Julen Lopetegui sack latest: ‘Huge’ West Ham update
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is under pressure to keep his job as a loss against Leicester could have big implications for his future.
Lopetegui is now under intense scrutiny as the Irons prepare to face Leicester on Tuesday – in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first match as Foxes boss.
The Guardian are reporting that the Hammers are wasting no time drawing up their list of successors should the club slip to defeat against the newly promoted side with former Porto boss Sergio Conceicao top of their wish-list.
This is after Football Insider reported Julen Lopetegui would ease the pressure on his position as the West Ham manager if he can earn results against Newcastle and Arsenal. The Hammers secured an impressive 2-0 victory against the Magpies but suffered a heavy 5-2 thrashing to Arsenal in their following match.
The Irons were 4-0 down inside 36 minutes against the Gunners and fans were pouring out of the London Stadium in the first half. That was their sixth league defeat of the season and they now sit just six points above the relegation zone in 14th place in the Premier League table.
David Sullivan needs to sack West Ham boss Lopetegui
Football Insider opinion
Despite his credentials and previous success at Sevilla, where he won a Europa League title, the challenges of managing in the Premier League are proving to be a difficult hurdle for the Spanish coach.
Make no mistake. Lopetegui is in huge peril and is fighting for his life at West Ham to keep his job.
After winning just four of his first 13 league games Lopetegui is under intense pressure at West Ham, and it seems increasingly likely that his position as manager could be snatched away in the near future.
West Ham have spent more than £100 million on players and they hoped that this investment – along with the change of manager from David Moyes to former Wolves boss Lopetegui – would take them on to the next level.
A glaring issue for the Hammers is their attackers failing to score goals, something that has plagued them in recent matches. Jarrod Bowen has scored just three Premier League goals this season, while Michail Antonio has netted only once, far below expectations for two of the Irons’ key attacking players.
In order to achieve success West Ham need a new manager that injects life and a new tactical philosophy into the squad as Lopetegui cannot seem to get the best out of his talented squad.
In other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a defender in January.
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