by West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui says he was seriously impressed by one of his summer signings, even if others were not.
West Ham signed nine new players to usher in the Julen Lopetegui era in the summer.
The excitement among the fans was just as noticeable as the increased expectations.
Over £155m was spent on deals for Luis Guilherme, Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Meanwhile, Wes Foderingham and Guido Rodriguez arrived on free transfers.
But West Ham’s slow start to the Premier League season and Lopetegui’s approach to ushering many of the new signings into the team has meant some of the excitement has dissipated.
New signings have been a constant at West Ham
The Hammers will need to put together a consistent run of results to win the game back.
Kilman, Wan-Bissaka and Todibo have really impressed since joining West Ham.
Summerville has also caught the attention of fans, who have been urging the manager to use him more.
One man who has divided opinions, however, is Rodriguez.
The Argentine midfielder would be at Barcelona now if Xavi hadn’t left.
Their former coach believed that Rodriguez could do a similar job at Barca to the great Sergio Busquets.
So the 30-year-old came to West Ham with a certain reputation that he had to live up to.
So far, however, some fans and observers remain unconvinced.
Jamie Redknapp criticized Rodriguez and said he was a player who could struggle in the Premier League after watching his debut.
The criticism felt harsh at the time, and Rodriguez actually pushed back against it, saying he did well.
Lopetegui is blown away by West Ham’s new star who many don’t appreciate
A few games later he was substituted after around 30 minutes at home against Chelsea as West Ham lost 3-0.
Lopetegui said his tactics were to blame, not Rodriguez.
Many felt his performance in the 4-1 win against Ipswich before the international break was significantly better.
But Rodriguez has lost his place in the Argentina squad since signing with the Hammers and it’s fair to say the jury is still completely out.
However, he apparently impressed the most important person.
Because Lopetegui is blown away by the new West Ham star, many people simply don’t rate him.
“Guido is a tactically intelligent boy who adapted quickly to the demands,” Lopetegui said of Rodriguez.
“He’s trying to give us a little more time to relax and more positioning.
“English football requires an adjustment period and Guido achieves this in a remarkably quick manner.”
What do the stats say about Rodriguez at West Ham?
According to WhoScored, Rodriguez has been West Ham’s 11th best player so far this season. It has registered an average rating of 6.48/10.
While he clearly hasn’t wowed the world, he deserves his place in the starting lineup.
And one could argue that he can only get better as he gets used to his new teammates and the Premier League.
But if you look closer, you can see exactly what the Argentine brings to the team.
Because Rodriguez is West Ham’s best player when it comes to defensive contribution.
He has made more tackles, interceptions and blocks than any of his Hammers teammates.
There is enough evidence – both statistical and from watching Rodriguez play – to suggest he can be a top player for West Ham.
It will be a big challenge for Spurs and a game in which he will have to assert his authority if he is to start winning over any doubters.
One thing is for sure: Given Lopetegui’s effusive praise, it sounds like he’s starting.
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