Julen Lopetegui is not the only one under pressure following West Ham’s poor start to the new Premier League season.
West Ham were easily beaten 3-0 by London rivals Chelsea to create some unwelcome history.
It was West Ham’s third home defeat in the Premier League in a row to start the season.
That is the first time the Hammers have ever started a league campaign with three losses on home turf in their entire 129-year history.
Throw in the fact West Ham have given up more shots to the opposition than any team in the top flight and it’s easy to see why there is early pressure on Julen Lopetegui.
The 83 shots the Irons have allowed their opponents to have in the opening five games is the most by nearly 20.
West Ham’s players have to shoulder some of the blame for their passive performance against the Blues.
But Lopetegui’s strange tactics were brutally exposed by Chelsea. And it has been noted West Ham have ridden their luck massively in their other games too – including the cup win over Bournemouth.
West Ham fans wanted something fresh, new and exciting after four-and-a-half years watching David Moyes’ risk averse football.
So far there has been little evidence Lopetegui is close to bringing that to the table.
West Ham fans booed the team, jeered Lopetegui’s substitutions and walked out en masse with 20 minutes to go.
Hammers News has also exclusively revealed that West Ham’s owners are far from impressed so far.
There have also been question marks over Lopetegui’s use of the club’s nine new signings.
Technical director Tim Steidten oversaw the £155m summer splurge.
But some of the signings are being questioned.
Guido Rodriguez was hauled off in the first half.
Jean-Clair Todibo has barely kicked a ball yet despite a series of errors from Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Crysencio Summerville could not get a look in until Chelsea. But even when the exciting Dutch winger got a start he was subbed off despite being West Ham’s best player.
Supporters wanted a young, dynamic striker with pace in the summer. So the signing of 31-year-old injury-prone Niclas Fullkrug has divided opinion too.
Brazilian teenager Luis Guilherme was signed for £20m amid much hype. But he is yet to make the matchday squad.
Now a journalist close to the West Ham board has made an astonishing claim about Lopetegui and Steidten.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg has close contact with the Hammers board.
Steinberg turned on majority owner David Sullivan over Lopetegui’s appointment yesterday.
And he has claimed Lopetegui and Steidten are both ‘under massive pressure already’.
“Lopetegui is under massive pressure already,” Steinberg said.
“Every game has seen West Ham play with no structure, plan, energy, guile. Today (against Chelsea) it’s been properly exposed. It was time to move on from Moyes but for this? This isn’t a refresh.
“It’s worse than before.
“Meanwhile serious concerns about recruitment over the past two summers. A series of iffy signings, most with no resale value. Steidten also has questions to answer. Mavrapanos, for example, is a mistake a game. Yet to sort out the striker.
“One nailed on signing is Kudus. Identified by (Mark) Noble during the previous season.
“Todibo a talent but not fit yet and wanted to go to Juventus, so it will be interesting to see his attitude when he gets in.”
That is quite some statement from Steinberg on Lopetegui and Steidten.
The German technical director is front and centre now at West Ham following Moyes’ exit.
Steidten was widely praised for ‘winning the transfer window’ with his work over the summer.
So he must accept that he will also shoulder more of the blame when things aren’t going well too.
There are clear early concerns. But Sullivan is not someone who fires managers willy nilly. So Lopetegui will get time as long as results and performances pick up soon.
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