If Julen Lopetegui had a honeymoon period at West Ham then it seems to be well and truly over in the eyes of some observers.
West Ham may have salvaged a point at Fulham but reaction towards Julen Lopetegui has been pretty scathing in some quarters.
Most of it is somewhat ridiculous given the Spaniard is just five games in.
In reality Lopetegui’s start to life at West Ham has been average and somewhat inauspicious.
No better and certainly no worse.
But it was always going to be the case that the 57-year-old would be under the microscope having replaced David Moyes in the London Stadium hotseat.
And a hot seat it certainly was on Saturday as West Ham came awfully close to a deserved defeat at Fulham.
Not necessarily because West Ham were about to lose to a side many were expecting them to beat.
But more so the team Lopetegui named to get the job done from the start.
If one criticism of Lopetegui so far sticks, it is that some of his team selections have been questionable.
The ex Spain and Sevilla boss may have his reasons that West Ham fans and observers are not aware of.
His drip-feeding approach to blooding signings is very Moyes-esque.
The Hammers will only know in the long run whether it has been the right approach.
Lopetegui a ‘pensioner driving a Bugatti’ at West Ham
There is not so much an anti Lopetegui agenda in the press but seemingly rather a desperation among them to jump on any early difficulties.
West Ham fans know journalists and pundits who told them to ‘be careful what you wish for’ when parting company with Moyes have ‘we told you so’ waiting in the holster.
Lopetegui’s team selections can justifiably be criticised and picked over. That’s the price on the ticket for a football manager. Especially in the Premier League. And especially having spend £155m on nine signings.
Those arrivals added to an already strong core of top talent such as Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Edson Alvarez, Alphonse Areola and Emerson Palmieri.
That Paqueta was dropped in favour of Tomas Soucek, that Michail Antonio started up front yet again and that Kudus was shunted out to the left once more at Fulham gave West Ham fans just cause to be frustrated.
Throw in the fact that Jean-Clair Todibo continues to collect splinters on the bench and it only adds fuel to that frustration. As does the fact Niclas Fullkrug hasn’t started any of the three Premier League games he’s been available for.
And Crysencio Summerville being overlooked for a start despite impressing in training and from the bench is agitating many too.
One national journalist may have gone way over the top and a touch too soon with the criticism, though.
Because Lopetegui has been likened to a ‘pensioner driving a Bugatti’ at West Ham in the harshest tirade yet.
Harshest Lopetegui tirade yet is too soon
Sports reporter George Simms has delivered a scathing assessment of West Ham’s new head coach for iNews.
In it, Simms makes an analogy that Lopetegui has a collection of Bugattis, F1 cars, monster trucks and rally racers at West Ham.
But after revealing the Hammers have had the second fewest shots on target so far this season, Simms says Lopetegui drives them like a pensioner.
“Imagine your neighbour collects cars,” Simms says.
“Not just any cars either – Bugattis and vintage F1 models and monster trucks which could do enough donuts to make a shadow vomit.
“It could, in the right hands, be among the most exciting vehicular assortments in the country. Except, unfortunately, your neighbour is morally opposed to breaking the speed limit or driving off road.
“He wears a helmet and elbow pads when he drives at night. He’s got a former Le Mans winner which only ever goes to Morrisons. Your neighbour is Julen Lopetegui.”
‘Tragic to see potential West Ham joy being wasted’
Simms accepts many will see his criticism as an overreaction. But he says it is tragic seeing such talent and ‘potential joy’ being wasted.
“This may seem an overreaction given the Spaniard has overseen four Premier League matches at West Ham, but there is something agonisingly tragic about witnessing the potential joy being wasted.”
It’s a great analogy, there’s no doubt. And it could just as easily have been applied to Lopetegui’s predecessor Moyes.
The Spaniard deserves more time before such visceral judgements are passed down, though.
There has been a turnover of 21 players at West Ham this summer thanks to the state Moyes left the squad in.
It is true that managers at other clubs have their teams playing their style within weeks. Palace, Brighton and Bournemouth being recent examples.
So if, in six months’ time, Lopetegui is still not ramping up the speed driving his expensive collection of sports cars then questions can rightfully be asked and fingers pointed.
Until then – as painful as it is to hear and write – West Ham fans just have to ‘trust the process’.
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