Analyst used by West Ham’s own media team tears Julen Lopetegui’s tactics apart

But when analysts who work with the club’s own media team do it, then you know it must be bad.

Lopetegui’s failure to get a tune out of his expensively assembled West Ham squad has resulted in mounting pressure over his future.

No less than eight managers have been linked with West Ham in the last week.

They say there is no smoke without fire. Although that’s not always the case in football.

The game against Everton was billed a must-win for the Hammers.

But another awful performance, particularly in the first half, saw West Ham play out a 0-0 bore draw which literally had fans yawning in the stands and leaving early.

Footage of bored supporters fighting off sleep at the London Stadium was highlighted on Match of the Day.

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer introduced West Ham’s match with an apology to those who had stayed up late to watch it.

It was hardly a performance which suggested West Ham’s players are desperately fighting to save their manager.

And if they are then whatever messages Lopetegui is trying to get across aren’t getting through.

The Hammers boss is now back in Spain believing he is sack from the sack.

But sources claim Lopetegui may have got that all wrong with meetings reportedly set to be held to discuss his future.

Team selection, tactics and approach have all been criticised since West Ham made the 57-year-old their 18th permanent manager.

Analyst used by West Ham tears Lopetegui’s tactics apart

Others – including Tim Steidten, the board and of course the players – must take their share of the blame for West Ham’s current predicament of course.

But now we have surely seen one of the most damning indictments of the former Spain manager’s tenure so far.

Because an analyst used by West Ham’s own media team tears Lopetegui’s tactics apart.

And he’s spot on.

There’s an old saying: “Don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t go to for advice”.

Well perhaps Lopetegui might need to ignore that mantra and start to heed the words of Analytics United.

Before West Ham games, the club’s official website publishes a feature from Hammers supporters Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall as they offer their fellow fans in-depth but accessible analysis of their team and its players.

Analytics United use performance analysis and data to preview matches and did the same for Everton ‘examining how the Blues’ visit to London Stadium could play out’.

The club are careful to make it perfectly clear “the views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of Analytics United and do not necessarily reflect the views opinions of West Ham United”.

With good reason it seems.

Because Elderton provided a running analysis of West Ham’s performance during the Everton game on social media.

And he dismantled the tactics used by Lopetegui, making a series of salient points.

‘Turgid and dire’ Lopetegui’s West Ham approach slammed

Here’s how the analyst tore Lopetegui’s tactics and West Ham’s performance against the Toffees to ribbons, describing it as ‘turgid and dire’.

Elderton also West Ham’s failure to win the possession battle against the side with the least possession in the league away from home says everything about Lopetegui’s failure so far.

In terms of tactical analysis of Lopetegui’s West Ham, you will be hard pressed to find a more detailed take-down.

If West Ham’s owners are meeting this week to discuss his future, then they may want to read this to make a better-informed decision.

“32′ gone. 0-6 on shots at home against Everton,” Elderton said on X.

“Half-time in another match against a football team who have a clearly defined idea of how they want to both generate and stop chances – well matched to their squad.

“West Ham have continued the awful big club impression (3-2-5 hopes and prayers) with rare breakout moments in transition.

“Possession: 49-51 Shots: 4-8 xG: 0.19-0.47 Duels: 38%-62%. Yikes.

“Everton’s first half possession stats (away from home) this season: vs Spurs: 25% vs Villa: 22% vs Leicester: 46% vs Ipswich: 44% vs Southampton: 34% 𝐯𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐦: 𝟓𝟏%…

“Full-time at the end of another turgid display at London Stadium where Sean Dyche’s Everton won the physical battle, generated almost double as many shots as West Ham and were able to control the match with extended periods of possession. Dire stuff again from Lopetegui’s team.

“It is one thing to lose the physical battle against a strong Everton side but to fail to win the possession battle against the side with the least possession in the league by a massive margin when attempting to revolutionise the style to control games with the ball is… damning.

‘This just isn’t good enough for a side investing heavily’

“Increasingly, I wonder what the strengths of this side actually are…? We are hopeless at establishing control with or without the ball, poor in the physical duels, woeful in transition defence, poor at pressing, poor at generating any opportunities ourselves and only spring into any kind of life when we manage to break away in transition through one of Summerville, Kudus, Bowen, or Antonio.

“We are 11 games into the Premier League season and this just isn’t good enough for a side investing heavily in a desperate attempt to compete at the top.

“Lopetegui spoke again about a lack of consistency and suggested that the players must show more personality to generate better outcomes for the team. Whilst it might be true that more personality could help us impose our stamp on games, said stamp remains unidentifiable.

“Crucially, neither consistency nor personality will make Jarrod Bowen any less peripheral as a chance receiver for this side. Nor will they help the team implement reliable, repeatable routes to progress play and generate chances in the final third.

“This instead comes from the coaches’ translating their ideas to the group in a way that is both understandable and achievable with clearly explained routes for on-pitch implementation. This collective identity must also be synchronized with highlighting individuals’ strengths.

“And imo, it is the latter that generates belief and belief that generates on-pitch personality. Without a collective identity that allows players to thrive, maximizing their strengths and mitigating their weaknesses, that belief needs to come from a blind faith in the path ahead.

“And this is not a group that is coming from nowhere to go somewhere. This is a group of talented players that have fought to get to the PL with many having experienced the benefits of a structure that captured their talents regularly enough to bring real success to this club.

“As such, expectations of players suddenly flourishing from inspiration at a vague idea of a future that may never showcase their best talents (Guido covering channels, Bowen rarely accessed in transition, AWB high and wide) is misplaced.

“Under Moyes last season: 11.7% of passes went long (6), the team averaged 41.1% possession (16), and scored 1.53 goals per game (8). Under Lopetegui: 12.53% of passes go long (3), average possession is 45.2% (16), and the team scores 1.2 goals per game (14). Stylistic change?”