Following yesterday’s revelations that West Ham’s head coach, Julen Lopetegui, is pushing for a new striker in the January transfer window, new reports suggest he’s losing the dressing room’s confidence.
TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, who broke the initial story, now claims that some West Ham players are ‘unconvinced’ by Lopetegui’s leadership. Crook also reaffirmed that certain members of the club’s hierarchy were hesitant about Lopetegui from the outset.
Yesterday, Crook reported that Lopetegui was dissatisfied with the signing of Niclas Fullkrug, insisting on a replacement in January. Fullkrug, signed by the club’s director of football, has been struggling with injuries and has returned to Germany for treatment, sparking further frustration from the head coach.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Crook explained, “I’ve been told some players aren’t fully convinced by him. There’s been a few incidents, like the reported bust-up with Mohammed Kudus during the Brentford game. Although downplayed, it wasn’t a good look when Kudus, a key player, got sent off recently.”
Crook also pointed out that despite heavy investment in Fullkrug, his ongoing Achilles issue has left West Ham relying on Michail Antonio, not far from the strategies under David Moyes. “There are definitely question marks,” Crook added, “but the win against Ipswich before the international break has bought him some time. However, with fans running low on patience and certain members of the hierarchy never fully sold on him, Lopetegui’s position remains precarious.”
Reading between the lines, it would certainly appear that somebody is leaking stories to Crook which certainly hints at a disconnect at West Ham. Given recent speculation about the Lopetegui/Steidten relationship the most recent updates are probably unsurprising. However, I’m starting to wonder if the disconnect at the club runs a little deeper than we are being led to believe.
