Julen Lopetegui will need to find a solution to West Ham’s misfiring midfield if he is to have any chance of beating Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in Monday’s Premier League fixture.
While I’m far from convinced that Lopetegui has tried to impose a more possession-based football alternative to David Moyes, his midfield selections this season have not been technical or athletic enough.
I sat down with my Hammers Chat partner Geo in our West Ham v Newcastle preview, and we both had very different answers to what we agreed was a serious midfield problem.
Lopetegui may well opt to play Edson Álvarez and Tomáš Souček or possibly even Guido Rodríguez, but none of these options are likely to give the head coach the level of control he’ll need against Eddie Howe’s Toon side.
Mohammed Kudus remains suspended, ironically for the two games that could determine the gaffer’s future with the Hammers, so Crysencio Summerville should be an automatic starter.
Possibly Lopetegui’s only chance in this game is to keep it tight at the back and try to pinch a goal on the break, but there is little evidence this season to suggest we’re capable of it.
So, my team for Monday’s game is a little unusual, and I go into detail about why in the video below. West Ham’s boss needs to roll the dice because doing the same thing is a certain route to defeat.
