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Episode 039 - A Lifeline for Lopetegui?! Wolves Reaction
15 Plays8 days ago
A win for Lopetegui's West Ham has kept him a job for another week, but was the performance good enough to satisfy fans and the board? Tom and Jacob discuss the game against Wolves at the London Stadium and how this leaves the club in the immediate and long-term future!
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Transcript
Introduction and Mixed Emotions After Wolves Win
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello guys, and welcome back to another episode of the Daily GSPM West End Podcast. I'm joined by Jacob. Say hello, mate.
00:00:15
Jacob
Hello, how are you doing?
00:00:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm okay. It's an interesting time right now, obviously off of the back of the win against wolves.
Significance of the Victory Questioned
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't really know too much how to feel, to be honest, because on the face of it, a win is good and it's positive, and it obviously keeps Lopper taking in a job for another week.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we weren't really that amazing in the way that we played. so I don't know, the the feeling is it' very strange. How do you feel?
00:00:43
Jacob
Yeah, I think performance wise it was, I think it was much the same as the Leicester game. I don't think we performed
Comparison with Leicester Game
00:00:56
Jacob
particularly better. It's just the fact that we actually took a couple of the chances that we got and Wolves didn't. Whereas when we played Leicester, Leicester took their few chances that they had, you know, we had tons of shots in both games. um And yeah, in this one, we actually managed to so score with a couple. So, yeah, I mean, I'm pleased with the result. I don't know. I know I've seen a lot of West Ham fans saying, you know, they hope we we would lose just so, you know, Lopategi but would be gone. But, you know, I don't want to
Team Spirit vs. Management Changes Debate
00:01:40
Jacob
look at it like that.
00:01:41
Jacob
And I don't think that's good. I don't think you should ever want your team to lose regardless of the situation you're in. And yeah, I'm happy. Bowen played unbelievably well as he so often does. Soo check scoring again. So overall pleased, but don't want to get too ahead of ourselves because at the end of the day, they're one of the bottom teams and You know, we've got, we've got tougher tasks coming ahead of me.
00:02:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, I completely agree with all of that,
Managerial Future and Upcoming Transfer Window
00:02:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
to be honest. It is a weird one. I never get when people want their team to lose for a ah certain outcome to happen. It's like, well, if we win, then surely that means that he deserves to stay for another week. And if we lose, then maybe he doesn't like saying that, oh, you want us to lose, so he leaves. Just doesn't really make much sense in my mind, to be honest. It seems like a really kind of short-termist way to view your football club.
00:02:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just never want to be West Ham lose either, to be honest. Yeah, it's a, I just don't, it's really difficult to know what to make of it because we could very easily have not won that game. And obviously everything would be completely different, but by, you know, pretty narrow margins and Jarrah bow and having an absolute blind like he always does. so He's managed to give us the win and Lopategi keeps his job for another week.
00:02:45
Jacob
Yeah.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
so like I am happy, but at the same time, there is the thought in the back of my mind, whether it's just putting off the inevitable. you know Is it just prolonging something that's bound to happen?
00:03:18
Jacob
Yeah, yeah
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:03:21
Jacob
yeah.
00:03:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think it is. and i If he's winning games, then he should keep his job. you know I think it's kind of that simple. but Yeah, there's just that one thought in the back of my mind, like what if we just keep going like this kind of for the next, you know, month or so, then after Christmas.
00:03:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
If we're gonna change manager, it has to be before the January transfer window, because I think giving a new manager no transfer window is gonna really debilitate our whole season, to be honest, because changing the system and not allowing someone to bring in a couple of additions to suit that system is gonna be really tough. So for now, Lopategi stays. Yeah, the get the game itself, it was okay. Like we played all right. we I think we were probably the better team, but that's not saying a lot, to be honest.
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
They didn't have a huge amount of quality. Obviously they they have good players. I think one thing that I thought Wolf did better than us was their ability to transition into threatening attacking positions a lot more efficiently.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
It seems like they did it a lot quicker.
00:04:23
Jacob
Mm hmm.
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
The transition was quick when a lot of the time we had a decent amount of possession, but we never we didn't actually have too many clear cut opportunities. It's only, you know, the the little bits of quality that we didn't have in um less the Leicester game that have managed to get us the win. And yeah, another
Highlighting Bowen's Performance
00:04:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
shout out just for Jared Bowen. Oh my God, he's he's so good. And that goal he scored is so textbook Jared Bowen. He skins the, I think it's a centre back, they're playing a back three, skins the centre back and then just pings it bottom corner, far post with his left foot. he He's unbelievably good and he does that so often.
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm sure we'll get into the little after-games scuffle that him and Lamina had a bit later on, but yeah, talk to me about Jared Bowen.
