When the summer transfer window closed, it seemed West Ham had enjoyed one of the strongest in the division. From the outside, it seemed they had recruited quantity and quality, leaving many Hammers fans optimistic about the season.
However, last week, some readers suggested boss Julen Lopetegui is not giving enough minutes to the players that West Ham signed in the summer transfer window. How true is this claim?
Centre-back Max Kilman, who Lopetegui previously worked with at Wolves, has played every minute this season. Fellow defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is another to enjoy a fair share of playing time since arriving from Manchester United in August.
Midfield enforcer Guido Rodriguez has also featured regularly, starting every game since his switch from Real Betis.
However, the lack of minutes for Crysencio Summerville is a genuine frustration. Last season’s Championship player of the season at Leeds has only played more than 45 minutes in two Premier League matches, and would surely add some firepower to a West Ham attack that has outscored just four teams in the Premier League.
Carlos Soler’s lack of game time seems puzzling too. Lopetegui’s fellow Spainard has won trophies in two countries and has almost 20 Champions League matches under his belt. He could add much needed experience.
One frustration Hammers fans tell us regularly is that Michail Antonio is still the club’s main striker despite so much money being spent on centre-forwards in the past decade. It is not Lopetegui’s fault that summer arrival Niclas Fullkrug has been injured, but it has not helped matters.
We want to hear from you, West Ham fans.
Is the lack of playing time for summer signings a major issue for Lopetegui or does the reason for the poor start lie elsewhere?
