West Ham United are falling apart - Is Julen Lopetegui really the right man for the job?

Julen Lopetegui's days at West Ham United seem to be numbered, with some fans losing faith in him already. The Spanish manager has managed only 4 points from 5 games, and aside from the points tally—which is less than the number of games played—the team's performances on the field have been abysmal.

The former Real Madrid coach was brought in to replace Premier League great David Moyes, tasked with taking the team to the next level after the Scot made them a regular participant in European club competitions. Lopetegui was expected to deliver the same results but with a more attractive style of play, but so far, neither the desired results nor the football showcased have met expectations.

The team’s performance against a rebuilding Chelsea side, who haven’t been feared in recent years, left much to be desired. The Hammers appeared shapeless on the pitch, with many of the players looking lost. The 3-0 loss to Enzo Maresca’s men has led many to question whether Lopetegui deserves the sack before the situation worsens, in a league where patience is a rare commodity.

Former Aston Villa fan favourite and Gabriel Agbonlahor was extremely disappointed by what he saw in the game, where the Hammers were thoroughly outplayed by the Blues. The 3-0 defeat could have been even more humiliating, had Chelsea been more clinical in front of goal.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor said: "Honestly, the tactics were incredible. You’ve got two centre-backs, you put a midfielder [Edson] Álvarez between them to man-mark Jackson, and he can’t run. For the first goal, I’m watching it and thinking, when is the centre-half going to come over and cover Álvarez? He couldn’t get back, and that was the story of the whole game – strange tactics. If you’re going to try and man-mark a striker with pace, you need a quick player to do it, not someone who can’t run.”

Julen Lopetegui can’t claim he wasn’t supported by his employers. The team he inherited from Moyes already had technically gifted players suited to his style, including Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paquetá, and Jarrod Bowen. Additionally, Lopetegui signed other talented players like midfielder Guido Rodríguez from Real Betis, Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United, and German international striker Niclas Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund, a 2023/24 UEFA Champions League finalist.

Considering the quality of players at his disposal, the poor results and performances we’ve seen so far justify discussions of a possible sacking.

When Füllkrug was fit, Lopetegui often benched him in favour of Michail Antonio, a striker who doesn’t fit the modern, technical football Lopetegui prefers. You don’t sign a striker who scored 19 goals last season just to keep playing the 2024 version of Michail Antonio.

Mohammed Kudus has frequently been deployed as a left winger. While the Ghanaian is versatile and can play across various attacking positions, he is not a natural left winger to be running up and down the flanks. Lopetegui's next two fixtures in the Premier League are relatively easier matches against Brentford and Ipswich. If he fails to secure at least four points from a possible six, it might be time for West Ham to consider a managerial change - before things get even worse.