Some awful decisions have put pressure on West Ham’s two most important figures, according to The Guardian.

While both Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten have been blamed for the Hammers’ abysmal start to the season, the two of them probably should share the blame. Since day one of the Summer transfer window right up until now, the two have made some absolutely shocking decisions.

Starting with Steidten, the report from Jacob Steinberg mentions the striker situation. While injuries aren’t technically anyone’s fault, it was absolutely idiotic to sign an old, injury-prone forward like Fullkrug for a club with a track record like West Ham. Not only was he signed instead of the likes of Duran and David, but no young, promising striker was signed at all. The only other first-team options are Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, who are both well past their best.

There’s also Steidten’s questionable time in Brazil, which ended in spending a questionable amount on Guilherme. In fact, a lot of the prices the Irons paid for players could be questioned, particularly Kilman’s £40 million fee.

In terms of transfers, the report doesn’t paint Lopetegui in a much better light. The decision to replace James Ward-Prowse, someone who contributed to a considerable amount of West Ham’s goals last season, with Carlos Soler, who has hardly been used, is just confusing.

The tactical issues are almost entirely down to Lopetegui, with their defence still looking woeful despite the huge overhaul. There’s no real identity in the way the team plays and that’s the most worrying thing. Perhaps the biggest issue with how they’ve been playing is the midfield set up. Time and time again Lopetegui has left an alarming amount of space in the middle of the park. While this is mostly down to making awful tactical decisions, the fact that West Ham didn’t sign anyone with any sort of pace or ability to cover those central areas when Alvarez is dropping deep and Soucek is pushing forward is frankly laughable.

Ultimately, the article ends by talking about how Lopetegui and Steidten’s jobs must both be under threat, not just the former’s. They both have created this mess, and they must both take responsibility. Steidten’s off field antics aren’t helping his case, while Lopetegui needs to get things moving on the pitch as soon as possible.