West Ham’s owners have made it perfectly clear to Julen Lopetegui that the Boxing Day game at Southampton is a must-win.
Not for the first time this season, Julen Lopetegui could be on the brink at West Ham.
After just five wins from 17 Premier League games so far, the Spaniard cannot expect anything less.
Hammers fans have been completely underwhelmed by performances and there is no sign of any identity about the side.
West Ham are actually fortunate to even have a meagre 20 points on the board.
Wins over Palace, Man United and Wolves were all lucky in the extreme.
So too were draws with Fulham and Brighton.
Lopetegui gets another easy must-win
Supporters have been calling for Lopetegui’s head ever since the shambolic defeats to Arsenal and Leicester.
Behind the scenes, Graham Potter has agreed to take over at West Ham until the end of the season if the club do axe the former Spain boss.
Lopetegui survived the last “must-win” match he faced against Wolves as his team somehow scraped a 2-1 victory.
It’s been made clear to the manager ahead of Southampton that West Ham simply must win and start playing better.
It is not lost on fans that Lopetegui seems to come up against the worst teams in the league when facing a game to save his job.
That will certainly be the case on Boxing Day.
Lopetegui facing another must-win game to save West Ham job
This Southampton side are not just the worst team in the top flight, they are one of the worst in Premier League history.
The Saints have just five points and are on course to break the unwanted record of the Premier League’s worst ever team – Derby County – who got just 11 points in the 2007/8 season.
If you could hand pick a team to play when you’ve been told you must win, Southampton would be that team.
The expectation is a comfortable victory and nothing other than a win will be acceptable.
But the West Ham owners – and fans – will be baffled by bizarre claim from Lopetegui about the must-win game.
It’s not just performances, results and a lack of identity that has seen the former Wolves boss fail to win over Hammers supporters.
The way Lopetegui is with the press is also proving to be a big barrier.
West Ham owners will be baffled by bizarre claim from Lopetegui
He repeats the same stock answers and cliches on a weekly basis – before and after games.
‘We must and will do better’ has been used ad nauseum.
The 58-year-old also refuses to engage with some questions from journalists, offering little insight for supporters in what is supposed to be an entertainment business.
David Moyes could be dour at the best of times. But Lopetegui’s press conferences and interviews make the Scot look like Fred Astaire.
But the owners and supporters won’t believe what he’s said about playing the rock bottom Saints.
Lopetegui has trotted out another line he uses week in, week out regardless of the opposition.
This time, though, it just sounds utterly ludicrous.
Lopetegui makes utterly ludicrous Southampton statement
He claims Southampton are a very good team who will give his expensively assembled side ‘big challenges’.
“Despite being at the bottom of the table, I think they’ve shown lots of good things this season and we know it’s going to be another big challenge,” Lopetegui said in his pre-game press conference.
“It’s the same with every game in the Premier League – you have to be ready to face tough demands and situations, and you cannot start thinking about any of the games that come after this one.”
Lopetegui even went as far as to say Southampton are in a false position and have excellent players.
“They’ve shown in lots of moments that they have quality, and I watched their game against Fulham when they did lots of good things,” he added.
“I think they are better than their points-total suggests, and they have lots of very good players.”
The Hammers boss has also got another excuse in early – new manager bounce for the opposition.
Ivan Juric, who was reportedly one of many names on the West Ham managerial shortlist to replace Lopetegui, will take charge of his first game after being appointed Southampton boss.
When Ruud van Nistelrooy was appointed by woeful Leicester, West Ham were his first opponents too.
No excuses for anything other than a Hammers win
And we all know what happened there.
Lopetegui is worried Saints could be fired up for Juric.
“Always with a new coach, there is a new and extra energy around the players and the whole environment,” the West Ham boss added.
“We had the same thing against Leicester, so I know this is going to be a very difficult match for us.”
Pull the other one Julen.
West Ham fans are sick to the back teeth of hearing that every team they face are a fantastic side and difficult opposition.
To claim Southampton are a good side is nothing short of laughable.
West Ham fans are not stupid.
And the owners have made it clear only a win will do at St Mary’s.
Southampton are awful and West Ham should be winning comfortably – as so many have before them.
No excuses will wash if the Hammers fail to get all three points.
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