Julen Lopetegui declared he wanted to ‘make a big noise’ with West Ham when taking over from David Moyes.
But as West Ham go to Manchester City, besides speculation over Julen Lopetegui’s future, they’re the club nobody is talking about.
After a dismal first half of the season which saw just six Premier League wins from 19 games, the Hammers are now marooned in no man’s land.
Despite Manchester City’s awful form over the last few months, it would still be a massive shock if West Ham went to the Etihad and got anything, let alone a win.
That’s how bad the Hammers have been under Lopetegui.
The only way West Ham can save any glimmer of outside hope of a European finish would be to win at Man City.
Failure to do so will see the Hammers at least 10 – if not more – points off those places.
That gap and the total number of points needed would be insurmountable barring a miraculous upturn in form and results from now until May.
The majority of West Ham fans believe Lopetegui should have been sacked after the defeat at Leicester.
Anger that he remains in charge has been reduced to apathy.
West Ham face wasted season unless things change at Man City
West Ham are in for a nothing, wasted season of midtable mediocrity at best as things stand.
Supporters believe bringing in a new manager now would at least give life to the rest of the campaign.
As well as giving whoever that man might be a decent run at showing he is right for the job.
After the pathetic 5-0 drubbing to Liverpool – which could have been 10-0 – West Ham now face the other team who regularly give them a hiding.
It has been claimed Lopetegui has the Man City and Aston Villa games now to save his job.
That seems rather ominous for the 58-year-old.
While Tim Steidten and the players are also responsible for what’s unfolding in east London, Lopetegui only has himself to blame for the mess West Ham are in.
He is the one who picks the team and tactics.
Is it any wonder West Ham continue to look like a bunch of strangers every week when the manager is constantly making changes and playing star players out of position?
It says everything about Lopetegui’s tactics that the injury to Jarrod Bowen means Mohammed Kudus will finally get a regular run of games in his favoured position.
Bowen’s injury will force the manager to switch things up at the Etihad.
We predict tinkerman Lopetegui makes another five West Ham changes for Man City.
Tinkerman Lopetegui makes another five West Ham changes
Lukasz Fabianski remains out due to concussion protocols.
We think Niclas Fullkrug will replace Bowen up front in change number one from the side which started against Liverpool.
Lopetegui looks set to revert to a back four after his disastrous attempt at a back five against the Reds.
Vladimir Coufal will drop back out in change two with Crysencio Summerville coming back into the side to start on the left of midfield.
Tomas Soucek will come back into the team after his one-game ban and will replace Edson Alvarez in change three.
Guido Rodriguez also returns from suspension and we believe he too will start in place of Lucas Paqueta, who was abysmal against Liverpool, in change four.
There is clearly an issue between Lopetegui and defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
The French defender has been demoted to the bench since a reported physical confrontation between him and the manager during half-time of the defeat to Arsenal.
With the pressure on Lopetegui to build bridges after West Ham committed to pay £32m for Todibo, we think he might finally start in change number five.
He will take the place of Konstantinos Mavropanos, who was perhaps the most heavily criticised of all West Ham’s players after the loss to Liverpool.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Man City:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Soucek, Rodriguez, Soler, Summerville, Kudus, Fullkrug.
The official team will be announced at 1.45pm.
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