West Ham have responded as fans demand Julen Lopetegui is sacked after the shambolic 5-0 defeat to Liverpool.
By the time Premier League champions elect Liverpool made it 5-0 against West Ham, the London Stadium was all but empty.
That is to be expected when over 60,000 people turn out to watch a team which promised so much, deliver so little.
The problem for West Ham’s manager Julen Lopetegui – and he has many – is that it wasn’t for the first time.
In fact of Lopetegui’s 21 matches in charge of the Hammers, supporters have left long before the final whistle in 10 of them.
That is simply unprecedented.
Hammers fans demand Lopetegui axe after Liverpool shambles
West Ham brought the curtain down on a miserable 2024 which saw just 11 Premier League wins between David Moyes and Lopetegui.
Had that been spread over the course of a season that is just about good enough to keep you in the top flight.
Except West Ham spent over £255m in the last two summers – thanks in the main to the sale of Declan Rice – to ensure they continue to fight for the European spots.
Lopetegui was hired on a two-year contract with a third year automatically triggered if West Ham qualify for any UEFA competition.
That clause looks highly unlikely to come close to being triggered.
The performance against Liverpool summed up West Ham this year.
Weak, insipid, passive, clueless, shambolic, half-hearted.
The Irons didn’t lay a glove on Liverpool, a recurring theme under Lopetegui, who has seen his side ship more than three goals on eight occasions already in just half a season.
West Ham respond to fresh calls for Lopetegui sack
The Spaniard has managed to keep his job in the face of growing unrest of late.
Hammers fans first seriously called for his sacking after the 3-1 defeat away at Leicester.
Away supporters chanted ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ at the 58-year-old in what looked like the end.
But Lopetegui was given one last chance to turn things around, starting against Wolves.
Somehow West Ham won that game thanks for poor finishing and a series of controversial VAR calls.
It would be a theme of the next three matches as the Hammers recorded fortunate draws against Bournemouth and Brighton before being ridiculously lucky win not to be beaten out of sight by a Southampton team on course to be the worst in Premier League history.
Many West Ham fans feel the club’s hierarchy have been simply kicking the can down the road by not sacking Lopetegui after Leicester.
That theory was given new credence as the Hammers served up another woeful display in a 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool which could easily have been double figures.
Now West Ham have responded to fresh calls for Lopetegui to be sacked and want new hope for 2025.
Hammers hierarchy want new hope for 2025
As the dust settled on the latest shambles last night, Hammers News reached out to the top spokesman close to West Ham’s owners for a response to fans calling for Lopetegui’s head.
The key senior London Stadium contact insisted the owners are as frustrated supporters, especially after the investment made in the team in the summer.
“The owners are frustrated like the fans, especially after the investment,” the West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.
“We hope that 2025 brings new hope.
“There is huge pressure for an improvement in results and performances.”
With Man City way next to start 2025, West Ham supporters aren’t holding their breath.
Especially after Pep Guardiola’s side finally got their season back on track at Leicester.
The Hammers then face Aston Villa twice, Chelsea and Arsenal among their next seven games.
Dark clouds are gathering over West Ham again and apathy is replacing anger among fans.
It seems the only way to breathe new life into the season and give the hope the owners are looking for will be to change the manager.
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