00:05:07
Jacob
yeah Yeah, I think he he was really given the opportunity in that game, you know, being the starting striker um to really take the game by the scrap of the neck, you know, that that um that will that whole Wolves team are in a similar position to us where they're, you know,
00:05:32
Jacob
not got a lot of confidence and um find themselves right down the bottom of the table. So it's a perfect game for Bowen really. is is It's the team he's scored the most the best. So, you know, he just loves playing against them. And you always feel like he's going to get something, you know, whether it's an assist or a goal or both like we saw last night. um
00:05:59
Jacob
but he could have had more, you know, there was the, the Cudus disallow goal that would have been another assist. So yeah, he was excellent. Um, and yeah, you mentioned about the Lamina situation. I don't know if you wanted to talk
Sportsmanship and Leadership in the Game
00:06:14
Jacob
about it now or not, but yeah, it just seemed like from, from the clip that I saw, it just seemed like Lamina was trying to, you know,
00:06:26
Jacob
just sort of disregard him and and go past him without really giving him any sort of acknowledgement. And Baum wasn't really having any of it. And he I don't think he's the kind of player to react the way he did over nothing. um you know He's a pretty calm and composed guy. He's not really confrontational unless he has to be. but That was probably just, you know, a lot of frustration. We've seen it from our players this season as well. um You know, from Lamina, I mean, um and it's understandable. They didn't play well. They didn't take the few chances they had. And yeah, I think
00:07:11
Jacob
bow and kind of reacted the way that any any sort of good captain would react you know just showing that little bit of class and respect at the end regardless of the result is very important you know because you're both out you're both teams are are out there doing the same job but you know they they both know what it feels like to be on the end of a ah defeat this season that's for sure like they've they've both been through it so that's kind of
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I can yeah. yeah
00:07:39
Jacob
It's not really what you want to see, um but I know they won't let it i one that i get to him and it would just sort of enjoy the enjoy the feeling of ah getting that three points, quite an important three points. You know, it doesn't move our position in the table, but it gives us that little bit more security, you know, with the but the teams just below us who are, you know, we've now got like a three, four point gap. I can't remember what it is, but yeah, it it helps us.
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. it It's just petulant to me. I don't know why you don't shake the hand of the captain, you know? Or he shouldn't reject anyone's handshake. Obviously, maybe there are some specific circumstances where you could choose not to, but in this situation, I don't know what that says about wolves as a club with that being their captain, and that's the way he's behaving.
00:08:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's just... It's a bit embarrassing, to be honest. like He's actually like acting like a petulant child. You know, Bowen's just trying to shake his hand, trying to do the decent thing.
00:08:36
Jacob
yeah
00:08:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Both of the captains, you know, they're the two players that you expect to have the most kind of respectful relationship. And he just completely rejects it, which is, it's a bit embarrassing for me, to be honest. I don't think that's how any player should be, especially the captain.
00:08:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I actually liked the fact that Bowen didn't let it slide, because I don't think many people see Bowen as that sort of, someone who's gonna take more of a kind of aggressive stance on what he thinks is right and the fact that he did that I think as a fan that's exactly what you want, you want your captain to stand up for what he thinks is right and all the stuff he's come out with afterwards, you see him saying he he didn't shake my hand and I i don't want to
00:09:14
Jacob
Yeah.
00:09:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know I don't think it's right that someone shouldn't shake someone else's hand, particularly particularly the captains. you know So i I respect it big time and he's gone up in my estimations. I don't even know how that's possible because he was already infinitely high, but yeah, he's definitely gone up in my estimations.
00:09:33
Jacob
Yeah.
00:09:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, we're gonna go to our first advert and when we get back, I would like to talk a little bit about the Wolves team because it probably wasn't the most difficult team that we faced.
00:10:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so actually, before we start this section, I think we have to quickly touch on the whole Michael Antonio situation. so Our thoughts go to Miguel Antonio himself and his family and his friends because it must be a very difficult time. Obviously he was involved in quite a serious car accident. We just hope that he's doing well. We've heard that he's had surgery on a lower leg fracture
Antonio's Accident and Team Impact
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
and that he's going to be out of full.
00:10:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
a quite extended period of time so all our thoughts are with him obviously he's such an amazing guy and obviously regardless of what we said about him whether we think he should play or not he's been an unbelievable servant to West Ham and more than that he just seems like a really nice bloke like genuinely nice bloke you know everyone talks really highly of him he's so funny he's really personable and he's been such a good representative of West Ham kind of outward so our thoughts are with you Michael and your family um How do you think it's going to affect our season losing one of our strikers?
