Julen Lopetegui’s days look numbered at West Ham, with the club reportedly exploring other options, though they still back him for now. While it’s rare for Sullivan to sack a manager before the end of his contract, calls from Hammers fans to let Lopetegui go have grown louder.
Fabrizio Romano stated earlier today that “Lopetegui is under heavy scrutiny.”
Journalist Roshane Thomas also wrote on Saturday, “I don’t think Lopetegui is capable of turning this around. He was the wrong appointment. This team has regressed, has no identity, the players look despondent, and the formation/tactics are questionable.”
Indeed, Thomas is not alone in his view. West Ham’s head coach seems to be repeatedly apologising to fans, reaffirming that his team must do better, yet signs of improvement have been few.
The board ideally wants an experienced coach, effectively ruling out options like Edin Terzic, Michael Carrick, Kjetil Knutsen, and Will Still, who may be seen as gambles. Terzic’s spell at Borussia Dortmund, however, suggests this gamble could be worth it; he qualified for Champions League football, finished 5th, and reached the Champions League final last season, where they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid.
Terzic has been named as a possible replacement
Other names linked to the role include Jose Mourinho, currently managing Fenerbahce.
Graham Potter, the bookmakers’ favorite, is a free agent and checks many boxes. Despite his plaudits at Brighton, his win ratio was only 31.1% before joining Chelsea, where he was sacked in April 2023 with a 38.71% win ratio.
Ex-England manager Gareth Southgate has also been mentioned and is reportedly open to a return to club management.
Carlos Corberan at WBA has previously interested the board, yet, being Spanish and an ex-goalkeeper, he bears similarities to Lopetegui.
Brendan Rodgers has been suggested as well; however, currently at Celtic, pundit Chris Sutton stated on 606 that this would be a “step down” for Rodgers.
Paulo Fonseca might also soon be available. The Portuguese manager, currently at AC Milan, has experienced mixed results, with the Italian giants currently in eighth place. He was heavily linked to West Ham in the summer and was on a shortlist compiled by Steidten. In fact, Sullivan met Fonseca in 2018, but he reportedly declined the role, leading the club to hire Manuel Pellegrini.
The big outsider could be Rafael Benitez, whose stock has fallen after unsuccessful stints at Everton and Celta Vigo.
Other free agents the club might consider include Max Allegri (formerly of Juventus), Maurizio Sarri, Sergio Conceicao, or, perhaps more ambitiously, Xavi, who has had real success with Barcelona.
After supporting the current West Ham coach with nine new signings, expectations were higher for this season. Although the board has publicly backed Lopetegui for now, with fan discontent growing, it appears to be not a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’ the club will make its decision. Just this morning Claret and Hugh’s highly placed source at the club confirmed the stakes couldn’t be higher – the Everton game in six days is now a ‘must-win’ for Lopetegui.
Sullivan out. That is the answer. Anything else is akin to rearranging the deck chairs aboard the TITANIC.
His presence is a scourge upon all Hammers past and present. His visage is a sickening reminder of his overwhelming incompetence.
That is all.
You support any manager if you understand what they are trying to and it makes sense – even if the results aren’t good. Lopetegui changes tactics every week, often in the game. He picks out of form players and plays players in the wrong positions. Seems to be a scattergun approach which is confusing to fans and the players aren’t understanding it either. Their frustrations going onto bad discipline. Every game seems like a car crash of random events, it’s impossible to get behind this and support the team. Lopetegui doesn’t help himself by ever explaining anything clearly, its always the same words about disappointment and needing to work hard to change for the next game. Next game different tactics again same car crash. In basic terms he isn’t up to the job
No point in getting rid of him if sullivan is the main person choosing his replacement because it will be the same **** with a different name and God forbid if Southgate gets it.
Moyes and Southgate are like 2 peas in a pod.
No thank you.
Don’t think much of him but if we win against Everton he will actually be two points up on the games against the same teams last season so he is no worse than Moyes league wise on last season at the moment.
The board ideally wants an experienced coach. May as well just given Moyes what he wanted and kept him
When will the board (Sullivan ) ever learn.
Why is it numerous other clubs in the pl are able to appoint younger progressive coaches and do quite well with less resources. Whilst we underachieving with more ?
Get out
Moyes was a busted flush . But the incompetent dwarf has given DM supporters daylight in the proverbial dark corner . Appointing lopetegui.
Can we just loose the Everton game in order to get rid of J-Lo. He is clearly deluded in his starting line up and team formation. Enough is enough, thankyou and good bye.
A lot of names mentioned are very worrying BUT Lops is totally clueless – if we bear Everton does that make him a good manager, then ? of course it doesn’t and it will delay the inevitable which will surely happen after we get caned by Newcastle and Arsenal after the International Break……
Other Premier League clubs have pretty good Spanish managers or coaches. However West Ham seem to have recruited Manuel the Spanish waiter from Fawlty Towers!
Mr Sullivan, as the saying goes, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys!
My Nan could do a better job and she’s been dead 25 years ….
It’s the same old story Sullivan continues to back a manager that is not up to the job until so much damage has been done that we end up losing our best players and if JL isn’t sacked now we will be in a relegation fight to stay in the premier league JL Doesn’t have a clue what he is doing which is plain to see the players are at a loss to know how they are supposed to be playing on the pitch his decision making is suspect to say the least takes off a player that could give us some hope and let’s a certain player stay on the pitch even though he is a liability if mr Sullivan wants to see the team playing in a empty stadium he’s going the right way about it MR SULLIVAN stop trying to save face and admit you got it wrong and sack JL NOW
Mark noble could at least galvanise them, with someone alongside him, until they can find someone.
We look a proper shambles compared to all the other teams..