Julen Lopetegui has earmarked West Ham United’s trip to Newcastle United on Monday night as the perfect opportunity to demonstrate what they’re made of, as his team look to kickstart a busy festive period on a positive note.
The Hammers head to the North-East sat 14th in the Premier League standings after a challenging start to 2024/25, that has yielded three wins but a defeat and a draw in their last two outings.
Following the third international break of the campaign, Lopetegui’s men are now looking to mount a charge up the table in the weeks ahead, and though an evening trip to Tyneside and a subsequent home clash against title-challengers Arsenal may look extremely tough on paper, the boss is confident that such challenges are just what his players need.
A pleasing two-week period of training behind the scenes has particularly buoyed the Spanish Head Coach, while the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Czech duo Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal coming back to the camp after doing well for their countries has helped breed a good feeling.
Eddie Howe’s charges will undoubtedly present a tricky test to West Ham under the lights at St James’ Park, having registered three wins in their last three matches in all competitions, against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in the league.
Indeed, it is only 12 months ago that Newcastle were competing against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, while they only missed out on European qualification by a whisker last term as a result of Manchester United winning the FA Cup.
Along with West Ham, the Magpies certainly have continental aspirations this term, and after a relatively slow start, they will be determined to pick up where they left off before the break and push towards the top six.
A mouth-watering clash between the teams awaits, then, and with little over 72 hours to go until kick-off, Lopetegui discussed the hard work being put in by his squad, competition for places and the task at hand up in Newcastle.
A good chance to shine
It’s true that on paper this is a tough challenge. For one, it is on a Monday, in a tough environment, but I don’t want to make excuses. We have to be ready to play on any day of the week, and I think this is a good opportunity to show how competitive we can be.
We know things are going to get busy now at the end of November and going into December, and it is a key time because we have a lot of matches in quick succession, but we are working hard all the time and we are confident we have the quality to get the results we are after.
Productive international break
Always, we use the international break to try and improve, and I’ve been really pleased with the work done by the players. Of course, a lot of the players have been away with their countries, and we were really pleased for the likes of Jarrod [Bowen] who did well, but collectively we have worked hard and we’re all trying to achieve a new level.
It is true that none of us are happy with the position we’re in in the table, and living under pressure is normal in this line of work. The most important thing is that we’re pushing to improve, and I am confident that we have the players’ commitment to do this.
My focus is on the team, our daily work and how we can get better. We can only concentrate on the things we can control, and that’s what we’re going to do. The season finishes in May, not November, and I’m hopeful about what we can achieve going forward.
Eyes on the Magpies
The only thing I am focused on right now is the Newcastle game, and going up against a tough team in what is sure to be a tough match.
We are ready for high demands. In my opinion they are one of the most complex teams in the league, and they have a lot of technical, physical and tactical quality. We have to be aware of that and be ready to compete, and that’s what we’re all working on.
Players ready to make their mark
There’s a lot of competition in the squad, which is good. We have more than one good goalkeeper, and I make the decision about who to play based on what I think is right for that match. It depends on what I’ve seen in training or how I feel. Łukasz [Fabiański] worked really hard and got his chance, but let’s see now. Alphonse [Areola] is fit again, so we have to pick from very strong options.
I want all of my players to feel that they can be competitive, and to be ready to help us. Danny [Ings] is one of those players working hard, who has done well when he’s come on in games. We are happy with his commitment, and for sure he is going to be a big player for us in the upcoming challenges.
Taking positives from Everton display
We were pleased with the second half against Everton, even though we were disappointed we didn’t score the goal that we thought we deserved. We looked more confident than the first half, and we are looking to keep some things from that performance, and be stable and more consistent. Hopefully we can take belief into the Newcastle match.
Pep Guardiola’s new deal
It’s good news for the game, because always you want the best coaches to continue in the Premier League. For sure, Pep is one of the best.
Pep is a friend of mine, and I’m happy for him.
