West Ham United look set to appoint Julen Lopetegui as their new manager ahead of David Moyes’ exit.
Less than 12 months after winning the European Conference League final in Prague, it has now turned sour for many at West Ham and it’s a shame about how things are going to end.
The results and style of football this season have left many fans frustrated, annoyed and frankly wanting a change for the better.
Days after getting thrashed by Chelsea, West Ham announced that David Moyes will leave at the end of the season and now it’s about giving him the send-off he deserves.
Julen Lopetegui was most recently at Wolves. He left them days before the start of the new season after suggesting that he could only take the squad so far, before being replaced by ex-Hammer, Gary O’Neil.
The Englishman has done a very good job at Molineux, given the circumstances he walked into, they are three points behind West Ham and many feel it’s a bad look on Lopetegui.
But Ian Wright was quick to defend the man who could take to the London Stadium dugout next. David Sullivan has been impressed by him.
The former striker noted that Lopetegui probably walked out of Wolves because he probably had ‘bigger plans’ in just wanting to sit 12th, where they currently are under O’Neil, and from that perspective, he was probably right to voice his disappointment at what he was provided, in terms of tools to work with.
Either way, Wright is ‘excited’ by the prospect of the former Real Madrid coming in and feels he should be given a chance, as he told Premier League Productions (06/05/24 at 2:50 pm).
Julen Lopetegui to replace David Moyes at West Ham United
“With Lopetegui and what we saw towards the end with Wolves. It felt a little bit harsh and he may have something to prove here. It really does depend on what West Ham want,” said Wright. “I am not sure who else West Ham can go for. Do they have a plan to go forward? Or do they just want someone else to come in and just try to get them somewhere else?
“A player will react to that when a manager says ‘I can’t take them any further’. You get someone like Gary O’Neil who comes in and he is a very good talker. Obviously, he is a very good coach as well. Off the back of a manager saying that he doesn’t think these lot are good enough to go somewhere else, he gives them the confidence and then they start playing. We see what Gary O’Neil does next season and the seasons carrying on.
“If we are talking about Lopetegui, then we are talking about somebody who had bigger plans for them (Wolves) in what he wanted to do and wanted that kind of backing. Even when you look at his record at Wolves, it’s 23 games. It’s not a lot of games. We haven’t really seen what he is capable of. We have seen that he has been at Real Madrid, a club of that stature. There is something about him, where he obviously has something. I am quite excited about him coming to a place like West Ham because it’s the kind of place where you aren’t going to be under immense pressure, apart from the fans wanting to see what are you going to do any differently to David Moyes, in respect to expansive football. Knowing West Ham fans, they don’t want much. I think Lopetegui can probably come and give West Ham that.”
West Ham United’s style of play
You feel this was a major reason behind Moyes leaving and how his defensive set-up just couldn’t get West Ham going.
Of the Premier League’s top ten sides this season, West Ham have conceded the most goals (70), and with the next worst being Bournemouth on 63, you feel that will remain the case after 38 matches.
READ MORE: Lopetegui called one West Ham star ‘really good’ and wanted £17m man at Wolves
Whilst the right call has been made to make a change, there is still huge pressure on Lopetegui next season with the style of play and results needing to be of European level.
Plus, he has to make sure his best players remain at the club, with sources telling HITC that Lucas Paqueta has his heart set on joining Manchester City.
But sources have also told HITC that the Hammers are keen on Tammy Abraham – the former Chelsea and Aston Villa star is currently playing for Roma.