By Sean Whetstone
It has been a long and interesting forty-eight hours in the West Ham news business.
Unofficially the media are being briefed that no decision has been made on David Moyes and won’t be until the end of the season to concentrate on the four remaining games.
Actions speak louder than words and the media are not buying that line with everyone convinced West Ham to dispense with David Moyes’s services when his contract expires at the end of June. His only lifeline seems to be an unlikely record fourth qualification for Europe or no suitable options to take over from him.
Forty-eight hours ago the story coming out of Italty was Julen Lopetegui was one step away from being appointed West Ham manager this summer but this was denied by a club source saying nothing has been agreed and no direct talks with West Ham had taken place, it appears he is on a list but premature at this stage to suggest he is the frontrunner.
Lopetegui’s assistant manager Edu Rubio does have a West Ham connection having been an assistant manager under Paul Konchesky at West Ham Women in 2022 before joining Lopetegui at Wolves.
Twenty-four hours ago came the news that West Ham had allegedly chartered a jet for Rúben Amorim to London, this was later backtracked to clarify neither West Ham nor David Sullivan paid for the said jet. Amorim and his agent made a quick pit stop in London which was leaked to the media in what appeared to be some kind of agent pantomime which may have backfired on them.
Agent sources confirmed to Claret and Hugh today there was ‘almost zero chance’ of West Ham landing Rúben Amorim while club sources refused to comment on speculation.
The Sporting Lisbon manager is thought to have a buy-out clause of 20 million Euros or £17.1m for Premier League clubs who have not qualified for Champions League football.
David Sullivan has never paid compensation for an incoming manager in his decades in football for both Birmingham and West Ham with Manuel Pellegrini buying out his contract in China. The story was probably a welcome distraction for the club taking the heat off the Crystal Palace defeat, David Moyes and the board for a brief moment.
Paulo Fonseca is another name that is frequently linked with a move to West Ham but we understand the Hammers have yet to make any formal approach or have any talks, that news comes as it emerges that Fonsecca is now reportedly on Liverpool’s shortlist. The current Lille manager is one of the many names considered to replace Jurgen Klopp, with Ruben Amorim no longer being an option says Anfield Watch.
Former West Ham assistant coach Edin Terzić has been considered and rejected as a potential replacement for David Moyes should the West Ham manager role become available. The Borussia Dortmund manager has guided his German club to a Champions League semi-final and fifth in the Bundesliga as it stands.
With no interest in Jose Mourinho, Graham Potter and Will Still and no interest from Thomas Tuchel in West Ham, this story has a long way to go.
If we keep waiting, we will end up with a Manager that was not in anybody’s first choice list. Competent and successful Managers that want to work for West Ham are not common. If we are going to get someone new, we should do it sooner rather than later.
We are 2 points of 7th with Newcastle currently losing and 3 points of 6th. All this talk of European qualification being unlikely is utter rubbish.
Agreed……..anything can happen for now
Liverpool although losing their last two have only lost once at Stratford in their last 7 visits, Moyes has never won at Stamford Bridge in what, 25 plus attempts and City away with them probably needing a win to win the Prem – Luton possibly still fighting for their Premiership survival – can’t see too many points there??
Frankly, if West Ham are publicly interviewing for the manager’s job, it’s one helluva shameful disrespect to David Moyes who is still employed by the club. If the stories are manufactured by the sports media, then as usual they’re stooping as low as they possibly can.
I believe that Moyes has already told David Sullivan that he won’t be signing the new deal, so it will never be a case of Sullivan having to let him go.