West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui is already showing his ruthless edge in East London with his squad selection for the 2-1 loss against Aston Villa.
Luis Guilherme, a summer signing from Palmerias, was snubbed from the matchday squad for the 2024/25 Premier League opener alongside Nayef Aguerd.
The 18-year-old was available for selection, as per Sean Whetstone [18 August], but Crysencio Summerville was given the nod for a place on the bench instead of the Brazilian.
The likes of Danny Ings and the untested Andy Irving were also preferred to Guilherme.
Julen Lopetegui needs time to get it right at West Ham United
All the talk leading up to the Premier League opener against Aston Villa was on the incredible work of Tim Steidten and David Sullivan to improve the squad over the summer.
It was perhaps ironic that West Ham-linked Jhon Duran [HITC] scored the winner at the London Stadium to hand Lopetegui a defeat on his managerial debut for the Hammers.
The performance on Saturday (17 August) was a stark reminder that the Irons will not transform their fortunes overnight. Lopetegui and the new signings will need time to adapt in East London before the results improve on the pitch.
Guido Rodriguez produced a howler on his debut as he struggled to match the pace of the Premier League and was one of just two new signings to start the match alongside Max Kilman.
Guilherme will have his work cut out for him this season to fight for a spot in the squad with Jarrad Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Summerville ahead of him in the pecking order.
West Ham are blessed to have so much quality in the attacking department, and the fact there was no room for the Brazilian in the first matchday squad shows just how far the club has come this summer.
There will be plenty of opportunities for Guilherme to introduce himself to the supporters in the coming weeks. He will have to take any chance that comes his way with both hands as Lopetegui is willing to be ruthless in his team selection.
