Julen Lopetegui has now started his tenure as West Ham United‘s head coach with three successive home defeats in the Premier League. Chelsea were too slick, too potent, and put three past the Irons with a breeze.
There is much to do. Nicolas Jackson ran riot against the hosts’ beleaguered backline and Lopetegui must now rally his troops for the week ahead – West Ham travel to Anfield for the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before taking on Brentford in west London next weekend.
It’s hard to find flashes of optimism from such a lifeless performance. The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas said that it was a display from a team with “no identity” that “keeps conceding silly goals”.
There were a host of poor performances, but the man who was withdrawn a little over half an hour is probably the pick of the rotten bunch.
Guido Rodriguez’s performance vs Chelsea
West Ham signed Guido Rodriguez on a free transfer this summer after the expiry of his contract with Real Betis in Spain. The 30-year-old has looked sufficient throughout his opening matches on English soil but was torn to shreds in east London this afternoon.
GIVEMESPORT branded the Argentine with a woeful 2/10 match rating, writing: ‘Couldn’t live with the Chelsea midfield in the opening half an hour as the game ran away from the Hammers. Was pulled off in the 38th minute by Lopetegui for a more dominant and physical player in Soucek.’
Rodriguez’s discernible lack of pace and mobility was exploited by Enzo Maresca‘s men, whose ball-playing system and fast, multi-functional attacking outlets managed to overpower the midfielder and his Iron confreres.
He wasn’t the only one to struggle against the Blues tide, however, with Edson Alvarez possibly enduring an even more wretched affair. The Mexico international lasted beyond the interval, but not much longer…
Edson Alvarez’s performance vs Chelsea
Alvarez sat deeper than usual against Chelsea, playing just in front of the backline and doing so with a whimper. He was withdrawn for the more enterprising Carlos Soler after just 54 minutes.
GIVEMESPORT were more generous in their rating of the 26-year-old, handing him a 4/10 and commenting: ‘Had a nightmare start to the game alongside Rodriguez as the hosts’ midfield was torn apart at will. Put in a slightly more solid and assured performance in the second period, but the damage had already been done.’
Edson Alvarez & Guido Rodriguez vs Chelsea | ||
|---|---|---|
Match Stats | Alvarez | Rodriguez |
Minutes played | 54′ | 38′ |
Touches | 45 | 28 |
Shots (on target) | 1 (0) | 0 (0) |
Accurate passes | 38/41 (93%) | 20/24 (83%) |
Key passes | 1 | 0 |
Dribbles (completed) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
Tackles | 1 | 2 |
Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
Total duels (won) | 5 (2) | 3 (2) |
Dribbled past | 1x | 0x |
Booking | 1 | 0 |
Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see, neither imposed themselves on the affair nor did they showcase the kind of robust athleticism that Lopetegui’s team needs to operate effectively.
Journalist Jacob Steinberg even said that Alvarez is “overrated”, noting that he is apt for a booking and caught out of possession with alarming regularity.
Let’s be candid. Lopetegui has his work cut out. West Ham spent in excess of £120m throughout the summer and the Spaniard inherited a team as talented as any at the club over the past few decades.
These players have not staked their case for a starting berth in the fixture ahead against Liverpool. With Lucas Paqueta, Soler, Tomas Soucek and Andy Irving all capable in deep-sitting midfield roles, it’s time for a change.
