West Ham keep facing top opposition and keep losing to them, and Julen Lopetegui remains unable to change the record there.
Liverpool’s 5-1 thrashing of the Hammers felt a particularly unsightly scoreline at the end — West Ham had not disgraced themselves — but a Carabao Cup exit always felt the likely outcome for Lopetegui’s side at Anfield. They’re out now, and then some.
It felt as though Lopetegui had a point on Tuesday, when he reminded reporters that the Irons’ only home matches this season besides the second-round win over Bournemouth have seen them face — and lose to — Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea. No easy task there.
Certainly, the league win over Crystal Palace and draw against Fulham suggested the points will come this season. Perhaps the angst that hangs over the club at the moment, the criticism of a new era under Lopetegui that has begun disappointingly, has merely been premature.
To acknowledge West Ham’s tough run of games would be right — but to use such to totally explain away their results would be to let Lopetegui and his players too easily off the hook.
A fair old lot of dosh was splashed this summer on the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez. Carlos Soler — who earned his first start at Anfield — is in the door too, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
Here are much-heralded players, bought to improve the ageing squad departing manager David Moyes left behind this summer. Lopetegui, himself, has managed Real Madrid and Spain and comes with a lofty reputation of his own. Much was expected of West Ham this season. For good reason.
The quality of their conquerors at Anfield duly acknowledged, this was, then, another desperately miserable night for West Ham supporters. Many had left by the time Cody Gakpo, the best player on the pitch all night, scored goals four and five for Liverpool.
West Ham huffed and puffed. Danny Ings put himself about up front, Soler turned a nervy start into a composed-enough full debut, and Todibo was okay.
But again they were made to pay for sitting off their opponents when not in possession, passively watching as long periods went by without as much as a half-attempted half-tackle. And Edson Alvarez’s sending off for two late challenges (10 minutes apart) which he didn’t need to make? Well, that is to be filed under ‘downright stupidity’.
Play like this on Saturday and this heavy defeat to richer opposition will pave the way for a heavy defeat to poorer opposition.
There is a fine line in football between a rotten run of fixtures and plain rotten form. Lopetegui’s West Ham teeter precariously over that precipice right now.
