Julen Lopetegui claims his instructions may be getting lost in translation.

West Ham’s 4-1 loss to bitter rivals Tottenham has undoubtedly put at least a bit of pressure on Julen Lopetegui. While the fixtures haven’t been kind to him, there’s no denying that the level of performances are extremely concerning.

It seems like there’s a real lack of cohesion amongst the players and constant poor tactical decisions. However, Lopetegui has claimed that this could be down to “translation” issues rather than anything else. “For sure, we are concerned about this,” he said when asked about how his side conceded 3 goals in quick succession against Spurs. “This is what a coach should be concerned about, and today has been a bad thing.”

“It’s one thing that we can improve. Despite the fact we are playing maybe one of the best teams in the Premier League in the attacking phase, I think that we can do better in the defensive phase. We have to do better.”

“Maybe I have to improve, too, my translation with my players, for sure.”

It’s unclear whether he means the language barrier or whether he believes he isn’t explaining himself well enough to his players. If it’s the former, then surely it’s as simple as hiring a translator, but if it’s the latter that’s much more concerning. One of the most important skills a manager can have in general, let alone a football manager, is communication. If you’re not able to get across what you need from your players then you simply can’t be a top coach.

Either way, things need to change and fast or otherwise the club’s big Summer spend could be pointless.