West Ham United

James Jones
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I have been relatively tolerant of West Ham's frustrating and inconsistent start to the season, but Saturday's 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest left me struggling to find any more excuses for Julen Lopetegui.

Previously I have accepted that we are in a transitional season, with many factors at play that would make a difficult start to the season understandable; a new manager, a new style of play, nine new players to be integrated and a new club captain.

There has been a lot of change, so I was accepting of the fact things were not really going the way we hoped they would. I was still hopeful that things would eventually improve if Lopetegui was given time and space to get on with the job at hand.

Some of that is still true, to an extent. It is perhaps still too early to say it is definitely not going to work. However, the last week has probably been the biggest indication yet that it might not.

In the second half against Manchester United, we were a lot better, more balanced and more threatening in front of goal. It felt like Lopetegui had stumbled across his best XI and that would be the group of players he would opt to start against Forest.

But he rang the changes again, including the formation. Against United it was a 4-2-3-1, but against Forest he went with a back five. The last time he did that we lost to Chelsea 3-0 in what was arguably the most shambolic performance of the season so far. Saturday was a repeat.

It just does not make sense. He keeps calling for consistency but fails to remain consistent in his team selection or tactics.

On top of that, the players seem to be really frustrated with it. We have had three red cards already this season, all of them coming from players either losing their heads out of frustration or making stupid, avoidable tackles.

Like I said, I think it is probably still too early to pull the trigger but at the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the reasons why the club (and fans) should remain patient.

Things have to change and Lopetegui making fewer changes each week might just be the way he achieves more success. If not, it will be him being replaced next.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

David Moyes believes his successor as West Ham manager, Julen Lopetegui, needs to be given time to "settle things down" after some difficult results in the early part of his spell in charge.

In their past four Premier League games, the Hammers have beaten Ipswich and Manchester United at home, but have lost away games 4-1 and 3-0 to Tottenham and Nottingham Forest respectively.

"I had a few defeats where we lost heavily at different times, so it happens for all managers," Moyes told the BBC's Football Daily podcast.

"I think the new manager coming in needs time and to be given that opportunity to set things the way he wants them to happen.

"They look as if they're a bit more open than they've been before and more liable possibly to concede. But they're desperately trying to score more goals as well.

"This time last year, I think we'd played about five or six more games than what they have just now, because we had the European competition to compete with as well. So the players there should be much fresher, bigger energy, showing that.

"But I just think that the manager needs to be given an opportunity, a bit of time to settle things down. Sometimes players need to perform as well, they need to step up and show what they're about. I'm sure a few of them can play better and show the manager exactly what they can do."

Listen to more analysis of the weekend's action on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Nottingham Forest fans:

Luke: Without question the best win of our time in the Premier League. So much freedom and confidence in the team, it’s hard to not get carried away with where this season may take us. Must be tempered with the reality that West Ham were awful, but maybe it was us that made them look that bad? Can’t wait until the next game!

Matt: We’re a totally transformed team from our first 2 seasons back in the Premier League. Cohesion at the back, a threat at going forward. Still early days but to be third from top instead of third from bottom is something else! Nuno has worked extremely hard with these players and is getting the rewards! Three wins on the bounce!

Kris: Forest were irresistible, the back four immense with Moreno and Aina creating and scoring goals. Wood is thriving under Nuno and Anderson came on to show everyone why losing MGW wasn’t the blow it could have been. Third in the league…it’s like the Clough years are back on Trentside!

Ken: Contenders. City, and Arsenal definitely beatable and we've already beaten Liverpool on their own pitch and drawn with Chelsea. We have one of the most talented squads in the league, with excellent quality cover for every position and a truly superb coach at long last. If Leicester can do it, why can't we? Let's see how far we go! No fear.

West Ham fans:

Liam: I was there. We were hopeless. The body language of the players said it all. No communication, no pace, no plan and no desire. Manager will soon run out of time. Forest were everything we were not so fair play to them. Ten men or not, I suspect the result would have been the same.

Joe: The rhetoric will be the mistake was to get rid of Moyes. Wrong, the mistake was hiring Lopetegui. It's 12 competitive games now and I am still no clearer on what his style of play is or what his strongest team is. He’s clueless and the players are clearly not playing for him - Alvarez red and our constant capitulations when going behind are clear examples.

Matthew: Same old West Ham. No energy, no desire to get the ball forward and a real lack of cohesion appearing in the increasing cracks within our squad. Paqueta looks like he doesn't want to play for us anymore, we'll never get a goal at the City Ground and Chris Wood will keep on scoring against us till he's 49!

Roger: After 10 games there has been no discerning improvement. The strategy is lacking as is an absence of in-match tactics. The team are vulnerable at the back and the midfield absent at critical phases of the game. I can’t see that things are going to improve while Lopetegui remains.

Arsenal are lining up 24-year-old West Ham United and Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus as a £90m replacement for 29-year-old Belgium forward Leandro Trossard, who is being targeted by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. (Mirror), external

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is under increasing pressure of an early exit, after being told by the club that results must improve. (Times - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 2-1 Brighton

• Wolves 2-2 Crystal Palace

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West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has been speaking about Edson Alvarez's red card in today's loss to Nottingham Forest: "It was one contact we felt was not dangerous because we had a lot of players in our box.

