A few days off for most players and coaches will inevitably be followed by West Ham ‘working hard’ to improve before the Newcastle trip. Sitting 14th in the Premier League with just three wins under Lopetegui, all is not well at London Stadium. Especially galling after the £140 – ish million spent in August. Critics- me included – have bemoaned amongst other things the lack of a striker under thirty and the constant chopping and changing of formations and squad members.
However – those issues are not the main challenge. There seems a consensus building now as to the real problem stopping this West Ham team progressing.
The defence seems less wobbly now Kilman and Todibo are bedded in and fitter, faster and more used to each other. Aaron Wan-Bissaka if left to play as a conventional right back is a brilliant defensive asset. Emerson Palmeri can perform decently as a left back: The real problem lies ahead of the back four.
In a ‘TalkSport’ rant, published by givemesport.com today, journalist Will Pugh has obviously been watching the same midfield as me and he concludes:” The midfield is horrendously weak, trying to get rid of Soucek, as in, was a symbolic thing to, you know, sweep out what was there of Moyes: Guido Rodriguez is terrible. Carlos Soler looks like he might be a perfectly average, fine player one day, but he’s certainly not up to it now, and you can see the frustration.”
Carlos Soler and Diego Rodriguez
“Alvarez has been sent off twice this season. Kudus got sent off at Tottenham, he’s now serving a five-game ban, and you can just tell the players are frustrated and are not enjoying it.”
And let’s not even talk about the demise of Lucas Paquetá as our creative player. We all understand why. But no creativity means you can have anyone starting up front – they simply won’t get the ball.
Forget a striker, until there is a faster, more mobile midfield with players that can pick a pass through to the front line, West Ham will struggle to link up back and front play and will find their defence- whoever is selected-continually overrun: That is where the urgent action is needed come January.
