Julen Lopetegui's arrival in May was anticipated to herald a fresh chapter at West Ham. There was a widespread belief that David Moyes had taken the club as far as he could, with the defensive-minded football becoming monotonous, despite securing a European trophy. Last season, West Ham had the fourth-lowest possession average (40.5%) in the Premier League, relying heavily on counterattacks to exploit spaces left by advancing opponents. They scored the joint-most counterattacking goals (nine), and only 22% of their attacks were through the middle, the lowest in the top tier, as they focused on utilizing the wide players in Moyes's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Under Lopetegui, the objective is to maintain possession and circulate the ball to reduce the chances conceded. West Ham's possession average has increased to 45.3%, but they remain vulnerable. The average number of shots conceded per game has slightly decreased from 17.2 to 16.3, but with an expected goals against total of 22.12 after 11 games, they are on track to match last season's 76.48 xGA. They have secured only three league wins, including against promoted Ipswich and a struggling Manchester United, who dismissed Erik ten Hag two days later.
Fans are frustrated as West Ham invested heavily in the summer to build a squad capable of consistent performance under Lopetegui. These were not just squad fillers but players expected to elevate the club. However, there is no clear sign of improvement, and the team has conceded 19 goals, just two fewer than bottom-placed Southampton. System changes have not yielded positive results, especially when Lopetegui appeared to have a breakthrough moment. He often favored the 4-2-3-1 formation but switched to a three-man defense after commendable results, leading to 3-0 defeats by Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
Inconsistency in team selection has also hindered progress. While it will take time for West Ham to adapt to a new head coach with a different approach, Lopetegui has only two games—at Newcastle and against Arsenal—to save his job after a dismal 0-0 draw with Everton. The break provided a chance for Lopetegui to reinforce the basics on the training pitch and turn their fortunes around. Supporters would be more patient if there were signs of change.
Discipline issues reflect player frustration, with West Ham ranking second for fouls per game (13), eighth for yellow cards (27), and second for red cards (two). Whether this is due to tactics or results remains unclear, but West Ham are struggling to defend and create chances: they have scored 13 goals, one fewer than promoted Leicester, and created only 17 big chances, the third-lowest, with Everton (16) and Southampton (15) creating fewer.
Lopetegui is familiar with short tenures, having lasted 10 weeks at Real Madrid in 2018 and nine months at Molineux. Another early exit could be on the horizon.
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