h716a5.icuWest Ham United are now preparing to axe a star of their first eleven, with manager Julen Lopetegui now personally deciding to be “ruthless” in an effort to save his job.
West Ham seal much-needed 2-1 win over Man United
On Sunday, Lopetegui breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing he bought himself some time, with the Hammers sealing a dramatic 2-1 win over Man United at the London Stadium.
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United spurned many gaping opportunities that afternoon, most notably Diogo Dalot, who was bearing down on an open goal, only to blaze the ball over West Ham’s crossbar for what is surely a contender for miss of the season.
West Ham enjoyed a much better second half compared to the first 45, with Lopetegui making a trio of changes and bringing on Tomas Soucek, Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#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
The Spaniard’s tactical tweaks paid dividends, as fellow substitute Danny Ings provided an assist for Summerville to open the scoring from close range.
The Red Devils did threaten to spoil West Ham’s resurgence through Casemiro’s equaliser just under 10 minutes from full-time, but Jarrod Bowen’s stoppage-time penalty ensured Lopetegui sealed a much-needed win to ease the pressure on his shoulders.
It was seen as a battle of the managers heading into this contest, and Lopetegui ultimately prevailed, with United’s Erik ten Hag officially leaving his post just one day later as INEOS open talks with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.
West Ham’s head coach was crying out for this result, amid calls for Lopetegui to be sacked and claims that star winger Mohammed Kudus was growing frustrated and eyeing the West Ham exit door.
West Ham preparing to axe Lucas Paqueta as Lopetegui makes "ruthless" decision
One of the players to make way during West Ham’s win over United was star midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who was having little affect on the game and hasn’t exactly been at his best lately, amid an ongoing case over alleged spot-fixing.
Now, GiveMeSport are reporting that Lopetegui has personally decided to become “ruthless”, as the former Spain and Real Madrid boss attempts to maintain his position and turn the club’s fortunes around.
The Brazil international, when at his very best, is easily one of West Ham’s world-class crop alongside the likes of Kudus and Jarrod Bowen. Man City attempted an £80 million deal to sign Paqueta in the summer, but ultimately backed off over his FA allegations.
GMS claim that West Ham are preparing to axe Paqueta from the starting line up, ahead of their clash with Nuno Espirito Santo’s in-form Nottingham Forest, with the £150,000-per-week midfielder enduring a very tough time in east London right now.