract. Quite a commitment.

Views on the West Ham board are rarely positive but it is difficult not to be impressed by the sumer investment. And this time the spending looks to have been undertaken in a reasoned manner. In the past money has been spent, but unwisely. The current estimate of the club’s net transfer spend this window is £85.1 million. So what do we now have for the money?

The assumption is that Alphonse Areola will retain the keeper’s gloves with Lukasz Fabianski as deputy. Poor old Wes Foderingham will become the forgotten man of the transfer window like leftover Toffee Pennys in the Quality Street box at the end of the Christmas holidays. If there is a concern with the keepers, it is how well they can adapt to the passing out game having become so used to hoofing it long during their West Ham careers. Neither look the most comfortable with the ball at their feet.

With the exception of Emerson it will an all new back line. New recruits Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo making up the defensive quartet. The two full backs offer very different styles of play and it will be interesting to see how they are integrated into the Lopetegui’s system. We may well witness a great deal more fluidity in formation than in the past with Wan-Bissaka dropping into the centre a lot more often than he is bombing down the flanks. Todibo is an exciting prospect who will hopefully adjust quickly to the physical demands of the Premier League. There has already been a little negativity over Kilman (and the price paid for him) on the strength of a few kick-about friendlies but it is obviously far too early to draw any conclusions.

Backup defenders are in short supply. Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell can provide emergency cover as full backs but the situation in the centre is more confused. Both Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd are being ushered towards the exits while Dinos Mavropanos has proven accident prone inmost of the games he has played. If one or more are shifted, then there is still time to bring in another centre-back. Of those still being linked I like the sound of Nathan Zeze. Who wouldn’t want to nip down to the club shop to buy a Zeze top?

From what we have seen in pre-season, West Ham will be adopting a high defensive line. This will requires pace and alertness to deal with the ball over the top. In this respect, the Kilman – Todibo partnership will be key to plugging the leaks in the Hammer’s defence.

Defensive midfield duties will fall primarily to Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez although we don’t yet know whether Lopetegui sees them playing as a pair of as cover for each other’s suspensions. At least one must remain deep to provide numerical support to the centre backs. I expect plenty of variation in the midfield while, in practice, most progressive sides now attack and defend as a team rather than being setup in rigid formations. Maybe Lucas Paqueta will also be deployed deeper in certain games where circumstances dictate.

Remaining candidates for defensive midfield duties are Tomas Soucek, James Ward-Prowse and potentially Andy Irving – provided they survive the transfer window cull. None have the look of regular starters to me but can make valuable contributions from the bench.

Attacking midfield provides the greatest selection conundrum with Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, and “Jimmy” Summerville competing for three starting berths – with Luis Guilherme waiting in the wings to get Premier League minutes under his belt. Finding the right balance will be a challenge, especially in getting the best out of Kudus who (until now) has looked at his least effective when deployed on the left. But it would be a huge call to play him in place of Bowen or Paqueta on the right or in the centre resepctively.

This leaves finding a way to accommodate Summerville who is the one player capable of thriving out left while also contributing a decent goal return. It’s great to have option as long as the coach is able to keep everybody happy.

The signing of Niclas Füllkrug is the one that has most divided opinion among supporters, largely based on an apparent lack of pace. If the most pessimistic reports are to be believed he ranks somewhere between a snail and a glacier in speed of movement. He may not be a glamourous squad addition, but Lopetegui and Steidten clearly favoured experience over the potential of unproven alternatives. Hopefully attributes of strength, anticipation and instinct will see him make a valuable contribution in an exciting attacking line-up. It’s not only about pace!

There are outstanding decisions to be made on the futures of Michail Antonio and Danny Ings. One is likely to leave before the window closes. For me, Antonio still has something different to offer if he is happy to stick around in the role of impact sub. Ideally, I would still like to see an additional (younger) striker brought in as backup using any additional funds freed up by shipping out fringe players.

