Lopetegui ready to learn from mistakes as Liverpool loom in League Cup

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui insists he can learn from his mistakes as he prepares the Hammers for their League Cup third round tie at holders Liverpool following a bitter Premier League defeat to Chelsea.

Lopetegui’s men lost 3-0 to their London rivals on Saturday, with the 58-year-old Spaniard coming under fire for his tactics and team selection.

The former Spain and Real Madrid coach replaced Guido Rodriguez before half-time and later admitted he had made a mistake in starting the Argentina midfielder.

“We learn a lot from our mistakes,” Lopetegui said at a pre-match news conference on Tuesday.

“But let me just say one thing. When you win, you also make mistakes. When you lose, you make mistakes. That’s football.”

“One thing I say is that I make a mistake – and I’ve spoken about it. Mistakes are part of football.

“The most important thing is that we are able to do better. We have made a big commitment with the players, knowing that the most important thing is at the end of the season.”

West Ham, beaten in the League Cup quarter-finals by Liverpool last season, have lost all three of their home league games this season under Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes in May.

The Hammers are currently 14th in the table, with four points from two away games – a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace and a 1-1 draw at Fulham.

“I told the media after (the Chelsea game) that the first person responsible was me. Always,” Lopetegui said. “It happened and now we are focused on the next game.”

“Mistakes are made by the coach. They are part of football because we make decisions, sometimes better, sometimes worse.

“But we have to keep making decisions to help the team compete better. I’m sure the team will compete better and will achieve the results and scores we want.”

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