Julen Lopetegui is shooting himself in the foot at West Ham amid claims of player unrest claims former Premier League star Darren Bent.
The heat is on Julen Lopetegui at West Ham and he’s running out of time and friends.
West Ham’s owners publicly backed the Spaniard after the 3-0 defeat at Forest.
But it’s being reported that privately two managers have been put on standby to replace him.
Everton at home this weekend is being billed as a must-win for West Ham.
However, top Hammers reporter Roshane Thomas believes only a convincing victory will be enough to save Lopetegui going into the two-week international break.
Central to the 57-year-old’s problems in east London appears to be player unrest.
The likes of Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez have been seen reacting angrily towards the manager when substituted.
Lopetegui had a much-publicised bust-up with star player Mohammed Kudus at Brentford.
Kudus took exception to being singled out for criticism and had to be restrained before being substituted at half-time.
There has been noticeable indiscipline on the pitch too.
Lopetegui has completely insulted West Ham star says Bent
Alvarez was sent off for the second time this season at the weekend.
The Mexican walked right past Lopetegui as he left the field. But the manager blanked Alvarez and refused to mention him by name after the game.
Alvarez then rather tellingly left the manager out of his apology for letting down his fans and teammates.
It came two weeks after Kudus had complete head loss at Spurs – earning him a three-game ban that’s likely to be extended.
Ahead of the Man United game, it was claimed many West Ham players are ‘unconvinced’ by the manager.
Comments from both captain Jarrod Bowen and the club’s most senior player Lukasz Fabianski in the last week have suggested reports of unrest have some substance.
One of Lopetegui’s former players has even spoke out to say he is ‘uninspiring’ to play for.
He has constantly chopped and changed his formations and team selections since arriving at West Ham.
Many feel it is a sign he still doesn’t have a clue what his best team looks like four months into the job.
One former Premier League star is not surprised there’s unrest.
Particularly given the way Lopetegui is treating certain individuals.
Lopetegui has completely insulted a star who’s his only option in a key position at West Ham says Darren Bent.
Antonio decision a ‘bad indictment’ on West Ham situation
West Ham’s top priority in the summer was signing the right striker.
The club looks to have got that badly wrong with their decision to sign 31-year-old Niclas Fullkrug, though.
Questions were raised over the striker’s age, injury record and lack of pace.
And since arriving Fullkrug has made just three brief Premier League sub appearances before picking up a serious Achilles and calf injury that has kept him out for two months with no return timeframe.
That’s left West Ham with ageing duo Michail Antonio and Danny Ings as their only striker options.
So once again soon-to-be 35-year-old Antonio has been leading the line for the Hammers.
Until Saturday, when he was surprisingly dropped with Lucas Paqueta played as a false nine instead.
The random new tactic completely backfired.
And Bent believes it won’t do Lopetegui any favours in an already unsettled dressing room.
“Do you know what? That’s a bad indictment on Antonio,” Bent said on talkSPORT.
“Because clearly what Lopetegui is basically saying is that even though you play centre-forward, I favour someone else playing – who doesn’t play down the middle – better than you because you don’t give me anything.”
Going forwards, West Ham actually caused Forest more problems in the second half when Antonio came on, despite being down to 10 men.
Antonio’s record hardly makes him irresistible. He has just one goal in 10 appearances this season.
But given the Fullkrug situation, he is the only realistic option up front.
For him to be dropped against his old club, where he would have been fired up to impress, shows a complete lack of awareness from Lopetegui.
He certainly paid the price for his tinkering with the heavy defeat.
Another one of those this weekend and he may pay the ultimate price.
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