Hopes for the season are for West Ham to be in with a shout for the European places come the end of the season. A cup run would also be nice. So much will depend on how long the new look team and tactics take to hit the ground. Offensively we should be capable of causing any opponent problems but cutting out the mistakes and the giveaways further back may take more time to eradicate. I can foresee plenty of gnashing of teeth in the opening weeks where a keeper mis-controls or a defender earns the assist for an opposition goal.

Overall, I am excited for the new season. Then again, the opening day is always the time of peak optimism. Typically, the optimism doesn’t survive past August Bank Holiday but who knows? This could be the start of something big. COYI!

West Ham Monday Briefing: “Florida Threes”, “Disconnecting Flights” and the “Shape of Things To Come”

As the countdown to the season opener continues, West Ham transfer frenzy steps up to new levels while friendly displays fail to impress

As the unofficial curator of the West Ham transfer links list, it is my duty to wade through the daily slurry of stories on the news feeds to keep up to date with the latest rumours. For the record, the list of targets has now risen to an impressive 140, of which just four have turned into confirmed deals.

The latest trend for any aspiring rumour site wishing to stand out from the crowd of recycled news is to include an apparent quote at the beginning of your headline. Not an honest “We haven’t got a clue what’s going on, mate” or ‘Your guess is as good as mine” but a more teasing “Have been told” or “Deal on the cards” tag – the written equivalent of tapping ones nose to suggests a level of reliable insider knowledge.

One of the more intriguing snippets of in-he-know-ness this week was hidden among Friday’s news where it was claimed Inter Milan were ‘plotting a Saturday phone call’ with a view to hijack West Ham’s bid for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Surely that’s the sort of information that only comes to light through undercover surveillance.

There is a tipping point in transfer pursuits when you start to get the feeling that this deal is just not going to happen. The Wan-Bissaka story is getting very close to that. Chances of a signing are following the same trajectory previoulsy seen with Jhon Duran. Time to look elsewhere, I think, for an upgrade to the rapidly diminishing powers of Vladimir Coufal.

There has of course been a signficant further signing in the last seven days with the recruitment of Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United. It represents an exciting addition to the squad and has led to plenty of speculation as to how and where the coach will deploy him alongside Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and the promised new striker. It’s a lineup that suggests rapid and direct attacks rather than the composed possession and patient build up that Julen Lopetegui is known for.

Expectations are also high for the imminent signings of striker Niclas Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund and free agent defensive midfielder Guido Rodríguez, formerly of Real Betis. Should those come to fruition the remaining top priorities will be at right back and centre back where the squad is highly exposed. Strengthening the defensive midfield areas may help stem the tide but last season’s leaky defence continues to have significant gaps to plug throigh an injection of speed, strength, mobility and awareness. Although the desire to find ball-playing defenders is understandable, their core competency must still be the art of defending.

When the Füllkrug story broke last week, it was reported that Tim Steidten was immediately flying from Florida to Germany to agree terms with club and player. While at the same time, Füllkrug was said to be boarding a charted jet taking him from Germany to London. No wonder these deals take such a long time to complete!

The prospect of a sizeable fee being paid for a 31-year-old striker has been met with a degree of negativity online. While someone younger may have been ideal, Füllkrug looks s less risky bet to me than the unproven Duran. The downside, of course, it the absence of a resale value at the end of his contract. But if Füllkrug can reproduce his Dortmund form both with his goals and by acting as a foil for the exciting talent behind him, he could turn out to be an inspired choice.

Should Füllkrug join Summerville at the London Stadium it would be a rare venture by West Ham into signing northern European players. Previous experiences with Dutch (Jeroen Boere, Marco Boogers, Raymond Atteveld) and German (Thilo Kehrer, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Savio Nsereko) players have never managed to reach the heights. Better luck this time, perhaps!

The Hammers ended their Florida pre-season schedule with a second successive 3-1 defeat, this time to Crystal Palace, who are fast becoming something of a bogey side. The value of participating in pre-season tournaments such as these has to be questionable. What is the point and what can be learned from them? The West Ham starting eleven contained just three players certain to be lining up against Aston Villa in just under two weeks’ time.

