West Ham: All words and no action will spell the end of Julen Lopetegui | OneFootball

Not for the first time, the Hammers proved generous opposition

West Ham’s defensive disasterclass played so perfectly into Liverpool’s hands that Mohamed Salah scored once and assisted twice in a 5-0 win and still spoke of being “disappointed” at not having taken more of his chances.

An evening to forget for West Ham, for their supporters, and for their manager, who said he believes Liverpool to be the best team on the planet in their current state.

Julen Lopetegui did also admit that his team “have a lot of things to learn in these types of matches.”

When asked which specific details he was referring to, the Spaniard did not divulge, but there is one trope across Lopetegui’s first half-season in charge which must be addressed and soon.

Liverpool’s three first-half goals all came within a 14-minute period of crushing dominance from the Reds. It was not the first time this has happened.

Familiar goal glut against West Ham

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This propensity to collapse in on themselves and concede a host of goals in a short space of time has already caused the Hammers issues this season. It will continue too if Lopetegui keeps tinkering rather than selecting a steady line-up, for which both the manager and players, who are picking up needless suspensions, are at fault for.

West Ham conceded twice to Liverpool in stoppage time in their 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat in September, while Arsenal scored three goals in just nine minutes during a 5-2 victory at the London Stadium in late November.

A month earlier, Tottenham scored three in eight minutes at the beginning of the second half, during which time Heung-min Son also hit the woodwork.

We have to change these types of matches, because it’s not the first. Arsenal, the first half. Chelsea. Tottenham, second half

Carlos Soler

“For sure, we are concerned about this,” Lopetegui said at the time. After the battering to Liverpool, he again addressed the need to clamp down on such prolific purple patches for the opposition.

West Ham have conceded three or more goals on eight separate occasions already this season.

Reminded of this, their manager said: “We are worried about this. We can and we have to do better. We didn’t deserve more.”

Midfielder Carlos Soler, as absent as any of his team-mates on the day, was accepting of the fact West Ham had left perhaps their worst showing of the year for their final match of 2024.

Action Images via Reuters

“It was a very poor performance,” he said. “They won the match 5-0 but could have scored more goals.

“We have to change these types of matches, because it’s not the first. Arsenal, the first half. Chelsea. Tottenham, second half. We have to change this.

“A lot of [Liverpool] players turned and went directly to our goal. [There was] no pressure on them. Sorry to our fans for this match.”

As concerning as the worst of West Ham’s defending was the complete resignation with which they confronted the second half. The lack of pressure Soler referred to allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to score from range and Salah to assist Diogo Jota for goals four and five.

Lopetegui is safe in his job — West Ham having produced four positive results before this thrashing — but heavy defeats kill morale and will ultimately bring his tenure to an end if they continue.