Let’s address these stories one by one.
To begin with, Julen Lopetegui was offered only a two-year deal, with a one-year extension automatically triggered if West Ham qualifies for Europe when he joined the club earlier this year.
The expectation is for the club to challenge for Europe via the league or the two cup competitions. After crashing out to Liverpool 5-1 in the Carabao Cup, there are now only two routes into Europe.
The infamous “three games” have been mentioned, where the Spanish coach will be judged, similar to the situation with David Moyes last season.
I expect Lopetegui will gain credibility if performances improve and the Hammers secure points during this period. I don’t believe he will lose his job imminently, and let’s not forget that the manager was David Sullivan’s choice.
Regarding Tim Steidten, his transfers were lauded by everyone going into the season, and it’s difficult to criticise at such an early stage. Many players simply haven’t played yet, and the selection is ultimately the responsibility of the West Ham coach.
Jean-Clair Todibo has been described as “lightweight” by Lopetegui, yet he was wanted by Juventus and had a solid season at Nice. The context of his time at Barcelona should largely be ignored—it was only four games. It’s too early to judge him, and it would be unreasonable to write him off at this stage.
As for Füllkrug, he knows how to find the net but has faced injuries and has been overlooked even when fit. Of course, he needs service. He may not be the quickest player, but he can hold the ball up well, is good in the air, and is technically strong.
This service could have come from James Ward-Prowse, yet he was deemed surplus to requirements.
Regarding David Moyes’s potential return—seriously! The working relationship with Steidten broke down last season, and his stubbornness resulted in West Ham having one of the oldest and smallest squads in the Premier League.
Moyes struggled with Tim Steidten in place
He’s gone, and we must move on. That doesn’t mean Graham Potter is a serious contender; he is constantly linked yet has never been a true candidate. It’s unhealthy to believe much of what has been written in the national press recently about the club. Time will tell, but for now, the club heads to Brentford, where they have lost five times out of six in top-flight football.
However, with the Bees playing post-Toney and facing an injury crisis, we might finally get the luck we deserve and secure three points.
A win against Brentford will silence the doom-mongers. Bring it on!
I like Moyes for the most important job that he did at the club which was saving us from relegation – and I believe that he did save us in the 2019/2020 season as when he came in Pellegrini had lost the plot completely
However I do not think that he should come back – that chapter is closed
Lopetegui will hopefully get West Ham to click and start moving up the table – but the longer he takes the more talk there will be both among West Ham fans and the general football public
Yes we must give him time – but we did give Avram Grant time and that didn’t turn out very well
Hopefully we get a win today at the G-Tech and next week against Ipswich and that should quieten things down a bit
It doesn’t mean that if we question the current state we are doom mongers
COYI
Thank goodness for that. Worry I have about the current position, but Moyes desperation, I cannot stomach ever again.
Firstly, we have to accept that the media world needs to make headlines, pundits need exposure, and that sports entertainment, which the Premier League is one of the most high profile entities, thrives off drama and sensationalism.
So no matter what, we’ll be seeing plenty of ‘CRISIS AT WEST HAM’ headlines, that’s just part of the business.
Sadly we’ll never silence the doom-mongers Matt.