Media reaction to West Ham’s decision to replace David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui has not been particularly complimentary until now.
It is fair to say there was no red carpet treatment for Julen Lopetegui when it was announced he would succeed David Moyes at West Ham.
Initial reaction from Hammers fans to the appointment was lukewarm after links to “sexier” names such as Ruben Amorim.
Most managers get a period of grace when they take over at a new club.
And while West Ham fans will certainly get behind Lopetegui and give him every chance to implement a new style with his raft of new players, the wider media had been piling the pressure on before a ball was even kicked in anger.
Many Hammers fans have warmed to Lopetegui since his appointment. The proof of the pudding, as always, will be in the eating.
But supporters are knowledgeable enough to appreciate this team will be a work in progress initially.
Initial media analysis, on the whole, was pretty scathing with judgement of Lopetegui undeniably tainted by the way he left Wolves last summer.
A host of journalists, pundits, ex players and even some club legends warned Lopetegui is the wrong appointment for West Ham.
Troy Deeney predicted Lopetegui could be sacked by the Hammers after just 10 games.
Redknapp sees clear signs of West Ham progress under Lopetegui
And Simon Jordan insists the ex Spain boss SHOULD be sacked if West Ham don’t play better football under him given that was a big reason for parting ways with Moyes.
In the summer Sky Sports’s chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol said the Hammers board want fans to fans to give Lopetegui a year before judging him.
The club, rather oddly, did not disclose the length of the 57-year-old’s contract when he was officially unveiled.
It has since been confirmed by insiders it is a two-year deal with an interesting caveat which triggers a third year.
There’s no hiding the fact Lopetegui is under pressure at West Ham from the start. Not only because he is succeeding Moyes, whose many friends in the media have been warning the club and its fans to ‘be careful what you wish for’.
It is fair to say Lopetegui’s start has been mixed. West Ham have ridden their luck in every game they’ve played so far but have managed two wins and two defeats from their first four.
Consecutive defeats at home to Aston Villa and Man City have put a bit of a dampener on pre-season excitement following a host of impressive signings.
‘Fixture list unkind for new Hammers era but it will get better’
But there have been glimpses of promise with West Ham recording higher possession and passing stats than they had become used to under Moyes.
Combining style with substance will ultimately be the yardstick by which Lopetegui is measured.
Some observers claim to see little evidence of that thus far.
But one leading Sky Sports pundit is not one of them.
Jamie Redknapp says he has seen clear signs of West Ham progress under Lopetegui after a tough start.
Redknapp believes there was not a great deal in the two defeats the Irons have suffered.
And the son of former West Ham player and manager Harry says there is already plenty of promise for the new era.
“Look the fixture list has been unkind to them,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports News.
“Aston Villa at home, who were in the top four last season, in the first game of the season and obviously Manchester City at home, it hasn’t been easy.
“And what Lopetegui will be thinking is ‘make this place a fortress, make them fall in love with my team and the way I want to play and the style’.
“I think we will see it a bit more as they play against other sides. But it’s been two tough, tough games – we’ve had them both live on Sky.
Redknapp has already noticed a shift at West Ham
“There wasn’t a great deal in the Aston Villa game and certainly (vs Man City) they had their moments. They had 10 shots on goal – the most they’ve had against Man City since 2016. There’s a lot of positives but they’ve just got to keep working on it.
“When you’ve got players like (Mohammed) Kudus, (Jarrod) Bowen and (Lucas) Paqueta, you’ve got to give them the licence to go and perform and play with freedom.
“He left out (Tomas) Soucek which is a bit of a shift as well because Soucek was obviously a mainstay under David Moyes and that gives you a little bit of a different style as well.
“They’ve got the midfield player from PSG (Carlos Soler) who can come in and do something. It’s going to take a little bit of time, he’s just come into the club but the fixture list will get easier. Because the two they’ve had to start at home doesn’t get much tougher.”
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