Questions remain over Julen Lopetegui after West Ham’s goalless Everton draw

Much has been said about West Ham’s lack of identity under Julen Lopetegui and that absence of direction was on clear display as his team stumbled to a lacklustre draw against Everton.

It was deemed by many to be a “must-win” match for the struggling West Ham manager who, heading into the fixture, had won just three games and lost five in the Premier League.

Sitting only six points above the relegation zone, and facing a team dealing with their own share of struggles, a home win would have provided Lopetegui with a much-needed morale boost heading into the international break. Not to mention that his side will face Newcastle away and then high-flying Arsenal in their next two Premier League matches.

However, it was not to be for either side at the London Stadium as both West Ham and Everton failed to capitalise on their chances, with a clear lack of quality on display from both teams. At the final whistle, a chorus of boos sounded around the stadium.

Ever the optimist, Lopetegui would not cave to any suggestion of his position being at risk, and said after the match: “I always work under pressure, this is not new. I’m very happy with the commitment of the players, I’m very happy with the club.

‘I assure you a lot of things change in a few months’

“I repeat, we are sure that we are not happy with our position but we are sure we are going to be able to finish higher. I assure you a lot of things change in a few months. We are sure we are going to be able to do that.”

Neither side really shifted into gear in the first half, with two of the best chances falling to West Ham just seconds before the break – despite Everton being on top for the majority of the first 45 minutes.

The hosts’ first shot came in the 43rd minute when Lucas Paquetá fired the ball into the path of Michail Antonio, who neatly threaded through the Everton defence. He teed up Jarrod Bowen on the right who drove into the box and took a shot which Jordan Pickford parried behind for a corner.

With just seconds left on the clock, Bowen intercepted an Everton pass before setting up Antonio. He shot from close range but could not quite beat Pickford at a tight angle.

Both attempts were undoubtedly the hosts’ best play of the half and gave them reason to feel positive heading into the break.

To the relief of both sets of fans, the two sides shifted up a gear in the second half. But as the minutes ticked away, Everton opted to sit back as West Ham desperately searched for a breakthrough.

One of the best plays of the game came in the final minute – Paquetá found Danny Ings, who took one touch before powering the ball towards the net.

Pickford praised for last-gasp heroics

Pickford made a wonderful save, the home fans groaned as the final whistle blew, before boos erupted around the stadium. Meanwhile, the Everton goalkeeper was punching the air – perfectly encapsulating which side will walk away from this game feeling slightly more content with just the one point.

Pickford’s last-minute heroics were praised by both managers. Sean Dyche said he was “a top keeper doing what top keepers should do”.

Meanwhile, Lopetegui said Pickford was “one of the best players out there [today]”, and added in a defiant manner: “My reflection was that in the 95 minutes we played we deserved to win, with the chances we had, above all in the second half.”

West Ham backed Lopetegui with more than £100 million of signings in the summer. However, it just does not seem to be clicking for the Spaniard yet.

The manager has a couple of weeks to assess just where it is going wrong as his players embark on their national team duties, but with two daunting fixtures coming up next for Lopetegui’s side, the pressure on his tenure is ever-growing.