Hammers director Jack Sullivan has revealed what he has told new boss Julen Lopetegui about his West Ham expectations.
Whether he likes it or not, Julen Lopetegui comes in at West Ham as a man under pressure.
On the face of it, replacing David Moyes and improving the team should not be an insurmountable task.
There were just five wins in 25 games for West Ham in 2024.
The Hammers conceded 74 goals – the most the club has ever shipped in a Premier League season.
West Ham ended the campaign 17th in the form table for this year and the fanbase had grown completely fed up of the style of play and approach under Moyes.
Fill your boots Lopetegui one might think.
But the 57-year-old Spaniard has not been a universally popular choice by any stretch.
Lopetegui under pressure to make an impact
Many West Ham fans worry he might not be the modern, innovative, attack-minded coach to take the team to a new level.
Ruben Amorim, Paulo Fonseca and Thomas Tuchel were preferred candidates for a lot of supporters.
Some have warmed to the idea of Lopetegui, though, after hearing from the ex Spain boss about his ambitions and plans.
Media reaction to his appointment has, on the whole been pretty scathing. Although at times ill-informed.
The likes of Troy Deeney believe Lopetegui could be sacked after just 10 games.
The way he walked out on Wolves and the fact Moyes has many friends in the press warning the club to ‘be careful what they wish for’ has piled pressure on Lopetegui from the start.
Not only to get results but play a better brand of football.
Sullivan on what he has told Lopetegui about expectations
Chief Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol recently said the Hammers board had told him they want fans to give Lopetegui a year before judging him.
West Ham rather bizarrely refused to make Lopetegui’s contract length public when announcing he was their 18th permanent boss in 129 years.
But it has been claimed it is a two-year deal with an interesting caveat which triggers a third year – qualification for Europe.
There is a mad managerial merry-go-round just starting to whirr into gear across European football this summer.
As a result, some fans feel David Sullivan and co should have waited a little longer to see who was available before making a decision on Moyes’ replacement.
Now his son Jack Sullivan, a West Ham director himself, has been discussing the appointment.
And Sullivan has lifted the lid on what he has told Lopetegui about West Ham expectations.
‘He’s very much up for the challenge’
“I met Julen last week for the first time and he seems very much up for the challenge and full of energy,” Sullivan told The Sports Agents podcast.
“And as I said to him ‘We’ve got a few weeks (advantage) on everyone else so there’s no excuse to not have a good pre-season!’ which is good.
“He’s come with a great pedigree and a point to prove as well after leaving Wolves a bit more prematurely than he would have liked.
“He’s been with Spain, Real Madrid, won the Europa League with Sevilla and we’re excited to work with him…
“My personal expectation, I think that we should be in and around those (European) spaces with the wages we’re paying and the salaries. No (you’re right) we weren’t (that far off last season).
“I don’t want to say that (Lopetegui has to get West Ham into Europe) because it’s very difficult like for all we know lots of variables could happen, there could be players that get injured for large parts of the season.”
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