West Ham United may have ideal Julen Lopetegui replacement already lined up
West Ham United have had an extremely underwhelming season thus far on the back of a summer transfer window that provided much hope.
The Hammers have had the odd couple of good results, but aside from that it’s felt like the club are a worse team with Julen Lopetegui at the helm than they were with David Moyes in charge.
Last term, the Scotsman managed to get his team to finish ninth in the Premier League despite having the fourth-worst defensive record in the division.
This season, they find themselves 12th in the table with just two wins under their belt from seven matches, so, it’s not much of a surprise to see Lopetegui under some scrutiny.
Many names have been linked with the manager role at West Ham but, while speaking on the Premier League YouTube Channel (10 October, 16:30), journalist Dougie Critchley shared that he thinks Thomas Frank would be a “really smart” appointment.
Although on paper this seems to be an out-there shout, in reality, it’s one that makes a lot of sense.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank would be perfect for West Ham United
Frank has been a stellar boss for the Bees since their promotion to the top flight.
He has consistently got his team to outperform expectations and has started to make a real name for himself in the Premier League.
Although Brentford are at a similar level performance-wise to West Ham, the Hammers have a much larger bank account and would be able to sanction all the transfers Frank requires.
He’d likely have a good impact on West Ham’s form and already has proven Premier League experience, which are both bonuses for the Hammers.
Frank’s ability to get the Bees firing this term, despite losing Ivan Toney in the summer, is a testament to how strong of a manager the Dane is and further outlines why West Ham should replace Lopetegui with him if he gets sacked.
There’s no denying that the Spaniard’s philosophy for West Ham is evident, but it just hasn’t worked out in the way anyone had hoped, making it feel as if the Hammers have no other choice but to at least explore other options.
Lopetegui could well go on a strong run of form on the back of the Ipswich win, but if not then Frank is as good an option as anyone to come in.
In other West Ham news, Greek media have reacted to the international performance of Konstantinos Mavropanos.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.