This photo shoot in Christmas jumpers is all very jovial at first sight. West Ham United’s trio of Brazilians, Luis Guilherme, Lucas Paquetá and Emerson Palmieri pictured in festive gear for the club shop web site. And firstly, I was quite proud. But then, I was quite angry.
How far have “little ol’ West Ham” come, since they used to be everybody’s favourite second team. Now we have three Brazilians in our squad, along with a host of full internationals from across the world. (Ok So Emerson was Born in Brazil even though he has Italian nationality, before somebody pipes up with a snidey comment to that effect).
Emerson is suspended – and I cannot blame that on the head coach – but two of them will not be in the starting eleven on Monday night and that is a travesty, a huge failing by West Ham’s coaching team who in my opinion are falling woefully short on bringing out the best of the talent in these two stars.
Most Read on West Ham News
And therefore failing the club that employs them, and every fan who supports the club.
Luis Guilherme – bought for £25 million and an incredibly talented teenager sits on the bench (if he’s lucky) getting no game time whatsoever simply because he was a Steidten pick and not Lopetegui’s choice. Massive Coaching fail.
Lucas Paquetá gifts the ball away now and is a shadow of his former self whist he awaits his FA enquiry. The last time Lopetegui summoned him from the bench, he didn’t even pass on words of encouragement or advice to his player but stood as far away as he could physically get from Paqueta, ignoring him, at the other end of his technical area.
They’re obviously not speaking. Massive coaching fail.
For different reasons, these two hugely talented Brazilians need encouragement, an arm around their shoulders and a head coach who will fight for them, give them advice, encouragement and yes, occasionally, and boot them up the backside. Not ignore them.
They look as if they’ve both been abandoned. And that, on its own, is reason enough to send Lopetegui packing.
I have highlighted these two but we all hear of plenty of other squad members he’s “fallen out with”.
This kind of petty politics proves that managing a Premier League squad and coaching, cajoling, and coaxing the best out of his diverse squad is simply beyond him. No matter how many more ‘must-win’ games he is given.