West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo says head coach Julen Lopetegui was correct not to start him in the league before the game against Brentford at the weekend.

Fans were up in arms that the summer signing from Nice had been used so sparingly at the beginning of the season but, speaking to the club’s official website, Todibo said his lack of fitness meant he was glad that Lopetegui didn’t pick him:

“I’m happy because I think the club gave me the time to get fit. I didn’t have a pre-season before I came here, so it took me a bit of time to come back well.”

“The game is more intense in the Premier League than in Ligue 1, more intense than all the leagues in the world, I think. Today I’m not 100 per cent, but I think I’m going to improve more with the time, and have a good impact in the team.”

Todibo’s situation perfectly sums up Lopetegui’s problems

It’s clear that the manager was taking the long-term view by deciding against throwing in the centre-back straight away. His lack of match fitness meant that he wouldn’t have been able to put in his best performances, and he could have been slaughtered for a poor start.

However, due to the lack of options Lopetegui has in central defence, it would have been a very difficult decision to keep Todibo on the bench. As a result, the Hammers suffered home defeats to Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea in their first three games, with their only points coming away from home at Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Can West Ham recover from their slow start?

While things didn’t look too promising when West Ham conceded 5 against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup during Todibo’s second start alongside Max Kilman, there were signs against Brentford that things are going in the right direction.

It didn’t get off to a great start on Saturday, letting in an early goal, but once they got back to 1-1 early in the second half, the Bees struggled to find ways through them. They managed just 0.11 xG after half-time, which is a tiny amount. A strong defence should help West Ham get good results going forward, with Todibo playing a key role from now on.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here