Julen Lopetegui is treading on very thin ice at West Ham United right rnow.
Sure, Julen Lopetegui was given some leeway by the West Ham board ahead of the game against Bournemouth on Monday and the upcoming clash with Brighton on Saturday.
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However, a defeat to the Seagulls and failure to win away at Southampton on Boxing Day may well spell the end of Lopetegui’s West Ham tenure.
The 58-year-old has failed miserably since taking over at the London Stadium in the summer, especially when considering how much money he spent in the transfer window.
If he is moved on, the likes of Max Allegri and Maurizio Sarri are being lined up to replace him.
However, there is another name on the Hammers owners’ wish-list, and it really doesn’t fill me with much excitement.
The West Ham board have to get the next managerial appointment spot on, but one name being linked with us is giving me serious concerns.
German replacing Julen Lopetegui would be terrible for West Ham
Despite slight recent improvements, Lopetegui is still very much a man under pressure.
And if he is moved on, German free agent Roger Schmidt is said to be one man who could replace him.
However, appointing the 57-year-old would be a terrible decision from the Hammers board in my opinion.
The German isn’t a young, up and coming hungry manager, nor is he a particularly likeable character it seems.
He has a history of clashing with fans, after he refused to apologise for his side’s 5-0 defeat to Porto back in March (Scottish Sun).
Schmidt has clashed with his players in the past as well, most recently when he banished key man Orkun Kökçü from the squad.
The last thing we need is another abrasive manager to come into the club whenever Lopetegui leaves.
The Spaniard has already fallen out with Mohammed Kudus, Jean-Clair Todibo and Edson Alvarez!
New route needed at West Ham after Lopetegui era
West Ham desperately need a proper motivator of men – someone who can extract the best from his players.
The new manager will ideally implement an attractive brand of football but also have a few trophies to his name, and importantly, have an amiable personality.
The West Ham players have found it tricky to form a close bond with Lopetegui, as have the fans, due to his standoffish approach to press conferences and his abrasive nature in general.
Roger Schmidt is far too similar to Julen Lopetegui for my liking, and West Ham must avoid moving for the German at all costs.
Maurizio Sarri, Sebastien Hoeness or Thomas Frank would be my ideal choices. However, I think we all know that David Sullivan will only be looking at free agents.
So perhaps Sarri is the only realistic name from that list above.
One thing’s for sure though – I don’t want to see West Ham go anywhere near Roger Schmidt – it would be a real backward step from the club as far as I’m concerned.
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