West Ham talk has predictably turned to the tediously binary choice of David Moyes or Julen Lopetegui.
A quick browse through social media following the fallout of the Hammers’ 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest reveals a few smug “I told you so’s” mixed with “I hope you’re happy now’s” as pro-Moyes West Ham fans line up to take jabs at those who had grown frustrated with continuelly losing last season.
It’s the kind of internal rivalry that mocks the term ‘West Ham Family,’ but has sadly become all too prevalent whenever the going gets rough at our beloved club.
Having run polls on Claret & Hugh and Hammers Chat, I can confidently say that Julen Lopetegui was not the top choice for the majority of Irons fans to take over from Moyes.
Not that it matters to those point-scoring on social media; for them, anyone who wanted the old manager out is somehow responsible for Lopetegui’s poor performance. It’s a kind of paint-by-numbers blame game with no grounding in reality but plenty of fuel for online finger-pointing.
As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle, not binary at all. The Scotsman’s tenure with the Irons had run its course—his team last season was poor, and the squad that won the Conference League at the end of 2023 had aged and deteriorated. Moyes had built goodwill with fans, something Lopetegui can’t draw on particularly given that the former Spain boss can’t use fatigue from a European campaign as an excuse.
Lopetegui was brought in to revive the club, but he appears stale, confused, and far too eager to impress with frequent line-up changes and tactical tweaks. His defence appears as shaky as last season, with the £75m pairing of Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman looking not much better than the £60m partnership of Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma
The real crime here isn’t (as social media might suggest) that West Ham swapped an excellent manager for a poor one. It’s that we replaced a manager on the decline with someone no better.
Lopetegui’s shortcomings don’t make David Moyes a better manager; they just highlight the questionable choice of replacement.
Sorry GONZO why,why,why are you still putting up comments ,often out of order please 🙏 explain, It is giving me a permanent headache.
Ian I am not sure what the problem is, but the comments are automated in terms of their ordering.What you see is what you get, I’m afraid.
You have to look at the players too. The likes of Paquetta and Bowen even Alvarez were brilliant under Moyes. All rubbish under Lopetegui. Maybe it’s Lopeteguis fault for not getting a tune out of them but maybe the players need to take a look at themselves.
Sullivan thinks he knows football! What a joke, who’s stupid idea was it to employ Lopetegui. He needs to sell up.
Hindsight is directing the narrative here.
Lopetegui was maybe not the most exciting appointment but he was a perfectly reasonable one.
I despise Sullivan but this isn’t on him. It isn’t even on Steidten despite one or two questionable decisions in the transfer market left the midfield looking patchwork at best.
At the start of the season many were predicting we could achieve our aim of qualifying for Europe again.
The blame for our current situation lies solely with Lopetegui.
His plan has failed. Square pegs in round holes and an over complicated game plan the players either don’t understand or are unable to execute.
He either goes back to the drawing board or performances will not improve.
We all knew after last season the main focus for improving the team was to sort out the defence. He should have only worried about that at the start of the season and become more progressive once it was settled.
Whilst there are issues in the squad there is enough quality there to play a lot better. It’s on him to adapt his methods or intransigence will do for him what it did for Moyes last season.
The blame lies with Sullivan. No matter what propaganda is coming out the club. Steitden and noble warned him against the appointment. He sidelined them and listened to salthouse . Not many people are going to turn down £5 m a year and lopetegui cannot be blamed for that .
Gonzo I think you are completely missing the point.
There were lots of fans wanting Moyes out, that isn’t the issue i too thought he had nowhere left to take us. The point is that there was no one of any note or experience that was available to take his place and then take us to the next level, that is why we have ended up where we are.
The what was needed wasn’t the problem, the issue was the when. No one suitable available when we needed a replacement or not prepared to pay for them.
Well said.
Just because Moyes had run his course, does not mean Lopetegui was the right choice.
Conversely just because Lopetegui was a bad choice, does not mean keeping Moyes was the right thing to do.
Moyes had to go.
Lopetegui looks a bad choice.
Both of these statements can be true.
Key question is what happens now?
Seems people are too dumb to realise that they are two separate issues.
1. Moyes going. This needed to happen and even Moyes has said as much since leaving.
2. We have got the appointment that follows wrong. That doesn’t mean we should have kept the last manager. It means we should have appointed someone better.
This Moyes v Lopetegui thing shows just how stupid a lot of the fan base is.
They are not able to focus on the real issue which is Sullivan. He will always appoint the cheap option and will always be led by his agent mates when making decisions.
As long as he is the owner we will never make the RIGHT managerial appointment. Always the one he considers to be the safest choice from the dole queue.
Those fans who hounded out a manager that won a trophy , first in over forty years , now saying nothing to do with them , they wanted a new manager but not this one . The previous manager also produced the highest league positions in years , but of course along came Tim who was the darling of the disgruntled fans , so what of the players he brought in and where is Tim now . With the unhappy fans always someone to blame if not Moyes then Sullivan . When do these fans take responsibility for their part , if you change it needs to be positive , realistic and for the better . Sensible suggestions would be useful but instead always the blame game , ask BFS .