Julen Lopetegui has completely changed his opinion of one West Ham United player in particular it seems.
West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui has experienced a real baptism of fire during his first few months in charge at the London Stadium.
Before the Ipswich game, there was actually talk of Lopetegui getting the sack if results didn’t improve quickly, but he apparently assured the board that he will turn things around.
The 4-1 win was vital for Lopetegui in the end, and it earned him some much-needed breathing space, especially after his highly publicised fall-out with Mohammed Kudus the week before.
However, things are set to get worse before they get better, with a nightmarish run of fixtures on the horizon for West Ham.
The 58-year-old will need players he can really count on during the upcoming batch of fixtures over the next six weeks or so.
And one of them has completely changed Lopetegui’s mind since he replaced David Moyes officially on July 1st.
Julen Lopetegui changes his mind on West Ham star
In fairness to the Spaniard, he is probably still getting used to his players and their individual qualities.
Lopetegui has only been in charge at the London Stadium for three months after all!
And one player in particular seems to have made Lopetegui perform a complete and utter 180 degree turn.
Give Me Sport claim that Tomas Soucek has completely won Lopetegui over, and is now viewed as a player who is not for sale.
That’s quite the twist, after it was claimed Lopetegui wasn’t initially convinced by the 6ft 4in midfielder.
Soucek recently admitted that he believed some West Ham fans don’t like him. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
We all appreciate his warrior-like efforts but have criticised his footballing ability on more than one occasion in the past.
Tomas Soucek crucial for West Ham
Signed on a permanent €21 million (£17.6 million) deal in the summer of 2020 (WHUFC.com) after a successful four-month loan spell, Soucek enjoyed an incredible first year and a half at the London Stadium.
However, his form regressed badly midway through the 2022/23 season, and he was nowhere near his best once again last term.
When Lopetegui replaced David Moyes at the London Stadium in the summer, many Hammers fans predicted that the Czech Republic international would be the first player to be sold.
However, the 29-year-old has proven almost all of us wrong.
Tomas Soucek has made himself nigh on undroppable with his performances for West Ham under Julen Lopetegui over the past few weeks.
He looks much like his old self, and has bagged two vital Premier League goals for us so far this season.
He’s reportedly viewed as unsellable as well, and that really is quite the turnaround.
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