Mystery of top West Ham star’s awful form solved as lid blown on hushed up bust-up

Opinions differ over what the key issues are at the London Stadium.

West Ham’s midfield is terrible. A random mix of players who lack pace, mobility, athleticism, power or any skills that complement one another.

No thought seems to have gone into how that area of the West Ham team has been put together.

And it has showed with the midfield offering little protection to the back four and no guile to service the forward line.

That is another big issue in itself. West Ham went into the season with three strikers well into their 30s with a combined age of nearly 98.

Michail Antonio has been lost to that horrific car crash.

Niclas Fullkrug is injury-prone and allegedly wants out after failing to settle in England.

And Danny Ings’ face doesn’t fit. Both he and Antonio are out of contract at the end of the season too.

Jarrod Bowen, who has filled in up front, is now out with a broken foot until early February.

But a big issue nobody saw coming was in goal.

Mystery of top West Ham star’s awful form solved

The Hammers went into the season with Alphonse Areola as number one and experienced veteran Lukasz Fabianski as number two.

Seasoned pro Wes Foderingham arrived on a free transfer to be third choice and tick off a homegrown player box.

Three experienced goalkeepers with plenty of talent there.

But things have even unravelled there too.

Areola’s form has dropped off a cliff and he found himself dropped by Julen Lopetegui.

He looked a shell of the 6ft 5in big cat Hammers fans have come to love.

Fabianski, who turns 40 this season, has been superb. And while he remains an excellent goalkeeper, he lacks ability on the ball which is now a big requirement in the modern game.

The situation has seen many West Ham fans calling for the club to sign a new goalkeeper in the coming windows.

That’s not something West Ham likely had in their long-term planning when buying Areola from PSG to fulfil the number one role for the coming years.

Lid blown on hushed up bust-up between Lopetegui and Areola

Areola has also been missing from a number of squads this season.

Supporters have found the Frenchman’s situation strange.

Especially given Lopetegui was a goalkeeper himself as a player and one would assume he might therefore get even more from his players in a position he knows so well.

Now the mystery of top West Ham star Areola’s awful form may have been solved as the lid is blown on a hushed up bust-up.

It is well known that Lopetegui had fallouts with Mohammed Kudus and Jean-Clair Todibo.

But what fans did not know, until now, is that the sacked Hammers boss also fell out with Areola too.

After Todibo had a physical altercation with Lopetegui at half-time against Arsenal, Athletic journalist Roshane Thomas pledged ‘the gloves are off and all will be revealed’ about goings-on behind the scenes at West Ham – if and when the manager was sacked.

Well now Lopetegui has been dismissed, Thomas has been true to his word.

Lopetegui even fell out with calmest player at West Ham

But what nobody saw coming was a revelation that Lopetegui fell out with ‘the calmest player in the squad’ Areola.

Thomas also suggests Areola may not have been injured on a number of occasions he was not in the West Ham squad.

“Lopetegui clashed with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola,” Thomas reveals in The Athletic.

“The France international was frustrated at losing his place — he was dropped against Man United having started every previous league match, then not in the matchday squad for the ensuing games against Nottingham Forest and Everton.

“Lopetegui explained his absence was due to a minor knock, but their relationship was fractious, according to people close to the players. Areola is a popular member of the squad and is a very calm person off the field.”

It beggars belief that Lopetegui was falling out with so many key players at West Ham.

And Thomas states it was ultimately his undoing.

Restoring Areola to his best could be an easy win for Potter

But this news could actually be a huge boost for Potter.

Confidence is key in any sport and any position. But as a goalkeeper it is everything.

As a quiet, reserved character, Areola’s must have been shot after his fallout with the manager and subsequent demotion.

So this is a very easy win for Potter.

He will almost certainly want Areola as number one in the medium term given he is better with the ball at his feet.

With a clean slate, Potter can restore Areola’s confidence and start getting the best out of him again.

On his day, the Frenchman is one of the best shot stoppers around.

Potter’s style should suit Areola – both on the pitch and as a manager.

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