I watched Igor Julio’s first West Ham start vs Bournemouth and here’s what fans can expect
Igor Julio enjoyed a mixed first start for West Ham in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.
West Ham signed Igor on loan from Brighton, with the centre-back appearing extremely happy to join the club.
However, it took him 12 matches to gain his first start for the Hammers, with both Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo not trusting him over Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo.
West Ham raced into a two-goal lead through Callum Wilson, although they were pegged back by a Marcus Tavernier penalty, and Enes Unal’s 82nd-minute strike.
There were positives and negatives to his display, and it’s evident to see that he could have done better for the equaliser.
Igor Julio defensively poor for Enes Unal’s equaliser
Starting in the middle of a back three, Igor was actually left unchallenged for much of the game.
He wasn’t involved in any aerial or ground duels as West Ham surrendered possession to the Cherries for much of the match.
Igor was very easily spun by Enes Unal, who took a brilliant touch before firing past Alphonse Areola.
The Brazilian, who made 10 appearances for Brighton last season, has had quite a unique journey as a footballer.
- RB Salzburg – (2017 – 2019)
- SPAL (2019 – 2020)
- Fiorentina (2020 – 2023)
- Brighton – (2023 – present)
Despite his experience across different countries, he’ll be incredibly disappointed with the way he let the Turkish striker evade him in the box.
However, he showed great signs of promise when dealing with balls into the box, making 11 clearances and three recoveries.
The 27-year-old was part of a defence that had to endure heavy spells of pressure from Bournemouth, and it was certainly a baptism of fire for his starting appearance.
Since he started his career, Igor has ranked among the top one per cent of centre-backs in Europe for blocks ahead of his move to West Ham, but it’s clear that he is much more than a warrior in defence.
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Igor Julio showed positive signs on the ball
The Hammers had 24 per cent possession at the Vitality Stadium and it left Nuno’s side vulnerable on the ball.
Despite registering a pass accuracy of 64 per cent (9/14), Igor looked much more assured on the ball compared to his other centre-backs.
Kilman’s worrying performances for West Ham have left fans questioning if Igor can do a better job at the back, and it’s clear the Brazilian had a better game against the Cherries.
Of course, if Nuno reverts to a back four system, then it would give him a headache on which centre-back to leave out of the side.
Based on evidence from the Bournemouth clash, Igor has a lot of room to improve; however, it feels as if he could slowly become a nailed-on starter for the Hammers.
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