West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui desperately needs a result up at Newcastle on Monday night.
Newcastle will represent a really stern test for West Ham, and Julen Lopetegui will be well aware of the task that lies ahead of his players.
The Spaniard faces the sack if the Hammers lose our next two games, after what has been a horror start to the 2024/25 season.
Lopetegui is a dead man walking in my eyes, so he may as well try something new against Newcastle.
The definition of insanity is repeating the same mistake over and over again whilst expecting different results.
And that’s exactly what Lopetegui has done over the past few months, since his arrival at the London Stadium.
The Hammers head coach has to mix things up if he is to get a tune out of his team.
Maybe he just needs to make a big statement to his players by dropping someone who has seemingly been untouchable this season.
Julen Lopetegui to drop West Ham ace for Newcastle
There could be some big changes afoot for the clash with the Toon on Monday night.
Lopetegui is in need of a performance from his players, and a positive result of course.
As a result, he is apparently ready to drop one of his stalwarts – someone who has been untouchable this season.
According to talkSPORT, Lopetegui is ready to bring Edson Alvarez into the side in place of Guido Rodriguez for the Newcastle clash.
I say it’s about time that Rodriguez got dropped.
He’s actually been a regular starter for Lopetegui this season, with 805 Premier League minutes to his name (Transfermarkt).
He has started every Premier League game for the Hammers in fact!
However, the harsh truth of the matter is that he has looked well out of his depth so far.
Alvarez on another level to Rodriguez
Now, I haven’t been a big fan of Alvarez this season, but I still think he’s a better option than the lacklustre Rodriguez.
The Argentina international is painfully ill-suited to the intense speed of Premier League football, and the Hammers are said to be already considering cashing in on him in January.
The 30-year-old is far too slow and way too easy to bypass through the middle for the opposition.
I believe that signing Guido Rodriguez for West Ham was a big mistake by Julen Lopetegui – he was the Spaniard’s pick after all.
The Argentine has failed the eye test so far, and the Hammers fans have been far from impressed, and we’re a much better team with Alvarez in the side.
At least the Mexico international is comfortable in possession when receiving the ball from his defenders in tight spaces.
Hopefully Alvarez has learnt his lesson after his two sending offs this season, and he proves to be a vital player for us between now and the end of the season.
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