Here’s why West Ham co-owner David Sullivan cannot sack Julen Lopetegui until November 30th

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West Ham United chief David Sullivan might just be wondering whether he made a huge mistake by appointing Julen Lopetegui in the summer.

It could be argued that things have got a lot worse since, and that’s saying something, given West Ham‘s struggles during the second half of last season.

Julen Lopetegui was handed a two year contract by David Sullivan five months ago, but the Hammers co-owner has been extremely underwhelmed by the Spaniard so far.

There is a lot of toxicity at the London Stadium right now, and that all stems from the ineptitude of the Hammers head coach.

Sullivan made the cheap appointment in the summer when he could have gone all out for someone like Ruben Amorim, Thomas Frank or Marco Silva.

Now the West Ham co-owner is surely regretting his choice.

Whilst the board apparently remain in support of Lopetegui, they have made it very clear to him that results must improve quickly.

I personally think that Lopetegui won’t be in charge at the London Stadium for much longer – just 18 more days to be precise.

David Sullivan must sack Julen Lopetegui on November 30th

There has been a clamour for Lopetegui to be sacked over the past few weeks.

I have actually been leading calls for his dismissal – it’s clear to see that he has no idea how to turn things around at West Ham.

With two weeks to come before our next game, many fans are suggesting that now is the perfect time to sack him.

However, I disagree…

Sullivan must wait until November 30th at the earliest before he pulls the trigger and gets rid of Lopetegui.

The Hammers face clashes with Newcastle and Arsenal immediately after the international break.

The last thing West Ham need to do is bring in a new manager before those two games – matches we will inevitably lose.

However, once those fixtures are out of the way, Sullivan has to act.

New manager bounce crucial for West Ham heading into Christmas

After the Arsenal clash on November 30th, the Hammers face games against Leicester, Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton.

That fixture list up until Boxing Day is about as kind as you will get in the Premier League.

A new manager coming in just a few days before the Leicester game would be perfect as far as I’m concerned.

If we got someone like Graham Potter, Jose Mourinho, Maurizio Sarri or Sergio Conceicao at the start of next month, I’d be confident of a 10 point return from those five games.

Make no mistake about it, the Hammers need to embark on that kind of run very soon, if we are to have any chance whatsoever of finishing inside the top seven.

The Hammers lack a clear and obvious footballing identity right now, and that in itself is the most damning criticism of Lopetegui’s reign so far.

David Sullivan needs to make a big call and part ways with Julen Lopetegui if West Ham are to enjoy a successful 2024/25 season, but not until November 30th.