Julen Lopetegui

Two More Games for Lopetegui | What’s the Point?

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I’m not entirely sure what it was about today’s Premier League results and their impact on West Ham that has me suddenly looking nervously below us at the relegation zone.

Perhaps it’s the fact that Crystal Palace earned an impressive point at Villa Park and still dropped into the EPL relegation zone. Maybe it’s the fact that 18th place is now only four points away, and our goal difference is no better than the teams around us.

But it’s far more likely Wolves’ resurgence, which has left me no longer confident that there are three teams significantly worse than West Ham, that has me worried.

For that reason, I think it’s incredibly important that, should the Hammers lose against Newcastle United on Monday, Julen Lopetegui should not be allowed to continue as head coach.

The club hierarchy has already squandered an excellent opportunity during the international break to allow any new coach time to bed in. Perhaps it was because the decision-makers at West Ham had faith that Lopetegui would finally translate his methods and tactics to the players given the luxury of two weeks on the training pitch—but I doubt it.

More likely, the Spaniard was retained out of hope rather than any real insight that he had turned a corner.

Of course, Lopetegui could surprise us all by beating Newcastle and going on a run that propels the team up the table. But if he doesn’t, he really does need to be relieved of his duties. A loss in the following game to Arsenal will leave West Ham precariously close to the relegation zone, and with teams below us improving, we no longer have the luxury of time.

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16 comments

  • rollercoaster hammer says:

    😆 true, yes…but i bet we couldn’t find a way to beat them

  • Ray says:

    I guess I am not very bright, so please explain.
    If West Ham win one of their next two games and then a further three out of four after that, how does that translate to Lopetegui surprising us? How do you explain the last five months, or don’t you want to? Why do you always talk like it would be his success and not the players? Why do you insist it takes six months to “settle in” but only two games to recover from disaster?

  • Hugh Jassoll says:

    I’m guessing the club didn’t want the new guy facing Newcastle and Arsenal his first two games, so he could try and build some momentum

    • rollercoaster hammer says:

      we were/are expected to lose both those games, so waiting 2 more weeks is just a waste of good time. a new or interim gaffer may have got a bounce performance from the players

  • Fed up with it all says:

    From what I’ve seen this season I haven’t seen a worse team than us.
    Ipswich have a style to there play and they all work there socks of for each other
    Wolves have been unlucky this season in the games I’ve seen them but there a team unlike us and they won’t be in any problems.
    Southampton play better football than us honestly under this Toby we ate going down

  • Cubbie says:

    Pointles… literally!! Get rid now and give the nee man extra games to keep us up . … Moyes, Roeder, Grant,Allerdyce.., OMG what s ****e show!!

  • jonny says:

    Im probably a lone voice but here we go…
    He inherited a weak old squad.
    The new transfers took ages to get over the line.
    So the pre season wasn’t ideal.
    There are too many cooks at West Ham who want to be patted on the back if things go well…Big egos..
    Someone should have taken the decision to buy/loan new players over the first two windows..Not cram it into one…
    There seems always a sense of desperation in everything that happens at the club..There is no element of calm….
    Getting rid of JL will just start the cycle again.
    Its will get worse under our current ownership..I wonder how much influence David Gold had because since his passing the rudder has well and truly come off.

    • 60sSupporter says:

      Good points here.

      Even a Moyes team at their best would likely not get a result away to the current Newcastle side. So it’s really no test: just an opportunIty to get rid if that’s what’s wanted.

  • Zahama says:

    I agree that not only should JLo be fired – he should never have been appointed

    Perhaps it is felt that it would be unfair to throw a new manager into the two tough fixtures (Newcastle and Arsenal) hence the wait

    We all hope to be soon looking up the table rather than down – hopefully Sully has learnt from the botched attempt to replace Avram Grant by Martin O’Neill and that we get it right this time

    COYI

  • Mogg says:

    Geo hit the nail on the head. Flopetegui stayed in England after Wolves for the money. A conman in waiting. Unfortunately he managed to pull little Dave’s pants down with a PowerPoint presentation and here we are. I really hope tomorrow is his last game.

  • Hammerpete6 says:

    On current form there are not three teams worse than us – arguably there are none. We have some ability, but no cohesion, no game plan in evidence, and a panicking manager thrashing about with big changes before and during every game. Imo it’s already too late for JLo.

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