One of the main choices for Julen Lopetegui which could be crucial in the outcome of the next two games – and therefore his West Ham future – is whether to stick or twist with fallen idol Lucas Paquetá.
Brazil’s national coach already seems to have made his mind up, using the midfielder only as a last-few-minutes substitute which was unthinkable twelve months ago. It shows how far Paquetá’s form has slumped.
The Hammers need to distinguish between supporting ‘Paquetá the Individual’ in his upcoming FA enquiry – which I think is a good thing as everybody deserves the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty- and ‘Paquetá the midfielder’ who is woefully out of form and should be left out of the side.
The options are there – none are up to the level of Paquetá at his best but ‘any’ could be argued as better than the ‘Shadow of Paqueta’ alternative who currently offers West Ham about 10% of the old, Brazilian playmaker in his pomp.
Carlos Soler (played centrally please, not as a winger) Andy Irving, Luis Guilherme or Lewis Orford all bring something to the table in terms of pace, creativity, combativeness and energy: Lopetegui should pick one and move ahead with him.
The terrifying triumvirate of Paquetá, Rodriguez and Alvarez has failed to work as a midfield unit so until January replacements arrive, other options can at least plug the gaps far better.
Lopetegui can argue that his forward and defensive options are zero: The same cannot be said of the midfield where the time to put out the same old combination of plodders just has to end.
Imagine, for one moment, a zesty new midfielder hitherto unseen centrally in advance of the defensive options, picking a pass through to the front men and tackling back with commitment equalling Jarrod Bowen: How would that feel to watch?
Does such an option exist? Time to find out, unless he shocks us all by a stroke of genius through converting Konstantinos Mavropanos into the worlds best defensive midfielder!
Surely rather than just plodding to failure anyway the Hammers coach has to be brave and call ‘time’ on the tried and tested and failed midfield formula which he has used to date.
