Lucky Lopetegui Can Rest Easy as Media Eye Ten Hag Dismissal

West Ham United 2-1 Manchester United

Crysencio Summerville saved West Ham’s blushes—and possibly even Julen Lopetegui’s job—in a bizarre game at the London Stadium.

West Ham may have beaten Manchester United 2-1, but the victory was far from convincing, relying on significant doses of luck. Make no mistake, this was a crucial game for Lopetegui. However, it’s his opposite number, Erik ten Hag, who will be fortunate to survive the week, though the Red Devils boss will likely blame the crossbar, bad luck, and a very questionable VAR decision—all valid points.

But if the Man United manager is given his marching orders today, it won’t be because of an unlucky day in a 104-minute match in East London. He’ll be sacked because his Manchester United side is among the worst I’ve ever seen wear that shirt.

Manchester United fans claimed they were playing West Ham at the right time—a fair observation given our stuttering start to the Premier League campaign. Yet, it could also be argued that the Hammers were playing United at the right time too.

Poor finishing saw both teams go into halftime at 0-0. Unlike last week against Tottenham, Lopetegui got the upper hand over his counterpart with three impactful substitutions that made a massive difference.

Against Spurs, the Irons’ gaffer chose to sit back in the first half and open up in the second. This strategy repeated itself at Stratford today, but this time, it worked.

Sure, it required a scuffed shot from Danny Ings and a handball from the striker, which somehow granted West Ham the most undeserved of penalties. But a win is a win, and although we were far from convincing, the team never gave up, displaying excellent team spirit, which will hopefully help dispel rumours of a dressing room rift.