A new manager in any workplace or industry, especially in a competitive environment like the Premier League, deserves time to find his footing, and Lopetegui should be no exception. Patience is particularly warranted given that our opening fixtures have not been the easiest, with two of our early opponents finishing in last year’s top four and two away London derbies. It’s only fair to reserve judgment until we have a larger sample size.
While it’s clear that a new style of play will take time to implement and should not be scrutinised too harshly at this early stage, the personnel choices Lopetegui has made in his first few weeks are understandably causing concern and confusion among some fans.
Although it’s common for new managers not to make sweeping changes to the starting line-ups inherited from their predecessors in their first game, there is typically a gradual shift away from the “old guard” soon after. This initial loyalty to former favourites may be a way to maintain squad harmony by avoiding too many rapid changes, or perhaps it’s simply out of necessity due to Lopetegui’s sudden and unexpected appointment following the abrupt sacking of his predecessor. There simply wasn’t enough time to assess the current players or bring in his own. This may explain some of the concern surrounding his team selections.
Lopetegui’s time to prepare
If media reports are accurate, Lopetegui’s appointment was not entirely unexpected. In fact, his arrival was in the works as soon as the decision for the club and David Moyes to part ways was made. Some even claim he had been preparing for potential vacancies at Milan or West Ham for some time. If true, this would give Lopetegui a unique advantage over many of his peers, who are often brought in on short notice with little time to assess the team before their first game. Lopetegui, however, had ample time to closely follow West Ham’s games in the weeks leading up to his appointment, giving him a better understanding of how his players were performing and their fit within his preferred system.
Therefore, while patience is necessary in allowing Lopetegui to establish a new style of play, it is puzzling that, after four games, he continues to rely on a team largely unchanged from the one he inherited, despite a significant influx of new players. Given his preparation time, one would expect him to have assessed the capabilities and limitations of the players Moyes had assembled and recognised that some are no longer meeting the club’s evolving standards.
Caution over new signings
The exceptions to Lopetegui’s apparent hesitance in using new players are Max Kilman, Guido Rodríguez, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, all of whom have seemingly secured their spots in the starting line-up. It’s likely no coincidence that these players are clearly Lopetegui’s picks: one was his former captain, another had been playing in his homeland, and the third was a player he had tried to sign at Wolves. This raises another question: Is there a lack of trust in the new signings, suggesting possible misalignment between Lopetegui and the head of recruitment? Or are Todibo, Füllkrug, and Summerville simply not performing well enough in training to earn starting positions, with Guilherme not even making the bench? Perhaps this is a topic for future discussion.
Regardless, it’s concerning that previous regulars like Soucek, Antonio, and Mavropanos continue to start games, while Kudus plays on his weaker side, even though there are viable (and some would argue better) alternatives waiting in the wings. After months of preparation and analysis, Lopetegui has been afforded an unusually long lead-up to his tenure. Patience is essential and deserved, but one hopes that it won’t be too long before he finds a place for some of the incredibly talented players that few West Ham managers before him have had at their disposal.