00:11:08
Jacob
Um, I think it's a really tough one, um, because it's not necessarily just the loss of Antonio. It's more the manner in which we've lost him as well. I think, um, I'm sure it has had a ah massive impact on all of his teammates and you know, they would have been in a lot of shock when they got the news and you know we don't want to obviously want to speculate too much on that um anyway but I'm sure it would have just given them a bit of a bit of a feeling like you know we've lost our talisman and and we need to sort of
00:11:56
Jacob
and pay him some respect in a way, you know, to, to go out there and put in a performance that he would be proud of. And we'll be able to watch back at some point, um, and enjoy watching, you know, that's probably what they wanted. And I'm sure they're going to want to continue to do so, you know, as the, as the matches get more difficult, that's going to become harder. Um, but yeah, obviously it's a big loss. Of course it is. We know how, um,
00:12:27
Jacob
we know how much an impact he has in a game with his hold-up play and his leadership skills and his ability to hold up the ball and use his strength and pace. and But that's the situation we find ourselves in. And you know it's one of those situations where football sort of comes second really and is not the important thing at the end of the day. So, and yeah.
00:12:55
Jacob
That's how I see
00:12:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so in this game, obviously Bowen went up front because obviously not having Antonio who probably would have started the game. Bowen goes up front. He plays really well, but the team in general, I have question marks. Do you think it was us being good or was it wolves being bad or was it a bit of both or was it neither? What what do you think?
00:13:17
Jacob
Yeah, I think a bit
Analyzing Wolves' Performance vs. Own Team's
00:13:19
Jacob
of both, I think. Yeah, I can't see a huge amount of difference between that performance and the way we played against Leicester, to be honest. We just managed to take a couple of those chances that we didn't against Leicester. And they, Leicester, also were able to take them. So it made all the difference. You know, Fabianski made a couple of great saves. They had a couple of near misses. And sometimes that is all it comes down to. you know that
00:13:51
Jacob
With momentum as well, you know, we saw what happened with the Leicester game. They got one, they got another, then they got two more and there was no way back for us. um And we didn't allow that to happen in this game. We took a couple of our many chances, you know, 20 or so that we had. We came close a lot of times in the first half and we're getting frustrated that we hadn't, you know, been able to find the back of the net. but We held on. um We weathered the few sort of counter-attacking storms that we got from wolves and and came away with the points. I think we deserved all three of the points, to be honest. And yeah, we said this before, but we hope we can build on it and we hope it's not one of those situations where oh we win a game, there's a little bit of
00:14:47
Jacob
um a little bit less pressure on Lopategi. We lose again and they say, oh, he's got the next game to so prove us wrong. And then he wins that one and and it just goes on and on. There needs to be a decision made. It can't just be matter of winning or losing a game. I don't think that that's how it should be. You either have faith in the manager you've got or you don't have faith in him because there have been times during this season where you could quite easily say you know you could see why the board um wouldn't have faith in him. you know And I don't think a 2-0 win against Wolves when they're in the position they're in is really
00:15:35
Jacob
a way of changing your perception the perception, the perception of you from the board. I don't think that that can really happen, to be honest. I think there'll be certain members of the West Ham hierarchy who already have their mind made up about whether they want him to stay or whether they want him to leave. And I think well what will happen will happen eventually, regardless of of how we do in the meantime.
00:16:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, I think I agree with that. Okay, we're gonna go to our final app there and then we're gonna look forward. We'll look at Lopategi keep his job, looking at the next game and we'll see how how that goes.
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you've kind of alluded to it a little bit there, but it sounds like you think the board have already got a decision and it kind of doesn't matter too much about the results. I think that probably, probably similar. I think there will be discussions happening with other managers as we speak. There will be talks, there will be kind of trying to get an idea of who would be the best candidate. I think.
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
the only way that Lopategi changes their
Manager's Future Decision Speculation
00:17:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
minds is if we start playing better. Because like the wins are happening and you know we've we've had a couple of wins and I'd say probably only two or three wins this season have been really good. Probably the Newcastle one being the best one. We played really well. um Unless we start consistently playing well, I don't think he has any sort of long-term future.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um How long do you think the board leave it to pull the trigger? Obviously we were talking a little bit earlier about needing to get him in before January. Do you think they leave it right up until the very last minute? Do you think they maybe even hold out for January or do you think they pull the trigger a lot earlier than that?
00:17:53
Jacob
um it's a different one a difficult one sorry um because there have certainly been occasions during this season where you would say they probably they probably could have they probably could have got rid of him um and didn't so i think anything it's so hard to say it is really hard to say because it could happen anytime there could be just a sudden
00:18:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah in stuff
00:18:22
Jacob
shift in the way they're thinking. And, you know, they realize now that they've got to try and make the best of what season we have left now. um Because from this position, there's only so much we can we can really do with the the teams above us, some of the teams above us doing way better than anyone would have expected.
00:18:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it is after that.
