Social media plays a massive part in the modern game and there’s no escaping that for West Ham after another miserable day at the office.
Julen Lopetegui relieved the pressure that had been mounting on him with West Ham’s 2-1 win over Man United last week.
The problem is even he knew the Hammers got away with murder.
The Red Devils should have been at least three or four up at half-time.
West Ham made changes at half-time and were much better in the second half. But they then got another big slice of luck with the penalty at the death.
Lopetegui conceded his team were fortunate.
But the Hammers came crashing back down to earth at Nottingham Forest.
West Ham could have gone just two points behind Forest by securing back-to-back wins.
It was never on the cards, though, as Lopetegui’s side served up another insipid display.
Speaking of cards, Edson Alvarez saw red at the end of the first half with the score at 1-0 after picking up two brainless yellow cards.
The Hammers embarrassed themselves on social media and the manager didn’t fare much better in the dressing room.
There’s social unrest as West Ham’s mid-game post backfires and a top Hammers journalist savages Lopetegui.
Social unrest as West Ham’s mid-game post backfires
Firstly the Hammers media team set themselves up for a fall.
Despite it being clear for all to see Alvarez was putting in yet another woeful performance, West Ham’s social media admin posted a picture of the Mexican 20 minutes captioned: “Our Machín in midfield.”
Comments that precede unfortunate events.
Alvarez was being completely dominated by Ryan Yates.
He then got his customary booking on 39 minutes before another completely unnecessary challenge when West Ham had an eight on two situation on the stroke of half-time.
You only need to take one look at the replies to West Ham’s X post both before and after Alvarez to sent off to see how Hammers fans felt about it.
Incredibly Lopetegui took the spotlight off the media team by stepping on his own pitchfork moment later.
With the Hammers down to 10 men and chasing the game, Lopetegui took off man of the moment Crysencio Summerville at half-time.
One of West Ham’s only players with proper pace and goal threat, inexplicably hooked.
Top Hammers journalist savages ‘ridiculous’ Lopetegui
West Ham fans couldn’t believe it.
And neither could one reporter who sits in press conferences with Lopetegui every week.
The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas could not bite his tongue as he announced the half-time changes.
Thomas labelled Lopetegui’s decision ‘ridiculous’.
“Antonio and Soler replace Summerville and Rodriguez,” Thomas said on X.
“Taking off Summerville is a ridiculous decision.”
West Ham cannot continue to put everything down to a bad day at the office.
If this was an office, the manager would be on his final warning by now.
Alvarez let his team down, no doubt.
But don’t let that fool you that West Ham were going to get anything out of this match.
Lucas Paqueta’s shot just before the red card was West Ham first effort – on or off target – in the entire opening 45 minutes.
That is simply not good enough.
As far Lopetegui bringing off Summerville, it left many speechless.
After the Hammers boss left Summerville out of the starting XI against Man United, I wrote that he was risking pushing the Dutchman out of the club.
Now everyone sees where I was coming from.
The word shambles gets thrown around too easily in football nowadays. One defeat and everything is a shambles.
But it’s very apt in terms of the Hammers right now. They’re a mess.
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