Julen Lopetegui plans unprecedented action with West Ham duo Lucas Paqueta and Alphonse Areola

The Hammers head coach brought nine new players to the London Stadium in the summer, and many of those new signings have struggled to settle.

However, it has actually been many of the old guard who have let him down badly.

Lopetegui desperately needs a run of wins to quieten down his naysayers, but that will be easier said than done, with an incredibly tough run of games on the horizon.

Perhaps he needs to mix things up. After all, repeating the same mistakes over and over again whilst expecting a different result is the definition of insanity right?

In Lopetegui’s defence, it seems like he’s planning on making one or two big changes this weekend…

Julen Lopetegui could make Lucas Paqueta and Alphonse Areola call

According to a report from Give Me Sport, Lopetegui could drop both Paqueta and Areola for the Man United match on Sunday.

Now that really would be a big statement from the Hammers head coach wouldn’t it.

Sure, Paqueta has been left out of the team before – most recently during our draw away at Fulham in September.

However, the 27-year-old had just been away on international duty with Brazil, and had only returned to England two days before the game.

And Areola has never been dropped apart from when he’s had fitness concerns, since he became the club’s number one goalkeeper.

So Lopetegui dropping both of them at the same time- two players who are considered to be key to his plans, would be unprecedented action from the Spaniard.

I actually won’t be too displeased at all if either the Brazilian or the Frenchman are left out for the clash with Man United on Sunday afternoon.

Neither have been anywhere near good enough this season, and perhaps dropping the West Ham duo for the Manchester United game will be exactly what the pair need.

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