You have to hand it to West Ham head coach Julen Lopeteguiâhe’s a survivor.
Yesterday, I wrote a blog suggesting that Tim Steidten had won the power battle raging behind the scenes at the London Stadium.
However, it seems that, just like the Hammersâ director of football, I underestimated Lopetegui’s powers of persuasion. We were always told the Spaniard could interview brilliantly, and one can only assume he used those same silver-tongued levels of persuasion to cling to his West Ham job.
Quite how he bewitched the interviewing board members into giving him “one last chance” is a mystery, and I suspect he scraped through on a vote by the smallest of margins.
Lopetegui clearly has reserves of resilience, self-belief, and an incredibly thick skinâwhich heâll need over the next few days. To say that he is no longer wanted by some players and staff at the Rush Green training ground would be an understatement.
The last 72 hours have seen a lot of sniping, as ‘sources’ close to the training ground have sought to undermine Lopetegui with increasingly detailed accusations of player rows and tactical incompetence.
Navigating an environment where he is not welcome is one thing, but believing he has the tactical safe code to crack the combination requires self-belief of epic proportions.
Clearly, the former Real Madrid coachâs tactical beliefs have been compromised by his attempts to play on the front foot, so it will be fascinating to see how he fares against his former club Wolves.
He’s a brave man for backing himself too, because if he fails, the London Stadium will be a horrible place for Lopetegui and his supporters in the boardroom. It’s a huge gamble for all concernedâI certainly wouldnât want to be in his shoes this week.
Sell the club, sell the club, sell the club you old bum.
Sell the club, sell the club, sell the club you are dumb.
Sell the club, sell the club, we want to have fun!!!!!!!
“increasingly detailed accusations of player rows and tactical incompetence.”
Can you share these details?
Tim Steidten in charge? That did not work out too well with Nani in charge and Zola being the ‘manager’. Anyone remember? Gonzo?
I said before the Leicester game that I hope we tank that one for the better good of the club, assuming a loss would see Loppy sacked. We lost and, surprise surprise, silly Sully still didn’t sack him!
So now I’m calling for the team to tank against Wolves and hope that works, that he’ll be sacked immediately after the game. Otherwise he’ll get another two game extension from silly Sully. It’s Football Club Ownership for Dummies!
All the time Mr Toad oems the club we will be in turmoil. As for this so called manager dies anyone understand what he talks about. He just has to go . To even think about giving him another chance against Wolves is unthinkable.
On a Lopetegui in person note he looks dreadful, tics and twitches galore and looked dishevelled at Leicester. Have the board considered that angle ? We just don’t know.
Knowing Sullyâs tightness, Loppy has probably promised to just walk away without compensation if we lose on Monday. Knowing it will be difficult to lose to wolves even with our poor form. I just canât see the players bothering if the all the rumours of discontent in the group are true. The shambles goes onâŚâŚâŚ
silver tongued he may be, but in Loppetieze not English.
I doubt that he talked the board round to hanging in. They – or some of them – were always going to do this.
He needs to be gonzo asap.
How did he convince the boardroom simple he got the whiteboard out and marked on it this is what it will cost you to get rid of me and my teaam and the cost of employing a new manager and his team.
Vote unanimous he stays!
I was looking forward to beating Wolves with Lopetegui gone. Now Iâm not, in fear of another lacklustre performance
Maybe BFS claims that he could manage Real Madrid etc weren’t as much BS as we thought if this tool did it.
Gone yesterday Noble in charge Mon if no direct successor was the ONLY option for those eith an iota of sanity…….hang on, it’s our board isn’t it? Second biggest mistake after appointing the clown in the first place.
He can, and will, bring the entire place to its knees if he’s not gone immediately following Monday.
For one of the very few times in living memory I want to witness a humiliation for us on Monday for the better good. Short term intense pain to get this moron out.
Seems that and empty seats us the only language the board will understand.
As they say, âYou couldnât make it upâ itâs become a complete farce! And what is he trying to prove by staying! Any man with a little bit of self respect would resign. So would the board.
Jimmy, you’ve answered your own point in the last two sentences.
The only remaining question for me is what the difference is between hiz situation here and Wolves? He walked then, but oddly not now? Compo?
I think he walked at Woves because they didnât back him in the transfer market. He canât really say that after the money we spent in the summer.
I donât care how silver tongued he is in meetings/interviews. He should be judged on results and performance. Quite simply the board have bottled it.
We can all chant âyouâre getting sacked in the morningâ at the manager, but until that anger is directed at the board, theyâll remain gutless.