From what we saw it is hard to disagree with Lopetegui’s assessment that there is a lot of work still to do. That would apply equally if all the first-choice players had been available. Those returning from international duty have yet to feature in any pre-season fixtures, while others likely to start on August 17 have yet to sign for the club. Modern football has become increasingly structured with team shape and individual positions – both in and out of possession – repeatedly drilled into players over time. This is going to take more than a couple of extra weeks to get right. And there are sure to be a collection of howlers and calamities as the players get to grips with the idea of playing out from the back.

We don’t yet know exactly how Lopetegui plans to set up his side. Conventional wisdom has been that he prefers rampaging full-backs to provide width and pump in crosses. But the full-backs he has are not really equipped for that role. Such a tactic would also impact the way that Bowen and Summerville prefer to play. I’m sure the coach has a plan though and it will be intriguing to witness how it plays out.

The season approaches with a mix of excitement and nervousness. I genuinely feel the club is slowly going in the right direction but it may take a dozen games or so of the new campaign to get up to speed.

West Ham Monday Briefing: Gathering Storm Clouds, Rummage Sales and Working Around The Clock

The early enthusiasm generated by the promise of a new coach and recruitment philosophy has lost a little of its shine after encountering reality. Time to get reinforcements through the door quickly.

Find a safe space, relax, breathe deeply and repeat the following mantra until convinced: “they are only friendlies, results don’t matter; the window is still open for another month yet; most of the transfer links to Premier League deadbeats exist only in the figment of a rumour sites imagination.”

Today’s average pre-season friendly is a very different beast to what I remember from my youth. Any top tier club worth its salt feels now feel obliged to play exhibition games against Premier League opposition in the farthest flung locations imaginable – even if it means playing games during hurricane season. In the past it was a case of warming up with a kickabout in the less exotic surroundings of Southend or Gillingham.

And there is no more ‘entrance by matchday programme only’ which you can buy for a couple of bob. Now you you need to buy a package to stream online while staying up all night waiting for a storm to pass in a far-off time zone.

I think we can all agree with Julen Lopetegui’s assessment following the defeat by Wolves that there is ‘work to be done.’ Something that applies to activities both on and off the pitch. I doubt much has been learned that we didn’t already know. Even the casual observer would have been aware that players such as Tomas Soucek and Kurt Zouma have no place in a system based upon maintaining possession. Soucek seems like a smashing fellow but clearly suffers from an unreliable data connection between brain and feet. By the time information is received, someone else has the ball. And Zouma’s injury woes have left him with the mobility of a Thunderbird’s puppet and a turning circle that the average family car would be within a whisker of beating. Sad, but he is no longer up to Premier League standard.

It’s always good to see a few youth team players get a run-out in these games but it is only any use if they are gradually introduced to, and used in, competitive matchday squads. Too often, academy players have looked promising pre-season cameos and then are never seen again. Freddie Potts has impressed and would hope to see him along with George Erathy and Lewis Orford getting Premier League minutes.

Nothing seen so far suggests that Luis Guilherme is anything other than one for the future. A player who needs plenty of time to adapt to life in England before demonstrating his wonderkid status. The ‘wonder’ prefix is wildly overused in modern football reporting whether it is wonderkids or wonder goals. The latter is routinely applied to the most mundane of strikes if they are outside of the box. If Diana Prince had the ability to parallel park or explain the offside rule it would be impressive, but far more would have been needed to merit the title of Wonder Woman.

The off-field priority is for the transfer department to pull its collective finger out without any further delay. Less than three weeks to the season opener and there is little to show from all the talks, advanced talks, and locked in talks that we have been told about. As a fan we don’t have to worry ourselves with the details of transfers budgets, payment schedules, fair play rules, and agent fees but it is difficult not to be disillusioned with the overall lack of progress. And although we have no way of knowing which (if any) of the rumours are true, many of them are truly underwhelming in nature.

