Lopetegui cannot afford to make Paqueta mistake for West Ham United v Man City
West Ham United have had a season to forget so far and while they’re not in the relegation battle just yet, they should have been doing far better.
Julen Lopetegui was brought in as David Moyes’ replacement to try and bring a new lease of life to the London Stadium but instead, it feels like David Sullivan has downgraded.
Especially when the fact that West Ham finished ninth in the league last season is taken into account.
Many new faces were brought in over the summer to try and bolster their ranks but none have really had the desired impact.
However, it’s Lucas Paqueta who’s been at the centre of attention recently as he’s really not lived up to expectations, particularly in their 5-0 defeat to Liverpool on 29 December.
Last term, the Brazilian was one of the Hammers’ best players and now it feels like Lopetegui would be risking his job if he started the attacking midfielder against Manchester City on 4 January.
Julen Lopetegui can’t start Lucas Paqueta for West Ham United
To be quite frank, the performance of the Brazilian against the Reds was simply just woeful.
Although he’s one of the biggest names in the squad, it feels like he’s been way off the pace this term and nowhere near as pivotal as he was in the last campaign.
Carlos Soler was brought in during the summer to be his backup and from the few games the Spaniard has featured in, it feels like he’d be a far better option against Pep Guardiola’s men.
Both the Citizens and West Ham are under pressure to deliver in Saturday’s game but, in Lopetegui’s case, it feels like if any more games are lost by the Spaniard, he could pay for it with his job.
Only time will tell what the future holds but if the former Wolves boss doesn’t want to risk his livelihood, dropping Paqueta seems to be one of the best ways for him to do that.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers may have found their new Mark Noble in an academy gem.
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