West Ham United claimed their first-ever point away to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, but the pressure is mounting on Julen Lopetegui’s back.
The fact that fans are ruefully casting gazes back to David Moyes serves as a good yardstick to determine the Spaniard’s start, for Moyes was near-universally driven to the exit after West Ham fizzled out like a disappointing firework.
The Scotsman’s illustrious success was swallowed and superseded by the gloomy pragmaticism that rankled fans. Look at Mohammed Kudus; look at Jarrod Bowen – and Lucas Paqueta, too. These are players fit for purpose in a slick and stylish system, and Moyes did not bring that to the table. The timing was right for him to leave at the expiry of his contract in May.
But Lopetegui’s start has been limp and lacklustre. His firework isn’t in danger of fizzling out given that it hasn’t yet flickered and ignited.
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Tomas Soucek bailed the Hammers out at Brentford, netting after an (admittedly) wonderful team move after the interval to cancel out Bryan Mbeumo’s early goal. West Ham’s new-found spark quickly tapered off, however, and a draw was claimed to lift the club from four points to five, now with six games played.
Who was culpable for another stodgy showing? Guido Rodriguez certainly didn’t produce the right kind of performance.
Guido Rodriguez's performance vs Brentford
The pace of the Premier League is a beast that claims many a hopeful arrival, and Rodriguez, who is aged 30, needs to bring himself up to speed with haste.
He’s a talented passer and a tenacious defensive option in the centre of midfield, but Rodriguez lacks mobility and roving athleticism, having failed to complete a dribble across each of his past four league matches, as per Sofascore.
He’s started all six of West Ham’s Premier League fixtures at the heart of the field but has left plenty to be desired. Edson Alvarez’s poor start to the season has compounded this, with the Mexican also starting just two times in midfield thus far.
Rodriguez showcased some sharp defending against the Bees, winning seven of his ten contested duels and making four tackles and seven interceptions, but he also looked sluggish and was not quick enough in sweeping forward balls on the transition.
The Evening Standard certainly weren’t impressed with the Argentine’s efforts, awarding him only a 5/10 match rating and writing: ‘Has not proven a shrewd signing as yet. Another difficult afternoon for the Argentine.’
16th
Bournemouth
5
9
17th
Southampton
5
9
18th
Leicester City
6
8
19th
Wolverhampton Wanderers
6
8
20th
West Ham United
6
5
Five big chances created across six games are dismal and point toward a tactical plan that has not settled in at all so far. Rodriguez is not a playmaker but his lack of authority and enterprise in the middle of the pitch has contributed to the issues, and it might now be time for change.
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Rodriguez's potential replacement at West Ham
Andy Irving has already earned something of a cult status at the London Stadium despite having only played 31 minutes of football this season – spread across three cameos.
The 24-year-old earned the Man of the Match award as West Ham defeated Dagenham & Redbridge in July, a pre-season fixture. It was a performance that showcased his composure and cultured approach, with a ball-playing game that could make a real difference for the Irons throughout the campaign.
He’d previously claimed an assist against Hungarian side Ferencvaros, and after Lopetegui’s poor start to life in London, could now find himself lined up for an unlikely starting berth, potentially even ahead of new arrival Carlos Soler.
A nomadic footballer – walking the path less trodden, to say the least – Irving found a home in Austria with SK Austria Klagenfurt after leaving Turkey in 2022, and chalked up 64 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, scoring 16 goals and adding 14 assists.
He was excellent last season, posting nine goals across 23 league starts, averaging 1.2 key passes, 1.8 tackles, 4.4 ball recoveries and 4.8 successful duels per game, emphasising a robustness and rounded skillset that could bear dividends for a West Ham side that appears to move at a glacial pace at times.
West Ham signed him for a small fee of just £1.6m last summer, and he returned on loan to Austria for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign – a decision which proved auspicious as he enjoyed arguably his finest career term to date.
The clip just above highlights his ball-playing ability, chipping the ball through for Nayef Aguerd to finish during pre-season, and underscores the dimension that would be added from midfield, for his nine-goal return last year shows that he can find the back of the net himself too.
It’s admittedly a shallow data pool but Irving has completed all 31 passes he has attempted in competitive fixtures for West Ham, further highlighting the technical skill that could partner his avidity, desperate to make his mark and prove the doubters wrong.
Rodriguez is more experienced and industrious from a deep-sitting standpoint, sure, but his role in Lopetegui’s system is proving counterproductive at the moment, and given that the forthcoming Premier League fixture at home to Ipswich Town is a must-win, change might be worthwhile.
West Ham see "quality" £23m forward as "key" possible signing for Lopetegui
The Hammers think he’s a great option.
ByEmilio Galantini