What had promised to be a summer of surgically smart spending – unearthing the world’s best emerging talent – has turned into the equivalent of a man desparately hoping to buy his wife a birthday present after arriving late at a rummage sale. Underneath a box of china poodles, a 1976 Black Beauty annual, and a box set of ‘Confessions Of’ DVDs, all he will find is Tammy Abraham, Armando Broja and assorted debris thrown out by Arsenal and Chelsea. It’s not what I was expecting.

The squad is still short in a host of critical positions – striker, centre back, right back and defensive midfield being the greatest areas of need in my opinion. But how far can the budget stretch with the types of fees and wages being mentioned to plug those gaps? Much media attention has also focused on a left sided attacking midfield but I’m not personally convinced it’s a top priority in a side wanting to incorporate Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and Lucas Paqueta into its line-up, and with Guilherme as backup. The striker search, as ever, is the transfer hot potato at West Ham. The Jhon Duran situation feels like one of those pursuits that will enter folklore as a long running saga of wasted time and effort. And anyway, with no viable striker alternative at the club it would be a huge risk to put all your trust in an unproven 20-year-old.

The list of targets I have recorded overthe window now extends to 129 names (click to see the entire list). The latest additions have been mostly new defenders after the club failed to agree deals with previous targets. The assumption is that the financial side of transfers is still overseen by David Sullivan and other Board members rather than Tim Steidten. It isthe rock that many deals flounder on.

It would be premature to predict the storm clouds might be gathering at the London Stadium but one can sense a few distant rumbles. The objective of having a new squad assembled in time for pre-season has failed. The ‘work to be done’ is likely to extend well into the opening weeks of the season and a slow start will make hopes of aiming for European qualification all the more difficult. The danger is that the apparent setbacks experienced with bringing players in (and shifting out those who are surplus to requirements) will compromise the strategy for smart recruitment and the mistakes of previous windows will be repeated.

I’m sure those involved are working around the clock to resolve matters – although sometimes it feels like the transfer team don’t work weekends – but positive recruitment news is needed fast if the slowly descending gloom is to be shifted. My hope is that moves are taking place behind the scenes to make just the sort of exciting signings we all crave.

West Ham Monday Briefing: Window Pains, Ins and Outs, and Arsenal’s Overpriced Rejects

Time marches on and West Ham’s recruitment feels like it has fallen victim to the global tech outage. Time for the system to be rebooted if Lopetegui’s team are to hit the ground running.

The clock continues to tick. Minutes become hours, hours become days and the new Premier League season is less than four weeks away. Julen Lopetegui’s hope of having his new look squad in place and primed for action before the big kick-off is looking increasingly unrealistic. Two weeks have passed since the signing of Max Kilman and he remains the sole new recruit likely to be a regular starter when the season opens.

Last season’s threadbare squad has already seen the departure of a host of players: Thilo Kehrer, Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, Angelo Ogbonna, Flynn Downes and Ben Johnson. If the grapevine is to be believed, the club are also hoping to shift Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd before the transfer window closes. There’s much work to be done – signing five or six players – and very little time left to do it in. Past performance of getting deals over the line is not encouraging.

No doubt everyone would have wanted to have made more progress by now. The transfer objectives are not simply a case of finding a few remaining pieces to complete a jigsaw, but rather starting work on a whole new puzzle. The longer it takes to make the right signings, the less time there is available to finesse the new tactical approach. A task made more difficult by international absences and the degree of change the new coach is hoping to introduce.

I’m sure the lack of progress is not down to a lack of effort by Tim Steidten and Lopetegui. It is not in their interests to stretch matters out. A slow start to the season – which we might realistically have to accept now – will immediately put the new regime under pressure.

To date, I have recorded 122 players that West Ham have been linked to. To maintain one’s sanity it is best to accept that most are the pure fabrications of a self-sustaining, clickbait, gossip and rumour network co-ordinated by evil transfer mastermind Fabrizio Romano. However, the names of the eventual signings are probably hidden somewhere within that lengthy list.

