West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui will be unable to call upon one of his so-called best players for our clash with Southampton.
Julen Lopetegui is under real pressure in his role at West Ham right now, with Graham Potter said to be lined up to replace him.
It has been claimed that the Spaniard could be sacked if we fail to beat Southampton on Boxing Day.
Lopetegui hasn’t performed well enough since moving to the London Stadium, it’s as simple as that.
He is still yet to implement a footballing identity at the club , and he’s six months into the job!
Lopetegui quite clearly needs a win against Southampton next week, and I think he’s just been handed a real blessing in disguise on a plate.
One of West Ham’s best players will miss Southampton clash
The Hammers face a huge game against the Saints on Boxing Day.
Nothing less than three points will do, if we are to have any chance whatsoever of chasing down the European spots.
Mohammed Kudus celebrates with Lucas Paqueta, Vladimír Coufal, Jarred Bowen, Tomas Soucek, after scoring a goal during the Premier League match bet...
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
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Lucas Paqueta is banned for the game, after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Brighton on Saturday.
However, rather than be a blow for West Ham, I believe the Brazilian’s absence will be a blessing in disguise for us.
Carlos Soler will come back into the side, and I feel like the Spaniard has been much better than Paqueta.
The 27-year-old former Lyon man has been miles off the pace this season.
He has his off-field problems, sure, but that’s no excuse.
If his head isn’t in it, he shouldn’t be playing, end of story.
Lucas Paqueta has been a liability for West Ham this season, and the fact that he’s unavailable for our game against Southampton might just give us a better chance of winning.
Soler keeps the ball far better than Paqueta, and he makes us tick in a more consistent manner.
I truly believe that we are a better team without Paqueta now, as incredible as that sounds.
And I’m convinced that the Southampton vs West Ham Boxing Day clash will prove that.
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