One player’s West Ham United career is hanging in the balance right now it seems.
Julen Lopetegui is somehow still in charge of West Ham, and he has some big decisions to make for our clash with Bournemouth on Monday.
If Lopetegui doesn’t guide the Hammers to a win, or a draw and a good performance at the very least, there’s a very good chance that he will be sacked.
So with that in mind, the Spaniard has to get his setup and tactics absolutely spot on down on the south coast on Monday night.
There are a few selection dilemmas for Lopetegui.
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui during the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at London Stadium...
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Does he persist with Jarrod Bowen through the middle as a lone striker? Does he bring Lucas Paqueta back into the starting XI?
However, the biggest conundrum he faces concerns a selection problem in defence.
Vladimir Coufal could be finished at West Ham
West Ham signed Vladimir Coufal from Slavia Prague in October 2020, and he has been nothing other than a consummate professional for us ever since.
He has played 165 games for the Hammers (Transfermarkt), but I just can’t see him making many more appearances for us.
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There is no room for sentiment in elite level sport.
And the simple fact of the matter is that Coufal just isn’t good enough to be playing Premier League football anymore.
The 32-year-old has regressed badly over the past 18 months or so.
Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United celebrates scoring his team's first goal from the penalty spot with teammates Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek aft...
Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
And Lopetegui’s team selection for the clash with Bournemouth could well be the death knell for the Czech Republic international’s Hammers career.
With Emerson Palmieri suspended, Lopetegui will probably opt to play Aaron Wan-Bissaka at left-back – something he’s done on numerous occasions already this season.
And if he decides to do that again, he may well play Konstantinos Mavropanos in the right-back role. Lopetegui used the Greece international in that position in the second-half during our 1-1 draw with Brentford in October.
If that is how Julen Lopetegui lines up, Vladimir Coufal will surely realise that his West Ham career is over.
On the flip-side through, if Coufal does get the nod, there may well be some life left in him at the London Stadium.
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