Julen Lopetegui has been hit by another bitter blow as summer signing Niclas Fullkrug sticks the boot in on the under fire West Ham boss.
Niclas Fullkrug is back with a bang at West Ham after three months out.
In more ways than one.
The big German became the 53rd striker signing of the David Sullivan era at West Ham when he arrived for £23.5m with £3m in add-ons in the summer.
Like so many before him, Fullkrug has been hit by the “West Ham striker curse”.
Tim Steidten’s decision to sign his compatriot raised eyebrows in the first place.
Most Hammers fans and observers felt the club needed a young, powerful, pacy forward they could build the team around for years to come.
So the wisdom of signing a 31-year-old who lacks pace and has a woeful injury record was understandably questioned.
Fullkrug is of course a deadly finisher and elite level target man, make no mistake about that.
He showed his German efficiency by scoring in his limited time on the pitch when he returned from three months out in the 3-1 defeat at Leicester.
Now he has showed another trait Germans are renowned for – brutal honesty.
The defeat at Leicester has left Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui on the brink of the sack.
A decision will be made on the Spaniard on Friday with reports claiming the club are leaning towards making a change.
So the manager needs all the positive publicity he can get right now.
Unfortunately for Lopetegui news of a bust up with Jean-Clair Todibo has been making headlines.
It is the latest in a series of claims of unrest and dissent towards the head coach in the Hammers ranks.
Brutally honest Fullkrug sticks boot in on Lopetegui
Now brutally honest Fullkrug has stuck the boot in on Lopetegui and responded to a West Ham rumour.
When Steidten unveiled Fullkrug in the summer, the technical director said he was signed because he was ready to go from the off.
Yet Fullkrug started the season on the bench and made three inauspicious sub appearances for West Ham in the Premier League before his injury.
The former Dortmund forward showed instant displeasure at Lopetegui’s decision, speaking out about being sub.
Fullkrug said he didn’t sign for West Ham to be on the bench.
Now he’s back and he’s not holding his tongue.
Last month a top source inside West Ham claimed Fullkrug is unsettled in the UK and already wants to leave.
The news came alongside reports fellow summer arrival Guido Rodriguez also regretted joining the Hammers.
And also amid a journalist’s claim Edson Alvarez wants to leave if Lopetegui remains manager.
Lopetegui’s tactics and team selections are under the spotlight after a series of shambolic performances.
Now Fullkrug has spoken out about the manager with refreshing honesty.
Fullkrug responds to rumour he’s unsettled at West Ham
The striker says Lopetegui and the team must be honest with themselves that his tactics and approach aren’t working.
Fullkrug also addressed claims about being so unhappy in London he wants to leave after just five months.
“I’m very happy that I scored the goal, but at the end, it was not that important,” Fullkrug said bluntly in an interview with West Ham’s website.
“If you see the game, the final score was 3-1. It’s crazy how it’s possible that they got three goals and we scored only one, because we had so many chances. We have so many quality players in every position and today was a very unlucky day.
“But also, we have to be honest with ourselves, there were some details, some small things in the system that weren’t good enough to win a Premier League game.
“I think we have to improve on the small details. Sometimes the positioning was not perfect. Sometimes the focus was not perfect, because if you’re one step always too late in some situations, it’s not a snowball effect. It’s like a focus thing, and we have to improve in those situations. We have so many good players. We have so much quality in this team. But I think we have to reach much more than the place we are in in the table.”
After over six months with his players to work on all of those things, that is damning from Fullkrug.
But while it may not help Lopetegui’s cause when the board meet to decide his fate, it’s refreshing for fans to hear it like it is instead of the same banal platitudes served up each week that ‘we can and will do better’.
Fullkrug was not done there, though.
He appeared to suggest there are indeed issues in a divided dressing room and wants to be one of the leaders helping to ‘create a hierarchy’.
Fullkrug states players are not training at full tilt and says they need to start doing just that.
He also addressed the rumours about him being unsettled in London, saying he likes his teammates and admitting he tries to ignore negative things being written about him.
“I love the guys, and I’m here just for four months now, and I feel very comfortable,” Fullkrug added.
“I like to be here and we have so many qualities, so many good characters, but we have to bring it on the pitch…
“At the end, it doesn’t matter if someone is writing good or bad things about us, as it’s not interesting for me.”
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