West Ham United may already have ‘perfect’ Julen Lopetegui replacement waiting
West Ham United may already have the “perfect” Julen Lopetegui successor ready and waiting in Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
The former Manchester United boss has been linked with the Hammers’ hot seat since his Old Trafford exit as he will no doubt be looking for the next move in his career.
Van Nistelrooy was only in charge of the Red Devils for a short period of time as the interim manager upon Erik ten Hag’s sacking, but even in that short stint, he showed he’s got something about him.
The fact he also led PSV to an Eredivisie title last term shows how much the Dutchman has going for him, with talkSPORT pundit Rory Jennings even believing he’s a “perfect” manager for the Hammers.
“I think West Ham is actually the perfect club,” Jennings said live on talkSPORT (15 November, 20:47).
“If you think about what West Ham fans are in need of at the moment, if you think about the way they’re feeling and I think the way they’ve been short-changed by their ownership, I think Ruud van Nistelrooy is a tonic.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy is exactly what they were demanding, that is the sort of appointment that not only demanded but what West Ham fans deserve off the back of their protests about David Moyes leaving the club.
“When West Ham fans were demanding David Moyes out, even before they won in Prague, you know when they were at Fulham with the banner, they were demanding a young, exciting and progressive manager who was in keeping with the traditions of West Ham United.
“That is not Julen Lopetegui, that is Ruud van Nistelrooy”.
Why is Ruud van Nistelrooy a good manager for West Ham United to target?
Van Nistelrooy is still fairly early into his managerial career but even in this short period of time, he’s proven the value he can bring to a team.
He may not be the biggest name or have the longest line of accolades of the managers that West Ham have been linked with but on paper, he seems like one of the better options.
Of course, Edin Terzic has also been linked with a London Stadium switch and he too would be a solid acquisition, especially when his previous time with the club is taken into account.
Van Nistelrooy could bring a new vision and a fresh style of play to London that the fans were demanding even before Lopetegui was hired.
Indeed, some may still think they’d have been better off keeping David Moyes at the helm but there’s nothing that can be done about that now.
Only time will tell what the future holds for West Ham but if it includes Van Nistelrooy, they could well find themselves onto a winner.
But given talk of Van Nistelrooy potentially being in for other roles, the Irons will have to move ASAP if they want to get to the Dutchman’s signature first.
In other West Ham news, Czechia media have reacted to the performance of Vladimir Coufal against Albania.
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