Frank McAvennie has advised Julen Lopetegui to adopt Aston Villa’s playing style at West Ham United for the next season.
In the 2023/24 season, Villa achieved a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, surpassing Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham. Meanwhile, West Ham slipped to ninth place in David Moyes’ final season.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, McAvennie expressed admiration for Villa’s successful style of play and believes West Ham can follow their example.
“I’d aim to improve on our past performances and emulate Aston Villa’s style – their football is brilliant,” he said.
“West Ham and Aston Villa share the same colors, but they play better football even though we have better players.
“They have outstanding players like John McGinn and Ollie Watkins, but so do we. Fans would love to see that kind of attractive football. Villa has succeeded by playing an appealing style.”
While Champions League qualification might seem ambitious, the current instability among English football’s traditional powerhouses could provide an opportunity for a top-four push if Lopetegui makes a strong start at the London Stadium.
If Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham falter again, and Villa gets distracted by their Champions League commitments, West Ham could potentially surprise everyone in the 2024/25 season.
In other news, West Ham has been encouraged to adopt Arsenal’s “unbelievable” transfer strategy.
