Lucas Paqueta first-team claim made as West Ham United man blasted v Nottingham Forest
Tom Rennie does not believe Lucas Paqueta should be “anywhere near” the West Ham first team after the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The Brazilian struggled to get involved during the clash at The City Ground on 2 November, especially after Edson Alvarez was shown a second yellow and sending the Hammers down to 10 men.
Fans have been left disappointed by Paqueta’s performances so far this season, having been hooked at half-time against Manchester United last weekend, and one talkSPORT broadcaster wanted the same again.
Following Chris Wood’s opener, Rennie wrote via X [2 November], Rennie wrote: “Same changes as last week. Paqueta off. He offers absolutely nothing. Mavropanos off. He can’t defend. They shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team.”
Lucas Paqueta criticism surely a concern after West Ham United loss v Nottingham Forest
Paqueta has been a key figure since arriving at the London Stadium in the summer of 2022, making almost 100 appearances in all competitions for the Irons since.
However, the creative force really looks to be struggling under Julen Lopetegui’s new regime, now picking up four yellow cards in his last four matches for club and country.
Many fans have called for Lopetegui to drop the 27-year-old rather than starting him and hoping for a different result, yet the new manager continues to keep him in the side.
Of course, Lopetegui cannot be fully blamed for the 3-0 defeat on Saturday, with Alvarez’s red card clearly playing a vital role but it already seemed that Forest would be claiming all three points either way.
After Wood’s first-half opener, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina were able to get on the scoresheet and make sure the victory remained at The City Ground.
With both Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez clearly having disciplinary issues in the middle of the park, Lopetegui has a difficult task of finding a solution for his midfield this season.
In other West Ham news, a report has shared how long Mohammed Kudus could be banned for, with a decision to be made next week.
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