Hoping to get your recruitment done early but only paying bargain prices were always going to be incompatible ambitions. This is the most obvious stumbling block for most deals until the final days of the window are reached. It is understandable in the days of FFP and PSR that buying clubs are ever more mindful of managing their budgets, while it makes sense for selling clubs to hold out for a better deal. It is a system that encourages last minute deals.

The Hammers desperate need to recruit ‘match ready’ starters will also limit the ability of Steidten to demonstrate his pearl diving expertise. The German’s true value to the club will only be obvious when he can regularly unearth the talents of future, whether that is from South America or the Dutch or Belgian leagues. Unfortunately this window Steidten has, by necessity, been forced to fish in the waters of already established players for his catch. It is the opposite of what many expected.

West Ham now head off to the USA to play friendlies against Wolves and Crystal Palace before returning to play Celta Vigo, a week before the season starts, in the Betway Cup. Friendlies are far more high profile these days than in the past where they largely passed unnoticed. Often, they are glorified kick-abouts but still get TV coverage and websites offering player ratings. I’ve never noticed any correlation between pre-season results and what happens when the season gets going. Once again we have seen a number of youth players given a run out in the games against Ferencvaros and Dagenham & Redbridge. Usually they disappear for good after pre-seson but hopefully some of the current crop can make a valuable contribution once the season starts for real. George Earthy and Lewis Orford in particular look to be exceptional prospects.

Of all the gaps in the squad in the squad, it is the long running absurdity of West Ham’s efforts to sign a striker that garners most attention. Can they get it right this time around? Not if the answer is believed to be Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Callum Wilson or Eddie Nketiah they won’t. One of the most comical transfer stories of the window so far has been the suggestion that Nketiah is available for £50 million. There is a fashion of linking failed bit-part Arsenal players to the London Stadium. Another trending in recent weeks has been Reiss Nelson, a player whose only claim to fame is scoring an added time winner against Bournemouth. Even on an Arsenal blog, the author doubted the move would be sensible or prove good value for the Hammers. Avoid!

My personal preference continues to be Ivan Toney who appears not to have the long line of suitors anticipated. He is the type of all-round striker who can both score goals as well as getting involved in build-up play. I could see him working well with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus. Ideally, the club should have been signing a player like Toney while he was at Peterborough. Just as Brentford have signed Toney’s replacement, Igor Thiago, from the Belgian League side Club Brugge. Maybe Jhon Duran from Aston Villa can develop into a superstar striker but with no other realistic striker option in the squad – I am discounting any further involvement from Michail Antonio – it would represent a single point of failure and a huge risk.

If there is one decision to get right, it is finding the right striker.

West Ham Monday Briefing: Friendly Fire, Striker Search and South Americans

The summer internationals come to and end just as West Ham prepare for their very first friendly under the leadership of Julen Lopetegui. Meanwhile the Hammer’s search for a striker continues.

Ferencvaros Friendly Fire

The culmination of a marathon day of football saw the conclusion of both the Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024 finals. Spanish flair saw them run out deserved winners against a plucky but passive England, while Argentina’s greater depth earned extra time victory over an unlucky but exhausted Colombia. Now we are able to fully focus once again on the deluge of transfer chatter for the upcoming domestic football season.

It’s now less than five weeks to the big kick-off as clubs await the return of their international stars and jostle for position to bring new players in through the doors, and farm the old ones out. In what had been promoted as a busy transfer window at West Ham has yet to get out of second gear despite the huge overhaul needed to rebuild the squad. Now they prepare for tonight’s opening friendly against Ferencvaros in Austria.

The Hungarian champions are one of teams I recall from my youth competing in the European Cup. A time when it was a proper knock-out competition rather than the money-making circus it has become today. Along with the likes of Dukla Prague and Red Star Belgrade they featured regularly in repeated Subbuteo simulations.

Early season friendlies such as this are little more than a chance to stretch the legs, and will feature only a handful of next season’s first team squad. Potentially there will be a first glimpse of Max Kilman and Luis Guilherme in a Hammer’s shirt, plus an opportunity for several youth players to showcase their abilities. It may also provide clues on the future of Flynn Downes and whether he has a future at the club following his shameful shunning by the Scottish manager. In the scheme of things, Julen Lopetegui will be learning more about the character of the players on the training ground than in matches like these. Kick-off is at 3 pm BST.

