Julen Lopetegui is right – he and West Ham need to do better. This was another bleak display
There were several West Ham United fans still queuing for hot dogs when Cole Palmer scored immediately after half-time. The line on the London Stadium's concourse for beverages was equally long.
The lack of urgency West Ham's defence showed during the 3-0 loss against Chelsea was similar to those supporters who had no desire to return to their seats.
Some of the latter headed for the exit — and who could blame them? Those who stayed booed at the end as they digested another poor display along with their hot dogs. New head coach Julen Lopetegui now has the unenviable record of having presided over three consecutive home defeats at the start of a league season. It's the first time that has happened in West Ham's 120 years-plus history. His side lacked defensive discipline and made costly errors.
"It's a very frustrating day, because we had big expectations for this match," said Lopetegui. "I'll have to review the game but it was a soft way to lose against a team like Chelsea . We suffered two early goals, and we have to do better. We weren't consistent and when you're not (consistent) against these types of teams, you'll only have a few possibilities to win.
"We have to defend better. It's normal (the fans booing), because we lost. They have the right to complain and we know this. The only solution to change is to do better, and that starts with me."
West Ham remain in search of an identity under summer appointment Lopetegui. He is yet to implement a system which plays to the strengths of attacking trio Mohammed Kudus , Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta . His team have managed only six goals in six games across all competitions this season, seven fewer than at the same stage last year under predecessor David Moyes.
Ahead of a run of matches against Liverpool , Brentford , Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur , there are several persisting problems: an over-reliance on Michail Antonio and Bowen to play up front, a porous defence, a weak midfield partnership of new signing Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez , and no clear structure in what West Ham are trying to achieve.
There have been occasions when Lopetegui has gesticulated to a player on the pitch, indicating where he wants them positioned. But that tactical confusion affects the team's ability to build rhythm in the game. Nicolas Jackson had the freedom of Stratford when he broke through to score a fourth-minute opener. His celebration was namesake Michael Jackson's Thriller dance but there was nothing thrilling for those of a West Ham persuasion about Chelsea exploiting the gap in midfield for the Senegal international's second goal 14 minutes later.
Lopetegui's team talk at half-time clearly fell on deaf ears, with Palmer scoring within two minutes of the restart.
Despite a summer spend of £120million on nine new players, the post-Moyes era is yet to really get going.
Although he won the 2022-23 Europa Conference League, West Ham's first major trophy since 1980, Moyes was jettisoned when his contract expired at the end of last season because the board wanted to go in a new direction. The team's playing style was a main issue under the Scotsman. But barring an inspired second-half performance in the 3-1 loss against Manchester City last month, Lopetegui has not shown enough proof he can deliver attractive football with this squad.
Yes, it's still early in the season, but West Ham have conceded first in four of their five league games so far, against Aston Villa , City, Fulham and now Chelsea. They have four points from those matches, six fewer than at the same point in 2023-24. After this game, they have faced 85 shots in the league this season, the third most of any club (behind only Newcastle and Brentford).
Lopetegui handed Crysencio Summerville his first West Ham league start here.
The £25million ($33.3m) summer signing from Leeds of the Championship showed glimpses of his potential in his battle against Wesley Fofana and was denied a penalty when the Chelsea defender grabbed at his arm. On the stroke of half-time, Fofana was booked for fouling Summerville on one of his surging runs, but the Dutch winger did not have the luxury of threatening the centre-back with his pace for much longer.
Nine minutes after the interval, Lopetegui's decision to replace Summerville with Antonio was greeted with boos.
The head coach's reasoning was that West Ham needed to find another attacking option. There was nothing in Antonio's previous appearances this season, starting all four league games, to indicate the 34-year-old is close to reproducing his best form, though.
It does not augur well for Lopetegui that the level of frustration in the stands has heightened so soon.
When Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was Manuel Pellegrini's assistant at West Ham in 2018 and 2019, he was known for being meticulous with his preparation. He was fortunate that examining West Ham's midfield in his pre-match analysis this week would have required little effort. All he had to do was watch the joy Fulham had in exposing Rodriguez and Alvarez's weaknesses last Saturday. They lack pace, have not yet developed an understanding and have now both been hauled off in back-to-back games.
Allowing their fellow midfielder James Ward-Prowse to join Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan looks baffling. Despite his limitations, Ward-Prowse contributed seven goals and 11 assists in his 2023-24 debut season after joining from Southampton . Rodriguez, a free-agent signing after his contract at Pellegrini's Real Betis expired, has endured a slow start in English football and against Chelsea was substituted in the 37th minute for Tomas Soucek .
"It was a tactical change," said Lopetegui of replacing the 30-year-old Argentina international. "A coach taking off a player before half-time is not the fault of the player, but of the coach. It's about me, not Guido. I can do better."
Former England midfielder Joe Cole said on TNT Sports, the game's UK broadcaster, that West Ham could not lay a glove on Chelsea.
Lopetegui will be given time to build West Ham in his image. But if the underwhelming performances continue, his future will be in the spotlight.
. Shock. Surprise. Amazement. (Not)(Top photo: Crystal Pix/MB Media/)
