Julen Lopetegui destroyed over ‘absolute mess’ at West Ham United
Julen Lopetegui is being completely exposed tactically with “the blind leading the deaf” at West Ham, Ray Winstone has said.
Speaking on talkSPORT (25 November, 8:38am), the actor and Hammers fan said that while he wants to see Lopetegui succeed at the London Stadium, he can’t see how the Spaniard will turn things around.
Lopetegui’s side are yet to string together a run of strong results or performances so far this season amid just three Premier League wins, and next face Newcastle United on 25 November.
Winstone said: “Tactically I think is where we’re lacking. It’s like the blind leading the deaf, and it hasn’t been put right.
“Nothing will give me greater pleasure than seeing this man do the business, but I can’t see where it’s going to come from.
“I look at it and I think surely it’s got to be tactically where they’re getting it wrong. It’s not the players.
“The players have played in a high-class kind of football, but for me tactically, it’s a mess. It’s an absolute mess.”
Julen Lopetegui needs to show he can turn it around at West Ham
There’s no denying that on paper, the Hammers have a squad more than capable of currently being much higher than 14th in the Premier League table with just three victories to their name.
With the likes of Lucas Paqueta, and Jarrod Bowen, and although he’s currently undergoing a five-game ban, Mohammed Kudus at their disposal, Lopetegui has some world-class potential at his fingertips.
Despite this, and despite adding Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carlos Soler to their ranks, the Hammers look rudderless with and without the ball.
Lopetegui’s setup this season, with the seemingly immobile Guido Rodriguez starting every game so far – has left many fans scratching their heads, and the midfield is arguably his biggest problem to solve [Andy Townsend, 11 November].
Whether or not the Spaniard will make the changes necessary to recover his side’s form remains to be seen, and if he can’t the 58-year-old’s time in East London could be heading for a premature end.
In other West Ham news, the club’s ‘Academy of Football’ is losing its impact after a shocking Premier League statistic emerged.
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