JUST Eight games in to the Premier League and Julen Lopetegui’s tenure at West Ham is already being undermined by well known radio pundits who are delighting in The Spaniard’s difficulties after their own acquaintance and broadcasting buddy David Moyes departed the club.
Now national newspapers are wading in claiming ‘ West Ham have five candidates to replace Lopetegui’ – this from Express.co.uk.
In their article they list the next-gen managers apparently lining up to take over from Lopetegui if called by the Sullivan – Steidten double act that seems to run the club.
And it is a pretty scary list: Gareth Southgate is on the list. He’d out-dull David Moyes (who’s also on the list again). Season tickets would be handed back by the score and we’d look silly with 15,000 watching Championship football next season. At least there’d be no queues for a half time cuppa.
Michael Carrick makes their list: Probably the sole insightful selection, I don’t see a beleaguered Chairman dumping Lopetegui and then taking a risk with another coach lacking in experience. Too soon for Carrick. Shame.
Unknown Kjetil Knutsen is also on the list – smacks of desperation and again too big a gamble if West Ham are stuck in a Premier League relegation battle. That leaves the fifth – Graham Potter – as the Express’ only viable option.
Would I feel better with Graham Potter at the helm instead of Lopetegui? Actually, no. The three months we’ve endured with ‘give us time’ would reset and we’d have another bedding – in period.
Lopetegui has got us into this mess, he can get us out of it.
Unless he cuts and runs. He has form remember. Roshane Thomas on twitterX claims Lopetegui asked ‘doubters to reserve judgement until May.’ I think Sullivan will stick with his man rather than backtrack and admit he got it wrong. So no Graham Potter anytime soon.
I am not excited by any names in that list – perhaps Potter could do a job as he helped Brighton transition from Chris Hughton
However as has been pointed out Sully has previously appointed BFS, Moyes twice and when he was at Birmingham he even appointed Steve Bruce – so we can look forward / backward to something similar if he does fire Loppy
Gary O’Neil was the man for the job, we’ve missed that boat.
I do wonder though if Nobes has ever been offered it, but turned it down straight after Moyes.
Lop is a shambles, was predicted to be a shambles!
Dull , duller and desperate are the magic words for any Sullivan managerial appointment . Many ignorant pundits are blaming Steidten for Lopetegui’s appointment along with various signings , however the reality. is that Sullivan is the money and states how much can be spent on a manager or a player giving him total veto powers .Steidten’s job is to identify and then shmooze people into coming to Westham if and only if Sullivan likes them .
If we were having this debate 6 months ago and Hurzeler was suggested no doubt you’d have snubbed him, as would most people.
Tired of this concept that they have to be known to the EPL, tried and tested.
It’s the reason Sullivan went for Lopi. We won’t pay compensation for managers that’s well known.
I suspect unless we’re in the relegation zone we’ll stick with Lopi and write this season off.
The he got us into this mess, he must get us out concept you offer up is somewhat of a reductive argument. Using your logic there can be no point where the mantra you espouse could ever lead to him being handed his P45!
I wouldn’t believe anything written in the Daily Express it’s even worse than the wapping lier(The Sun)
Or this site