00:18:46
Jacob
The likes of Forest and, you know, a couple of those teams have been doing quite well. Fulham have been pretty good and people like that bright and having a great season as well. So those are the sort of teams we should really be in and around. And I think now that we are more than likely not going to be, I think it's going to be more of a focus on trying to get as many points out of these last games as possible and
00:19:19
Jacob
if they don't have full faith in the manager, then I don't see why they would keep him around. And I'm sure they've been looking at other people and I'm sure they've had those conversations. um But it is just a weird situation to be in when you you have a manager, but you're also looking around for other managers, which shows that, you know, there's in the back of those and director's minds that you know he may not be around for a lot longer so it it's a lot of and not knowing at the minute um we don't know he might not be here tomorrow he you might be here for another 10 years who knows but i think we're edging on the side of him probably not keeping his job past the end of this season i wouldn't have thought if he does stay that long
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah it's really bleak that we're having such pessimistic conversations about the season basically saying that there's not really a lot we can get from it you know it's not even christmas when we're having those sort of conversations obviously we're used to having them as west town fans but this early on in the season it is always pretty depressing um i
00:20:29
Jacob
Yeah.
00:20:38
Jacob
Yeah.
00:20:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know it's really tough like you say it's there's so many different factors that affect these decisions but ultimately I think it does come down to the way that we're playing and next game is against Bournemouth away which is it's a tough game but it is winnable definitely winnable we have the squad to be able to beat Bournemouth I
00:20:57
Jacob
Mm-hmm.
Upcoming Bournemouth Match Hopes
00:21:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
know they're doing pretty well this season and they've got a lot of really quality players but
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's very few games in the Premier League where you're not playing against a team that has good players. you know So if we're not aiming to beat a team like Bournemouth, then we're really in trouble.
00:21:11
Jacob
Yeah.
00:21:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know So hopefully we can go out and put a good performance. Obviously, we've said this basically every week, just that we hope that we can do well. If we could get a win in this game, it would do amazing things. Because I don't think that we haven't won two games in a row this season, have we?
00:21:32
Jacob
I don't think so.
00:21:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think yeah no. No, definitely not.
00:21:34
Jacob
um
00:21:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So if we could string two wins together, I think that does such good things for the momentum of the squad. you know The win in this game was really good. The stuff at the end with Bowen, I think, has galvanized the squad a little bit.
00:21:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's shown Jarrah Bowen not to be a pushover, which I think is something that is so good for him and how he's respected as ah a person and a player. I think it reflects really well on him as a ah leader that he is going to stand up for what he believes in.
00:22:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then also all of the stuff with Mikel Antonio, I think is also causing the players to fight and work really hard because they know how much Mikel Antonio cares for West Ham.
00:22:04
Jacob
Mm hmm.
00:22:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, when he does play, he always puts in so much effort. And the way that he plays is you can't play Mikel Antonio style of football without trying your best. You know, there's some players that they're really technical and they don't have to graft and they can, you know, they're pulling the strings and passing silky passes and doing skill moves and stuff. But that's not really Mikel Antonio. He grafts, he runs hard, he challenges hard, he fights for the ball and he fights for West Ham generally. So the fact that the boys managed to get a win for him and
00:22:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
the fact that we were able to get those three points is so positive for the season and I just hope we can keep this momentum going because if we can beat Bournemouth that's a really good result you know it's something that we should be aiming for but if it does happen it it is a positive thing it's not like oh they beat Bournemouth that's easiest oh that that's a good performance so Yeah, if we can get a winning next game, that gives Lopatea a little bit more security, which I think if he's staying, I want the best for him and I want the best of the club. So I want him to be happy and I want the squad to be happy. So right now we've got him. Let's treat it like he's staying. Let's get some good performances. I think in January, if we can make some good signings, if we can get some players in where we need them a little bit more quality, because so far we've we've lacked a lot of quality in game. So we can bring some
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't even care about age profile at this point. Let's bring someone who's old I don't care get someone who just has quality if we can get someone on a really cheap deal He's really old if we just keep them for a season or two. I think that'll
January Transfer Window Needs
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
do such good things for the squad um but Because we've really been lacking a lot of quality this season um But yeah, I just hope that we can we can do something good against Bournemouth
00:23:58
Jacob
Definitely. Sorry. Okay, we'll end it there. Thank you very much for watching this episode of the, or listening to the daily GSPN West End podcast and say goodbye Tom.
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Goodbye, guys.
00:24:13
Jacob
ah Please rate this podcast five stars and check out all of our social media that is linked in the description. um Also, please feel free to check out all the other GSPN podcasts. We've got the fantasy football,
00:24:26
Jacob
women's football wrap-up podcasts in multiple different languages and all the other Premier League teams daily podcasts as well. Thank you for listening and speak to you soon.