West Ham coach Julen Lopetegui unwittingly highlighted one of this season’s biggest failings when he tried to explain yesterday’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Predictably, the Hammers boss pointed to Edson Alvarez’s red card as the game’s turning point—an important moment, no doubt. But the Hammers were already second-best up to that point, and once again, Lopetegui waited until halftime to get a grip on the game.
When asked about Alvarez’s dismissal, Lopetegui said, “It was a key moment because we were not able to equalize, and then straight away, it’s a red card. Before the half-time break, we were considering any changes and looking forward to the second half. At the start of the second half, we managed three or four corners, waiting for our moment to level the match. Unfortunately, they scored the second goal.”
And there it is—once again, West Ham seem content to surrender momentum with the intent of rescuing things after a halftime team talk and personnel change. But what about actually getting the starting eleven right in the first place? Lopetegui seems to be constantly firefighting, trying to solve problems he created.
Apart from the 4-1 win against Ipswich, the Hammers haven’t dominated both halves in a game this season. Lopetegui’s constant tactical tweaks and personnel changes make it impossible to build rhythm or a cohesive strategy.
If the next week at the training ground is spent licking wounds and seeing ourselves as victims of a red card, we’re in trouble. Nottingham Forest were considerably better than West Ham at the City Ground, and I bet Sean Dyche can’t wait for next weekend.
