DEAL CONFIRMED:West Ham United confirm the return of former key player
The pressure is on Julen Lopetegui at West Ham and tensions are clearly running high after a game at Brentford with plenty of subplots.
In normal circumstances a draw away at Brentford is not the worst result in the world for West Ham.
But Julen Lopetegui does not find himself in normal circumstances with the Hammers.
The pressure was already on the Spaniard after succeeding David Moyes at West Ham.
Whatever your opinion of Moyes, he conceded himself it was time for a parting of the ways by the end.
However he was still the club’s most successful manager of modern times.
And in that regard he’ll be a tough act to follow for Lopetegui.
Improving the style of football, though, should have been the easiest bit.
There have been glimpses of progress on that score. West Ham do play out from the back more and have higher possession and passing stats than the average under Moyes.
But in terms of an identity and being an exciting team to watch, Lopetegui has plenty of work to do.
His biggest failing so far is arguably up front where West Ham have a host of attacking talent yet have created the fewest ‘big chances’ in the Premier League so far.
One win in six league games has piled early pressure on Lopetegui. As have some of his bemusing team selections and substitutions.
‘Kudus enraged after being singled out by Lopetegui’
The latest of which came at Brentford on Saturday.
The Hammers were poor again in the first half. But Mohammed Kudus was one of the team’s bright sparks as he looked to try and make things happen.
Yet he was hauled off at half-time, a move Lopetegui confirmed was a ‘tactical decision’.
Lopetegui also suggested the move benefitted the team in the second half.
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