"The little details in the Premier League are key, the big details are much more key, we have to improve in this kind of decision for sure. He knows.

"It is not a moment to talk about one player. I am responsible in front of all of them, we have to use this bad moment in the dressing room to push us forward, looking at the next challenge.

"It's not a moment to say, 'your fault, your fault', it is a moment to stay together. The players know they can choose better and they have to do better in this moment."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Nottingham Forest’s performance, external

What did you make of West Ham’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 10 he takes on The Piano TV series winner Brad Kella.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

West Ham got a good result against Manchester United last week which will have done them a lot of good, but I still feel they were fortunate to win that game.

I'm not talking about their late penalty that gave them victory, more the fact United should have been out of sight by half-time. So, am I convinced the Hammers have turned things round under Julen Lopetegui? No, not at all.

In contrast, Nottingham Forest are flying and I really like the way they are playing this season - they have a nice balance to their team.

I was born in Nottingham and used to support Forest as a kid and, the way they are playing, I am going to go back to supporting them.

You can call me a fair weather fan if you want, but I like forests – I am a big fan of Sherwood on iPlayer too – and I like woods too, especially Chris Wood.

The 'Wood-chopper' is one of the most underrated strikers of the Premier League era. I am backing him to score again, and Forest to win again.

Brad's prediction: 1-0

Forest are doing well and they should win this.

Read the full predictions and have your say

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Newcastle v Arsenal - 12:30

• Bournemouth v Manchester City

• Ipswich v Leicester

• Liverpool v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v West Ham

• Southampton v Everton

• Wolves v Crystal Palace - 17:30 - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction

Werrda Ali
BBC Sport researcher

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On squad fitness: "Unfortunately [Niclas] Fullkrug is not ready to play. He's working on his recovery. We don't have a clear date when he will be back. He's trying to recover with the help of medical staff. He's out, definitely."

• On facing Nottingham Forest: "Very tough, in my opinion they are playing and competing very well. They have very good, strong and physical players. They have a good coach and very clear ideas. That's why they have 16 points and have had a brilliant start and they were able to win against Liverpool and more matches."

• He added: "The demand in the match is going to be very, very high and we have to be ready. I can ensure it is going to be a strong and difficult challenge for us. We are ready to go to Nottingham. The most important thing isn't the place, it is the match and the opponent."

• When asked about the formation he plans to use, he said: "Each match is different. We decide what is best for us. Let's see what we do in this match. Our choices aren't the most important thing. It's also the behaviour of the players I put on the pitch, but not only in the line-up, the players on the bench, they are key. We have to be ready, all of us."

• On whether Crysencio Summerville could start: "I am not going to talk about individual players or the line-up for the next match, so let's see. We have different situations and players to choose, so we are going to pick a team that is going to help us more to be able to compete because they demand a lot, so we have to be ready."

• On the team's energy following their win against Manchester United: "You can't stay thinking about the past. Football is quick and it's been a short week for us. We forgot the last match. We have to be ready for the next challenge. Sometimes when you lose you have to keep positive, you have to improve. It's the same this week. I always want to win. We are more happy when we win."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Saturday's game at the City Ground will be the first time West Ham United have played a Premier League game outside of London this season.

West Ham will struggle to progress their interest in Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman, 27, with Paris St-Germain favourites to sign the Nigeria international if he becomes available. (Football Insider), external

West Ham's decision not to appoint Ruben Amorim in the summer was down to his lack of experience in managing a big club, rather than a financial one. (Daily Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

West Ham United are unlikely to have any money to spend in the January transfer window. (Football Insider), external

Want more gossip? Read Wednesday's full column

James Jones
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

Crysencio Summerville scored his first goal for West Ham on Sunday and his post-match comments should put to bed any suggestions that Julen Lopetegui has lost the dressing room.

One of the key narratives surrounding Lopetegui's tough start to life at the club has been that the players have lost trust and patience in the Spaniard and his ideas. It is often one of the first things people point towards during a difficult run of results, so it is no real surprise it has been suggested by some corners of the fanbase that it is "obvious" they do not like the new boss.

But Summerville's comments point to the complete opposite. He said: "I think this group is fantastic, and we all want to play for each other."

He did not say anything about Lopetegui directly, granted, but a player does not say something like that if it is not true. The sheer nature of his goal celebration, where he ran to the bench to celebrate with the suspended Mohammed Kudus, shows there are proper relationships within the squad and that these players care for each other. If there is care for each other, there is care for the team and its fortunes.

Lopetegui has found it hard to impose a working system onto this group of players so far but the victory over Manchester United, particularly in the second half, suggested he is getting closer to. It has taken longer than anyone would have liked, not least Lopetegui himself, but signs of something clicking is all we have wanted to see to this point.

The evidence now is whether they can follow that second half on Sunday up with a similar showing against an in-form Nottingham Forest next weekend and then at home to struggling Everton the week after. Maximum points from those two games will take West Ham up into the top 10 and should put all the negativity to bed.