Transfer Chatter Update

It’s been another quiet week on the transfer rumour front with only six new names added to the West Ham target list. The list now totals 117 players and with rumour resources becoming stretched, speculation has resorted to stories that West Ham are rekindling interest in those named earlier in the window. There are many of them to go around. The major rekindling of the week has been Steven Bergwijn who is a big “No” from me, simply because of his past life in N17.

The noisiest rumours in the past seven days have surrounded Juventus centre back Federico Gatti – reported to be the target of a host of clubs – and the ongoing two-horse right back race between Kyle Walker-Peters and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. If that is the extent of our choice, then I would take Wan-Bissaka every time for his far superior defensive attributes.

There was also a first sighting in this window of a player issuing a “come and get me” plea to the Hammers. In this case it is Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice who has a hankering for London’s east-end. The defining factor for who ends up as Kilman’s central defensive partner(s) will, no doubt, be determined by the ultimate size of the budget. After all, we have yet to see any movement for that most expensive and elusive of characters, the striker.

Ullo Jhon! Gotta A New Striker

The persistent striker link of the last few weeks has been Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. The Colombian is supposedly something of a hothead who is unhappy with living in the shadow of Harry Kane’s England deputy, Ollie Watkins.

Still only 20 years old, Duran is an exciting prospect but with limited top level experience. He was in the Colombian squad at Copa America but spent the entire tournament on the bench. It feels like a big risk to put all your trust in an untested striker although, thankfully, the people responsible for making decisions know far more than me. The same applies to David Datro Fofana from Chelsea who looked very sharp when playing on-loan for Burnley against the Hammers last March. Presumably he would be happier to play as second fiddle to a more experienced striker than Duran would. It seems everyone should have a Fofana in their squad these days – like it was trendy to have a Dembele a few years back, and a Cisse before that.

The Ivan Toney situation is one to keep an eye on as the number of potential suitors steadily fades away. In the last year of his contract, Brentford will be keen to cash in – especially as they signed Igor Thiago from Club Brugge as a replacement in January – but will be aware that only a small number of clubs will be able to come close to their valuation. With West Ham preferring initial low-ball offers, any deal has to be many weeks away. He would still be my first choice though.

The search for a striker promises to have and extended run up until the close of the window. Some of the names mentioned are exciting, others fill me with dread – nailed on inductees into the West Ham striker hall of shame. Please let it not be Kelechi Iheanacho.

Paqueta And Other South Americans

The future of Lucas Paqueta remains up in the air. And will stay there until uncertainty is lifted on the charges made against him by the English Football Association. This may yet take many months. I struggle to see any benefit for West Ham in sending him out on loan or selling him at a knock-down price to one of the clubs in his native homeland. The only logical conclusion is that he will be a part of Lopetegui’s squad for as long as it takes for the investigation to conclude.

The boys from Brazil were hugely disappointing in the Copa America. Surprising when there is so much focus on their young talent that their performances were so workmanlike. Paqueta was one of many in the Brazil side who struggled to impress as they increasingly resorted to long balls during their quarter final elimination by Uruguay. He looked a far cry from the player that Manchesetr City were allegedly prepared to pay £85 million for.

Elsewhere, in the tournament several of the Colombian players caught the eye. The other Jhon linked with a move to West Ham, Jhon Arias, was a regular starter throughout the competition. Not as reported a winger, but part of a midfield three. His game was more about working hard than flair and did not impress as a potential Premier League player.

The Colombian who did stand out for me was Richard Rios who currently plays in Brazil for Palmeiras. He is a central midfielder who looks good in transition, loves a dribble and possesses a goal threat.

Our old friend Enner Valencia (now 34 years old) was captaining Ecuador who were elimintaed on penalties to Argentina in the semi-final. Sent of in the first group game, he missed a penalty in normal time against Argentina in a game that Ecuador were very unfortunate to lose.