The curious deployment of [West Ham](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-united-v-wolves-lineup-announced-big-calls-made/)‘s midfield and front line will be under renewed scrutiny against Brighton on Saturday. Last week when the squad was announced for the Bournemouth game I remember typing as I relayed Lopetegui’s starting XI something like ‘_can we not just play our strongest eleven players in their best positions?’_
Indeed, Lopetegui makes it hard for himself sometimes. [Paquetá](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-coaching-failure-means-talented-trio-of-brazilians-missing/) was started on the right with Mohammed Kudus on the left. Why? Both players actually performed far better under Lopetegui’s predecessor in the _opposite positions_ – Paquetá creating a good relationship with Emerson on the left and Kudus – well, just being Kudus and looking a world-beater either centrally or on the right.
There is another banana skin waiting for Lopetegui on Saturday as Carlos Soler is suspended for the game. He can either do the ‘obvious’ thing and use Paquetá centrally instead of Soler, with left wing specialist Summerville on the left (surprise, surprise..) and Kudus on the right if he wants to use Bowen again as a striker……
Or he can come up with some weird and wacky solution involving Guido Rodriguez being recalled to the centre of midfield and stick Paqueta out right again. Which will be doomed to failure.
Lopetegui professed to have ‘studied’ West Ham for months before coming to present his plans to David Sullivan at his interview. Was he watching a mirror-image youtube video I wonder? I’ll say it again, _can West Ham just play their strongest eleven in their best positions please_?
There is real talent in the team, if only Lopetegui would stop meddling and trying to re-invent the wheel.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’ll be sweating on the starting eleven on Saturday just hoping for a bit of simplicity. There’s a tinge of optimism in the air, let’s not crush it by the stubborn deployment of players out of position, as if the head coach is trying to prove he’s been right all along.
It is like driving a new car with the handbrake on and then complaining that it isn’t working like it should be.