There are already murmurings behind the scenes at West Ham regarding manager Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten.
Is it realistic to expect a new manager to transform the style and results at West Ham in six games?
Particularly after a squad overhaul of no less than 21 players in one summer.
That’s the question being asked at West Ham right now regarding Julen Lopetegui.
So far the Spaniard has provided little evidence to suggest the answer to that question is ‘yes’.
West Ham have recorded just one win, a draw and three defeats in the Premier League under Lopetegui so far.
The Hammers did beat Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup to set up a daunting third round clash at Liverpool.
But Saturday’s dismal 3-0 drubbing by Chelsea last time out means the club has lost its first three home league games of a season for the first time in its 129-year history.
Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten were backed with nine signings to the tune of £155m in the summer. So expectations are high. Especially as his stated aim is to qualify for Europe.
The ex Spain boss has been savaged by the media for the team’s performances. In many ways that was to be expected after he succeeded press favourite David Moyes.
There is no hiding the fact Lopetegui’s team selections and tactics have frustrated Hammers fans, though.
Lopetegui was jeered when he subbed off West Ham’s best player, Crysencio Summerville, against Chelsea.
Steidten comments must looked at after big Lopetegui claim
The team was booed off and thousands of fans left the London Stadium 20 minutes before the final whistle.
As a result it’s no wonder early pressure is building on the 57-year-old.
After the Chelsea defeat, the top contact close to the club’s owners exclusively told Hammers News the board are not impressed with what they’ve seen so far.
This week journalist Graeme Bailey claimed Steidten wanted other managers ahead of Lopetegui.
Bailey revealed Steidten warned majority owner David Sullivan off Lopetegui as he sought a ‘different style of manager to the Spaniard and Moyes’.
Now Steidten comments must be heard after the big claim about Lopetegui at West Ham.
West Ham board source suspects ‘mischief making’
That’s according to top board source Sean Whetstone.
Taking to social media, Whetstone accused Bailey and others of ‘mischief-making’.
And he points to comments from Steidten at the weekend as evidence, he was involved in picking Lopetegui.
“Some mischief making going on within the media to suggest that Tim Steidten advised David Sullivan against the appointment of Julen Lopetegui,” Whetstone said on X.
“Tim literally said this to TNT sports cameras on Saturday.”
In said interview, Steidten is asked about why Lopetegui was chosen for the job.
“We knew that we had to make some big changes, inside the squad as well, so we knew that we needed an experienced coach, a coach that also knows the Premier League,” Steidten said in the interview, which you can see below.
“And also the kind of playing style, so Julen ticked all of the boxes so it was pretty clear that he was the right one.”
Not Hammers first choice but that doesn’t mean bad choice
Cynics will of course ask ‘what else do you expect Steidten to say’ when asked about the manager’s appointment.
It would be a salient point too.
After all the German is hardly going to come out and say he would have preferred to go in a different direction when asked about the club’s new boss on live TV.
The club’s very public courting of the likes of Ruben Amorim suggests Lopetegui was not West Ham’s first choice.
Nor was West Ham his. Lopetegui was all lined up to be the new AC Milan boss until the Italians pulled the plug after their Ultras launched a protest against the appointment.
There is no shame in not being the Hammers’ first choice, though. He won’t be the first or last in that respect.
It doesn’t mean he wasn’t the best choice either.
The jury is clearly out on that. But a fairer timescale for judgement would clearly be halfway through the campaign.
If performances and results have not improved dramatically by then, the situation may have to be revisited.
But everyone involved with West Ham from the fans to the owners will be hoping it doesn’t come to that.
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