West Ham are struggling so far this season, sitting 14th in the Premier League after 11 games, winning three, drawing three, and losing five matches.
Julen Lopetegui was hired to take over from David Moyes, tasked with changing the Hammers playing style. However, things haven’t been plain sailing, with their change of identity proving tough to implement alongside getting results.
Their most recent 0-0 draw with Everton may have bought Lopetegui some time, but if their poor form continues, the Hammers could look to make a change in the managerial hot seat.
The key stats under Julen Lopetegui at West Ham
West Ham are currently averaging 45.3% possession this season, an increase from 40.5% possession under Moyes last season. This improvement is one West Ham wanted to see, hiring a more possession-based manager and looking to guide the team in that direction.
Lopetegui’s tactics have also seen an improvement in shots per game, taking 13.5 this season, compared to 11.8 per game last season. Again, this comes from a change in style, having more of the ball, and being able to assert more control in games to pin teams in and get shots off.
Lastly, West Ham have also improved with their shots conceded per 90, still conceding 16.3 shots – the fourth highest in the league. Comparatively, the Hammers conceded 17.2 shots per match under Moyes last term so there has even been a slight improvement in this aspect.
So why have all of these stats have increased, yet West Ham are performing worse, and struggling for results? Well, their pressing hasn’t improved enough. Lopetegui is not known for coaching his pressing structures, but the athleticism of the team and therefore their inability to cover ground is not great.
West Ham’s PPDA (passes per defensive action) last season was 16.3, the third-worst ranking in the Premier League, only ahead of Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest. This tells us West Ham wouldn’t put much pressure on the ball, and allowed teams to move through the thirds far more easily than other sides.
This does not seem to have improved this season under Lopetegui, meaning West Ham are often exploited and played through in their pressing scheme, and this is due to a multitude of reasons, one of which could be solved with a new managerial appointment.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy is the answer
Premier League legend, Ruud van Nistelrooy, recently left Manchester United, having spent the past four games in charge of the Red Devils on an interim basis. During those four games, the Dutchman managed three wins and a draw, averaging 2.50 points per match (PPM).
His other managerial experience in senior management comes from PSV (2022-2023), having taken charge of 50 games, averaging 2.20 PPM, and leading PSV to a double, winning the Dutch Cup, and Dutch Super Cup.
The 48-year-old – who coincidentally played 36 times under former Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini at Malaga and Real Madrid – has been known to deploy a 4-2-3-1, something West Ham had success with at times under Moyes.
However, the former United interim manager favours a slightly more aggressive out-of-possession system, looking to win the ball back quickly, whilst cutting off central penetration, often moving between a 4-2-4 and a 4-4-2 hybrid pressing system.
During the 2022/23 season for PSV, Van Nistelrooy’s side averaged 55.6% of the ball, which was the fourth highest in the Eredivisie, whilst averaging 18.2 shots per game – the third highest in the league and averaging just 10.7 shots against per game, this time the third lowest.
PSV also made 17.7 tackles per 90, the fifth-largest tally in the division, showing their intent to win the ball back, regain control, and hurt teams in transition. Thus, this appointment could help West Ham continue on their quest to control games, bringing in another possession-based coach, but also one who can help their out-of-possession work.
This isn’t just a coaching issue, though. West Ham lack athletes, especially in the middle of the park, so who could Van Nistelrooy bring through to help with this, and are there any internal problem solvers to get him through to January?
Who could benefit from Van Nistelrooy’s appointment
In Van Nistelrooy’s 4-2-3-1 system, the two holding midfielder options would be between three players currently in the West Ham squad, with Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, and Tomas Soucek all familiar with the role.
Alvarez vs Rodriguez & Soucek in 2024/25 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90 mins) | Alvarez | Rodriguez | Soucek |
Goals | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.23 |
Progressive Carries | 0.89 | 0.22 | 0.27 |
Progressive Passes | 3.78 | 2.70 | 3.70 |
Passes Attempted | 51.3 | 44.2 | 35.6 |
Pass Completion % | 85.3% | 82.7% | 80.4% |
Passes into Final Third | 4.44 | 3.26 | 3.15 |
Tackles | 2.44 | 2.81 | 1.92 |
Blocks | 1.56 | 1.69 | 1.10 |
Interceptions | 1.67 | 1.09 | 1.16 |
Aerial Duels Won | 1.33 | 0.79 | 4.11 |
Stats taken from FBref |
When comparing the metrics of those midfield options above, Alvarez seems to offer the most overall, making the most progressive actions, the most passes, the highest pass completion, and still putting in high defensive actions (most interceptions, second most tackles + blocks behind Rodriguez).
To add athleticism in the middle of the park, 18-year-old midfielder, Lewis Orford could be introduced under Van Nistelrooy, who has been compared to Declan Rice in the past by journalist John Brewin. By adding a more mobile midfielder to the squad, West Ham would be able to better implement their press, especially when going man for man in central areas.
It would, of course, be a risk to appoint the former United striker having only really managed PSV, before taking the assistant manager role at Old Trafford, only to get four games as interim boss before leaving the club.
That said, the risk/reward could be worth it in order for West Ham to fully complete their identity rebrand under a new and exciting coach, who is already well respected in the league.
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