Summerville's comments after the game show that the players are invested in whatever Lopetegui is trying to do. If they were not, they would not be so open about wanting each other to do well.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

There was late drama...

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And late drama...

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And late drama...

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Sometimes you just can't escape it.

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There were returns to goalscoring ways...

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And goalscoring partnerships...

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While sometimes the spoils just have to be shared...

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And after a busy day at work, sometimes you just need a lie down.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between West Ham and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

James: I think we were lucky to win that one. Manchester United should have had us dead and buried by half-time. We were much better in the second half though. I'm delighted for Summerville getting his first goal, hopefully the first of many. I don't think it was a penalty, if I'm honest, and any team would be unhappy if that was given against them.

Mick: After 15 minutes, the question was: how many would Manchester United score? West Ham didn't have a defence! A total shambles. We were slower everywhere and had no fight and no ideas. Absolutely shocking. A team that can't defend against a team that can't score, what a joke! The changes helped - Summerville needs to start now and Antonio should be benched. We were very lucky.

Martyn: Relegation beckons, it's a reality. We can't even score enough goals on this rare occasion where we dominated. We are still too slow and ponder our build up, allowing the opposition to regroup and reorganise.

David: Papering over the cracks. We made a very poor Manchester United look like Brazil. Lopetegui can't carry on like this with no pace in midfield. Summerville has to start games now that Kudus is unavailable. I still think Lopetegui was the wrong choice and he is definitely still on borrowed time. He is certainly no improvement on David Moyes.

Man Utd fans

Steve: Another poor performance where we simply cannot get the ball in the net! The team selection was baffling. We spent £50m on a replacement for Casemiro and then we bench him, after a great midweek performance, in favour of Casemiro! Mazraoui at left-back and Dalot to right-back, why swap them? Top four is another planet for us under Erik ten Hag. It keeps getting worse.

Josh: Quite clearly not a penalty, but we are all used to VAR being utterly pointless now. However, United cannot use the official's error to mask their incompetence in front of goal. Ten Hag can't put the ball in the net for the players so they have to take the blame for their ineptitude, but he will probably lose his job because of it.

Charlie: United should have been out of sight by half-time. We have two centre forwards who are supposed to be goalscorers but, to be honest, it was money wasted. We are so slow playing out of defence - we pass, pass, pass across the pitch. It is the same old routine every game and it so easy for other teams to read. The tactics are all wrong, all because of the manager.

Rob: This is the third time I have called for Erik ten Hag to be sacked. What are the hierarchy waiting for? We are now three places off the relegation zone. If they don't put this wrong right now, be it on their heads! I have supported Manchester United for 50-plus years and this is the most frustrated I have ever been. The players need trimming and shaking up too.

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Former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock spoke to BBC Match of the Day about Julen Loptegui's tactical tweak at half time in West Ham's victory against Manchester United:

"One of the players who struggled in the first half was Edson Alvarez. He struggled because of the pace of the game and Manchester United's movement in midfield.

"He got a little bit lost in positions at times. It's very clear that his job was to keep an eye on Bruno Fernandes.

"He [Loptegui] made the changes at half time and Edson Alvarez finds himself in the centre of the back three. He puts Emerson and [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka as his wing-backs and this changes the way West Ham can press and how they can get out from Manchester United's press.

"It was a really positive change from Lopetegui to alter the game. In the first half, they [Man Utd] created lots of opportunities. In the second half, when you've got five men behind the ball, it became one of them situations when Bruno Fernandes was taking pot shots from outside the box. As a defender, you're absolutely delighted about that."

Watch the full analysis of the match here

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Will Sunday's win against Manchester United be a turning point for West Ham?

It has been a difficult start to the season for new boss Julen Lopetegui but the home victory means they have 11 points from nine games and sit above United in 13th.

"You hope so," said former Hammers midfielder Nigel Re-Coker on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "A win is a win.

"One thing that worries me about West Ham is that you still don't know what you are going to get from them each time they play.

"Lopetegui still doesn't know his best line up and there are still cracks in their performance. There are still more questions than answers when I look at their team and their display.

"Hopefully it can be a platform so that they can go on, but I am still not confident that I can see structure in their style of play or in what he is implementing at the club."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

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Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker says West Ham should not have been awarded a penalty for Matthijs de Ligt's challenge on Danny Ings.

After waving away initial penalty appeals, referee David Coote was sent to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee (VAR) to review De Ligt's challenge and overturned his previous decision by pointing to the spot.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says the penalty feels "unfair and unjust" and as a consequence of Jarrod Bowen converting from the spot, United fell to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season.

"It is not often I agree with Ten Hag but on this occasion I do because it was not a penalty," said Reo-Coker on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "De Ligt goes to challenge Ings and it is more of a coming together than a penalty.

"It is soft. If we are going to start giving penalties for that then we are just opening up another can of worms because it is ridiculous.

"I feel for United because it is harsh but it wasn't a great performance from them anyway."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds