The top source inside West Ham has made the Julen Lopetegui situation and their big worry perfectly clear ahead of the Premier League clash at Brentford.
If Julen Lopetegui thought his start to life at West Ham couldn’t get much worse, he was proved wrong last night.
After his self-confessed tactical clanger resulted in a dreadful 3-0 defeat at home to Chelsea at the weekend, West Ham went to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
There were signs of improvement in spells as the Hammers held their own.
But West Ham’s woeful defending continued as they shipped another truckload of goals to lose 5-1.
The Hammers took the lead through an own goal on 21 minutes at Anfield.
West Ham have given up more shots than any other Premier League side this season.
And it showed three minutes later as Liverpool benefitted from a lack of VAR which would have undoubtedly ruled their equaliser offside.
West Ham could and should have gone back ahead in the second half.
Referee Andy Madley denied the Hammers a number of penalty shouts.
Another worrying West Ham collapse
Liverpool took the lead at the other end to rub salt in the wound.
Then Edson Alvarez’s brainless sending off for two yellow cards sent West Ham into a self-destructive spiral.
Lopetegui’s side showed an alarming lack of resilience and character as they went on to ship five, making it eight goals conceded in two games.
That’s now four defeats, two wins and a draw to start life in east London for Lopetegui. And one of those wins was in the cup against Bournemouth.
Pressure is already mounting on the Spaniard.
After the defeat to Chelsea, the top spokesman inside the club exclusively told Hammers News West Ham’s board said: ‘We are very poor and must improve’.
West Ham now face two Premier League games against Brentford this weekend and then Ipswich next.
Now the top West Ham source has made the Lopetegui situation and the big worry clear ahead of Brentford.
West Ham make Lopetegui situation and big worry clear
Speaking exclusively to Hammers News this morning, the key senior contact close to the club’s owners was not pulling any punches.
And it will leave Lopetegui in no doubt about the task at hand.
“The next two games against Brentford and Ipswich are huge,” the West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.
“And now we have Alvarez suspended for Brentford sadly.”
There were spells against Liverpool where it looked like the penny had finally dropped for West Ham under their new head coach.
The pressing was better in spells and some of the football was a vast improvement.
But defensively, West Ham have ridden their luck in every game under the Spaniard so far.
Lopetegui must make a case for the defence at West Ham
And it has been brutally exposed by the better teams.
Fulham and Palace – and Bournemouth in the cup – could have been home and hosed before West Ham took points and progress from those matches.
Lopetegui may be trying to run before he can walk in terms of changing West Ham’s style of play.
The team is far too open and exposed at the back. It stems from a dreadful chemistry in midfield and the manager making too many changes every single game.
His drip-feeding of new signings hasn’t worked either.
It has sucked the excitement out of the start of the season for them and the fans.
As a result when they do come into the team they are rusty, miles off match pace and instantly find themselves being questioned.
It has now been made clear Brentford and Ipswich are huge for Lopetegui.
And it is obvious he simply must get results going into the October international break.
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