Two former West Ham men are situated in two of the biggest jobs in world football right now; Michael Carrick at Manchester United and Alvaro Arbeloa at Real Madrid.
As things stand, it is fair to say one stands a better chance than the other of turning his interim contract into a permanent deal.
While Benjamin Sesko snatched a Man United point in the 96th minute at the London Stadium – an ingenious flick which undid so much excellent defensive work – West Ham United remain the only side to give Michael Carrick’s resurgent Red Devils a bloody nose so far.
This lineup is getting three points at the Cottage 🔥
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I like Taty, but I’m not sure he can play up front on his own
A graphic showing the lineup that Hammers News think Nuno Espirito Santo should pick for West Ham United vs Fulham on 02/03/2026.
Credit: GRV Media
Former Hammers right-back Alvaro Arbeloa, in stark contrast to rapturous Carrick’s Old Trafford reception, was the subject of Real Madrid jeers following Monday’s 1-0 Santiago Bernabeu defeat by plucky Getafe.
Ex-West Ham defender Alvaro Arbeloa suffers embarrassing Real Madrid loss
Arbeloa suffered the worst possible start at Madrid. A Copa del Rey loss against second-tier Albacete could hardly have been further removed from Carrick’s masterminding of a dominant derby victory over Manchester City.
On his watch, Los Blancos dropped out of the Champions League top-eight; Antonily Trubin the goalkeeping goalscorer in the dying seconds in Lisbon.
Alvaro Arbeloa Press Conference For Real Madrid - Copa Del Rey
Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images
Successive La Liga losses at the hands of Osasuna and now Getafe, meanwhile, ensure there is a four point gap between Madrid in second and Barcelona in first.
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Considering that Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Iker Casillas and even Cristiano Ronaldo have found themselves staring into a sea of white handkerchiefs in the past – this is not a fanbase afraid to express their displeasure even towards their greatest icons – Xabi Alonso’s successor was never likely to escape the wrath of a furious home crowd.
Arbeloa accepts responsibility as Getafe loss gives Barcelona La Liga advantage
According to Nikola Jurcevic, Slaven Bilic’s right-hand man at West Ham in 2016/17, Arbeloa always had the makings of a future head coach. He made quite the impression on the London Stadium coaching staff, even if his Hammers career amounted to just four appearances before hanging up his gloves.
Not that he will have needed the warning – Arbeloa played nearly 250 games for the Spanish giants before a spell in charge of the reserves – there is a very big difference between a head coach and a Real Madrid head coach.
“There are 36 points left and we have no other objective but to fight for those 36 points. No one is going to throw in the towel,” Arbeloa said after Getafe won at the Bernabeu for the first time in 18 years thanks to a stunning Martin Satriano volley.
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“Four points [to Barcelona] is a distance we believe we can make up. This is Real Madrid and no one is going to give up here.
“I know things look very dark. We know we have a lot to improve but I am not going to question the effort of the players. That we can do things better and it’s my responsibility.”
The whistles were audible when Arbeloa replaced teenage debutant Thiago Pitarch. Now, with the news that Rodrygo will miss most if not all of 2026 with a ruptured ACL, the problems just keep mounting.
“The change was not due to [Pitarch’s] performance. On the contrary,” Arbeloa accepts. “The fans whistled the change, and I accept and understand that.”
According to Diario AS, there are growing doubts at the Bernabeu about whether Arbeloa should even remain in the job until the end of the season. This was always supposed to be a short-term arrangement. Exactly how short, though, may rest on the outcome of Friday’s trip to an impressive Celta Vigo.
Clearly, we cannot all be Michael Carricks.
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