Supporters are furious West Ham are persisting with Julen Lopetegui but the reason why may just get them back onside.
- Hammers News exclusive
Julen Lopetegui seems to be like a cat with nine lives at West Ham.
Even then he is getting dangerously close to using them all up in what’s been a dismal first half season in charge of the Hammers.
The Spaniard has failed miserably to get West Ham moving in a positive direction since taking over from David Moyes.
Make no mistake the malaise at the London Stadium set in long before Lopetegui’s arrival.
But that is the whole reason he is here in the first place.
West Ham won just five of their Premier League games under Moyes in the second half of last season.
They’ve managed six in the first half of this under Lopetegui.
The team is no better to watch – some would argue the Hammers are in fact worse.
And the Irons still ship chances and goals to the opposition for fun – as evidenced in the latest dismal 5-0 drubbing to Liverpool which could have been double figures.
As a former Spain and Real Madrid boss, it was expected Lopetegui would bring a certain level of tactical sophistication to West Ham that was superior to Moyes.
However, West Ham just appear to be more naïve than ever.
The most worrying thing of all is that the soft underbelly their former manager made his mission to rid West Ham of has returned with a vengeance in 2024 and doesn’t look like hardening any time soon.
After £155m was spent to improve the team in the summer, it’s been shockingly underwhelming.
Apathy setting in over Lopetegui at West Ham
West Ham fans aren’t even angry anymore.
Fury which saw the club’s hardcore away support chant for Lopetegui to be sacked during the shambolic 3-1 defeat at Leicester, has turned to apathy.
That is the killer of many a football club.
So West Ham’s owners should be worried as they may soon be counting the cost of fan disenchantment by virtue of supporters voting with their feet.
Every time Lopetegui has come close to being sacked so far, his alleged must-win game tends to pit West Ham against one of the worst, most out of form teams in the Premier League.
A plethora of managers have been linked as replacements for the 58-year-old.
From Edin Terzic, Roger Schmidt and – now Milan-bound – Sergio Conceicao to Graham Potter, who is on standby to take over on a short-term deal.
At this stage supporters believe it would be difficult for anyone to do much worse than Lopetegui.
So there is understandable bewilderment that he remains in the Hammers hotseat.
But the real reason West Ham haven’t sacked Lopetegui yet will excite angry fans as a journalist doubles down on the grand plan.
Real reason West Ham haven’t sacked Lopetegui yet will excite
Earlier this month Hammers News revealed a six-way board split in the West Ham hierarchy on who should succeed Lopetegui.
A journalist source close to the situation revealed the different camps have been championing contrasting candidates.
Technical director Tim Steidten was said to want compatriots Edin Terzic or Roger Schmidt.
Vice-chairman Karren Brady was pushing hard for Potter – who is very close friends with her husband Paul Peschisolido.
Sporting director Mark Noble, whose role now focuses primarily on West Ham’s Academy, preferred Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick.
And two unnamed agents described as “influential” figures in West Ham’s decision-making wanted Christophe Galtier and Max Allegri.
After lifting the lid on the board split, it was then claimed that majority owner David Sullivan was in favour of a caretaker manager plan should Lopetegui be fired.
That being Potter taking the reins for the rest of the season to be reviewed but ultimately with the idea of appointing former Juventus boss Allegri in the summer.
Sullivan was spotted sat alongside influential agent Will Salthouse during West Ham’s draw with Brighton last week.
Sullivan holding out for Allegri
Now Graeme Bailey has told Hammers News that Italian tactician Allegri very much remains Sullivan’s ultimate preferred choice.
“Potter is ready to take the job – he wants it and is willing to do it until end of season,” Bailey told Hammers News.
“I am told Lopetegui essentially had a free hit against Liverpool – although losing by five does make things a bit different.
“I think the Palace and Fulham games are the big ones coming.
“But Sullivan really wants to wait until the summer – and he really likes Allegri.”
Allegri was recently seen in London for an extended period while he took intensive English lessons.
It was recently claimed by a leading Sky Sports European football experts that was because Allegri is being lined up for the Hammers.
The Hammers and Allegri have allegedly held productive talks in the background.
It was claimed the Italian wants the West Ham job, but not halfway through the season.
Allegri also refused to deny talks with West Ham when ducking out of an interview using his new-found grasp of English.
If the Hammers are holding fire on Lopetegui so they can appoint Allegri in the summer, then it could be well worth the wait.
The 57-year-old has won six Serie A titles amongst the 14 major trophies on his impressive CV.
Allegri has also twice been runner-up in the Champions League final.
Should Sullivan’s grand plan come together, West Ham would be Allegri’s first managerial role outside of Italy.
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