A well-connected former West Ham United chief has shared a behind-the-scenes update on manager Julen Lopetegui and his possible departure from the London Stadium, with speculation still surrounding his future.
West Ham fail to beat Everton as pressure grows on Lopetegui
In the build-up to their 0-0 Premier League draw with Everton on Saturday, reliable reports suggested that Lopetegui’s position would be reviewed if they lost to the Toffees.
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While they avoided defeat in east London, the stalemate, which was seen as a ‘snore-draw’ by many, wouldn’t have done much to alleviate concerns that Lopetegui may not be the right man to take West Ham forward.
West Ham currently sit 14th in the Premier League table with just 3 wins out of their opening 11 matches despite spending north of £120 million in the summer transfer window, and it is believed the club have been looking at Lopetegui alternatives behind the scenes.
#13
09/11/2024
Everton (H)
Premier League
0-0 draw
#12
02/11/2024
Nottingham Forest (A)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg reported last week that Sebastian Hoeness (Stuttgart), Kasper Hjulmand (ex-Denmark) and ex-Benfica manager Roger Schmidt have all been looked at by West Ham, while other media sources claim former FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is also in the running to replace Lopetegui.
GiveMeSport says that Lopetegui has frustrated crucial West Ham figures with his late tactical U-turns on matchdays, creating tension. Meanwhile, the notion that they’re assessing other candidates perhaps shows their growing lack of faith in the 58-year-old.
West Ham faith in Lopetegui "fading quickly"
Now, ex-West Ham recruitment employee Mick Brown, who remains well-connected at the club having left his post this year, has shared what he’s “heard” about the tactician’s situation.
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown claims that West Ham’s faith in Lopetegui is “fading quickly”, despite originally being keen to give him time – and it is believed he is in “very volatile” surroundings at the club.
“The situation at West Ham is very volatile,” he told Football Insider.
“He could lose his job and be sacked immediately, at any time, things can change with the click of a finger. I’m not sure how good the relationship between the manager, the sporting director, and the owner is, but at the start of the season, I know it wasn’t good.
“They bought a lot of players for him and not many of them have turned up yet. That’s only put more pressure on him because if they spend big money, they want to see returns.
“When he was appointed to take over from Moyesy, they expected him to pick up where he left off and keep them moving up the table. Ultimately, though, the results haven’t been good enough. They were lucky in the win against Man United and you could argue against Palace, too.
“From what I’ve heard, they were keen to give him time at first, but that faith is fading quickly.”