Some West Ham United supporters might be throwing a rueful gaze back at David Moyes, but his departure at the end of the 2023/24 season was probably just.
The squad had not crashed into the ground but it had lost its footing and, after such a successful era, needed change. Well, Julen Lopetegui has been ushered in and change has been – most certainly – afoot.
£120m was spent on shiny new players, but some have not yet been allowed to really strut their stuff. Let’s take a look at two of them.
Carlos Soler & Jean-Clair Todibo have yet to take off
Carlos Soler and Jean-Clair Todibo both arrived from the French Ligue 1 this summer on respective season-long loan moves that could be turned into permanent deals at the end of the term.
Soler brings creative flair – which is much needed at the moment – but he has been restricted to two substitute appearances thus far. Still, hailed as the “complete midfielder” by former Valencia star Curro Torres, it’s time to chuck him into the starting mix.
West Ham’s midfield has been devoid of inspiration this season, and with Liverpool up next, it could be time for Soler to shine and work his way toward earning a regular starting berth – especially as Guido Rodriguez was substituted before 40 minutes against Chelsea after his wretched performance.
Todibo, conversely, did start in the Carabao Cup second round against Bournemouth but was hooked at half-time after flattering to deceive. Still, he’s a brilliant ball-playing defender and could be fundamental in unlocking this Hammers team and propelling it to the heights that technical director Tim Steidten and co envisaged when anointing him as Moyes’ heir.
Indeed, as per FBref, the Frenchman ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 10% for progressive carries, the top 8% for successful take-ons and the top 15% for tackles per 90.
These stars will hope to play more prominent roles as the campaign moves forward, but there’s one West Ham player who must walk in the opposite direction. Indeed, Michail Antonio must move to the periphery.
Why Michail Antonio needs to be ditched
The West Ham faithful must rue the failure to sign Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran this summer. The mercurial talent notoriously made the hammers crossed salute on a social media video during the off-season, when it looked like he was bound for east London, but it couldn’t happen and he has enjoyed a stunning start to the season – scoring against West Ham on the opening day too.
| Premier League Top Scorers: 2024/25 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Apps (starts) | Goals |
| 1. | Erling Haaland | 5 (5) | 10 |
| 2. | Luis Diaz | 5 (5) | 5 |
| 3. | Jhon Duran | 5 (0) | 4 |
| 3. | Nicolas Jackson | 5 (5) | 4 |
| 3. | Bryan Mbeumo | 5 (5) | 4 |
| Stats via BBC Sport | |||
He hasn’t started a game but has four goals to his name. Niclas Fullkrug’s start to life at West Ham has been disrupted by injury, and thus Antonio fronted the ship for the opening four top-flight fixtures.
The Jamaica international has flattered to deceive. Aside from the fact that he hasn’t posted one single goal contribution, Antonio’s underlying numbers also leave plenty to be desired. He offers little as the focal star in Lopetegui’s system.
| Antonio: Premier League Performance Analysis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (*per game) | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
| Matches (starts) | 26 (21) | 5 (4) |
| Goals | 6 | 0 |
| Assists | 2 | 0 |
| Touches* | 23.6 | 18.8 |
| Shots (on target)* | 1.2 (0.5) | 1.4 (0.2) |
| Pass completion | 65% | 64% |
| Key passes* | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Ball recoveries* | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| Dribbles completed* | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Tackles + interceptions* | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Total duels won* | 4.0 | 1.2 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
He was finally dropped last weekend, and though his side were trounced by Chelsea, it’s hard to imagine that he would have made a significant positive difference, having regressed across almost every metric so far.
Antonio has never been the most creative of strikers but he has always been a hulking physical presence with an ability to dominate and frustrate opposing defenders. However, the inexorable tug of time is proving to be his enemy this term, with his duel success diminishing, and his ball-carrying reducing too.
It’s not all his fault. Quite shockingly, West Ham have only created four big chances in the Premier League this season, which puts them right at the pit in 20th place. It’s not surprising that Antonio has failed to score or indeed make any kind of positive impact, but a younger, more robust centre-forward would certainly offer much more.
The 34-year-old needs to be axed from the starting line-up from now on, with the likes of Bowen and Fullkrug far better placed. Antonio is out of contract at the end of the season but he does need to move on now, especially when considering his weekly salary.
Indeed, West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer earns £85k per week, which puts him above both Soler (£80k per week) and Todibo (£20k per week). Of course, both new arrivals are currently on loan but it does emphasise the chunk that he takes from the east London banks.
