David Sullivan cannot take West Ham United risk after what manager’s said
West Ham United have been in the spotlight a fair few times this season but for reasons they might not like.
Julen Lopetegui was brought in as David Moyes’ successor after the Scotsman had a rather successful tenure as Hammers boss brought to an end.
Since then, things haven’t quite gone to plan, although West Ham do now sit a more respectable 13th in the table.
While this might not seem like too bad of an effort from Lopetegui’s men, the fact that most expected them to be challenging for the European places at the start of the season says all you need to know.
Matthias Jaissle comments on West Ham United links
With their underperformance in mind, several names have been linked with taking over the hotseat, and Matthias Jaissle has replied to his own recent links to the job.
Speaking to GiveMeSport (27 December), the Al-Ahli manager said he was flattered by the Hammers’ reported interest, which makes it seem like he’d be up for making a switch to the London Stadium if the opportunity arose.
“Being mentioned in relation to West Ham or any high-profile job is obviously flattering,” he said.
“It makes me proud to be linked with top clubs. But I don’t focus on rumours like this. I have an agent who deals with any opportunities, should they arise, and my full focus is on Al-Ahli.
“This is the only job I can currently control and influence. I am committed to Al-Ahli, and I want to achieve something great here.”
David Sullivan needs to avoid hiring Matthias Jaissle for West Ham
While a replacement for Lopetegui might well be what the Hammers need to try and get their season back on track, even accounting for a recent upturn in form, Jaissle doesn’t feel like the right man for the job.
He may have had some success with RB Salzburg, where he won two titles, but since his move to Saudi Arabia things haven’t quite gone to plan.
The German has kept his role and brought in the likes of Ivan Toney during the summer, but it feels like the 36-year-old is still relatively unproven and as if it would be a major risk on the Hammers’ behalf to hire him.
Granted, Lopetegui’s football hasn’t been the most enthralling, but things have started to take a slight upturn.
Of course, nothing is set in stone and fans could start mounting pressure onto the Spaniard’s head once again but at the moment, it feels like Jaissle would be a massive mistake if Sullivan were to hire him.
In other West Ham news, Lopetegui’s side are considering a move for a Championship midfielder after a new contract development.
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