West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui still hasn’t been sacked amazingly.
However, it’s surely only a matter of time before that happens.
Julen Lopetegui has overseen genuine regression since replacing David Moyes at West Ham.
That’s simply not good enough, and a significant majority at board level allegedly want him out the door.
The results have been equally as poor as the performances as a whole this season.
I cannot understand some people saying we played well against Leicester when we defended so poorly – that’s a key part of the game as well don’t you know!
The bottom line is that nobody knows what style the Hammers head coach is trying to implement at West Ham.
I don’t even think he knows himself!
If there were obvious early signs of a footballing identity that he was trying to instil at the club, then I’d be more than happy to give him plenty of time to turn things around.
However, that isn’t the case, and the Hammers owners need to move him on from the London Stadium as a matter of urgency.
One of four managers will replace Julen Lopetegui at West Ham
Lopetegui is a dead man walking right?
Even if he doesn’t get sacked this week, I think he’ll be moved on at some point before Christmas.
It’s clear to see he has lost the dressing room in my eyes, and his recent fall-out with Jean-Clair Todibo certainly didn’t help matters.
I have seldom seen a new manager come into a club and fail to change things at all on the pitch.
Last week’s win over Newcastle now looks like nothing more than a false dawn, and Lopetegui is walking on very thin ice now.
If he does get the sack, David Sullivan has four men in particular on his wish-list.
Graham Potter, Sergio Conceicao, Edin Terzic and Kasper Hjulmand are all listed as potential replacements for Lopetegui by talkSPORT’s Alex Crook.
Things are so bad at West Ham right now that I would take any of those names without a second thought.
Potter or Conceicao perfect Lopetegui replacements
My personal preference would be either Graham Potter or Sergio Conceicao.
Strangely, they both implement very different playing styles, with Potter keen on ball retention and flexible systems and Conceicao well-renowned for his high and intense press, but well organised and rigid system.
The Portuguese is a defensive specialist and likes his teams to hit opponents on the counter with explosive speed.
Meanwhile, Potter favours more of a patient approach to the game, and he would require the same from the Hammers fans if he gets the job.
Conceicao would make more of an instant impact in my eyes, whilst Potter would be the man if we’ve all got the stomach for a long-term project.
One thing is certain in my eyes, and that is that Julen Lopetegui is not the man we need to take West Ham to another level.
I’m just hoping that the board make a ruthless decision now, instead of sitting on their hands and allowing the season to drift off into oblivion.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
