West Ham fans who ‘hounded out David Moyes’ could now turn on Lopetegui – ex-CEO
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has suggested Julen Lopetegui must turn form around at West Ham or his reign at the club “won’t end well”.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – suggested Irons chiefs could make a change between Christmas and Easter in 2025 if Lopetegui is not matching their expectations.
West Ham have picked up four points from a possible 15 to start the 2024-25 campaign under the Spanish boss, who replaced David Moyes in the off-season.
The London club lost against rivals Chelsea 3-0 in a meek display at the London Stadium on Saturday (21 September).
Lopetegui was backed with the signings of players like Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Guido Rodriguez in the summer window.
Lopetegui’s West Ham future could be re-evaluated after Christmas, says Wyness
Wyness, who is well connected across Premier League boardrooms including the Londoners, insisted the West Ham fans are “notorious for not being that patient”.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It’s a very disappointing start.
“The crowd, certainly when they lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea, are very dissatisfied.
“This is the crowd who hounded David Moyes out last season. They’re notorious for not being that patient.
“They expected more from Lopetegui. He’s been given a decent squad, but it’s a very bad start.
“It’s still early days. We’ll see where they sit around Christmas time.
“The confidence in the manager isn’t quite there, so it’s not good signs.
“If the fans start to turn against the team, it won’t end well.
“Between Christmas and Easter, if things don’t turn around, that’s when it will be crunch time for Lopetegui’s job.
“They’ve had a tough start with the fixture list, but after Christmas, they will be a club to keep an eye on.”
In other news, West Ham fans annihilate Lucas Paqueta.
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