It was a pretty miserable night for West Ham star Lucas Paqueta and technical director Tim Steidten for very different reasons.
Positive news is in short supply around West Ham at the moment.
The Hammers will be desperately hoping that changes in the coming weeks and months.
Especially with regular action week in, week out after the dreaded interruptions of the international breaks.
West Ham went into the last break of the year off the back of a dreadful stalemate with Everton.
That has seen the future of both Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten called into question.
Bar Jarrod Bowen’s brilliant and deserved goal for England, it’s been a steady stream of grim news since.
Edson Alvarez put in a poor performance as Mexico were beaten in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final by Honduras. His manager was hit by a can thrown from the crowd, leaving him covered in blood.
Mexico did manage to turn things around the in second leg, though.
Negativity following West Ham like a bad smell
Mohammed Kudus’ struggles continued as he missed a last minute penalty as Ghana lost 2-1 at home to Niger.
Fans have fully turned on the national team, captained by the West Ham star. So much so they celebrated Kudus’ penalty miss.
The head of Ghana’s FA was then seen on film giving the Hammers attacker and his teammates and embarrassing dressing down.
Bowen took away the sour taste of being snubbed by Lee Carsley for his initial squad by scoring his first England goal.
During the break speculation has raged over the future of Lopetegui and several West Ham players.
Guido Rodriguez, Alvarez and Niclas Fullkrug are reportedly all unsettled and want to leave in January.
Fullkrug has been a particularly disastrous signing for West Ham.
The striker has made just three substitute cameo appearances due to injury.
There is no set timeframe for Fullkrug’s return.
And the German could now be sold in the winter window with the Hammers reportedly ready to sign a new forward.
The last of West Ham’s international players in action was Lucas Paqueta.
He wasn’t the only player of interest to the Hammers as Brazil played Uruguary, though.
Bad night for Paqueta and Steidten: star and target slammed
Unfortunately, it was a bad night for Paqueta and Steidten as the West Ham star and a striker target are slammed.
Paqueta, who has been woefully off colour for West Ham in 2024, was benched again by Brazil.
The West Ham midfielder has the spot-fixing case against him hanging over his head.
And he has been playing like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
As a result Paqueta has lost his place as a starter for Brazil in the November internationals.
Brazil drew 1-1 with Venezuela last week and it was the same score when they met Uruguay overnight.
Paqueta came on for just four minutes and yet still managed to pick up a booking.
Goal gave the Hammers man a 6/10 rating and said he could not make anything happen, albeit with limited time on the pitch.
“A few nice touches, but could never make anything concrete happen,” the report reads.
There was bad news for Steidten from the game too.
Steidten has reportedly set the wheels in motion on a West Ham move for Brazilian striker Igor Jesus to save the ailing season.
Botafogo owner John Textor, who also owns crisis-hit Lyon, has admitted he will sell players from both clubs to pay down the Ligue 1 side’s near £500m debt.
That must be done to a satisfactory level by the end of the season or Lyon will be relegated to Ligue 2 as punishment.
Hammers striker target Jesus labelled ‘anonymous’
Money is owned between the Hammers and Lyon for Said Benrahma and Paqueta.
And that means a loan with option or obligation deal to sign Jesus is there to be done for West Ham.
With Fullkrug proving a mistake, West Ham simply must – by hook or by crook – sign a new forward in January.
It has even been claimed 23-year-old Brazil international Jesus could join the Hammers in a deal which might see Paqueta traded to Botafogo.
Clauses could be built in around the outcome of the case against Paqueta – which should be heard in March.
But if Steidten was watching Jesus on his second ever start for Brazil, he may be having second thoughts.
Jesus has become Brazil coach Dorival’s preferred option at centre-forward.
But Goal say he ‘never made his mark’, describing him as ‘anonymous’.
Giving him just 4-10, the report states: “Pretty much anonymous. It’s difficult to see what he offers over Endrick.”
Obviously that is just one performance. But it might mean the Hammers have to go back to the drawing board.
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