Simon Jordan gave his verdict on West Ham [Credit: talkSPORT]
Simon Jordan gave his verdict on West Ham [Credit: talkSPORT]

Simon Jordan surprised by West Ham United after what he saw recently

Jonathan Burnett

Jonny is a University of Leeds journalism graduate who became part of the FootballInsider team in Spring 2024, and recently worked as Head of Media for Widnes Vikings Rugby League club. Writing as a freelance reporter and commentator for The Sporting News and StatsPerform, he has covered matches in competitions including the FIFA Men's and Women's World Cups, as well as the Champions League, Women's Euro 2022, Six Nations and the Rugby Union World Cup.

Published on

Simon Jordan admitted his surprise after watching West Ham beat Newcastle United 2-0 on Monday in the Premier League.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan and Sam Matterface discussed the Irons' win on 25 November, which had been labelled as a must-win match for Julen Lopetegui.

Jordan said his meet-up with Eddie Howe the previous week had clearly proven a bad luck charm, and his lack of admiration for Lopetegui only added to his surprise at the outcome.

"I went up to Newcastle last week to do a thing for my Up Front podcast with Eddie Howe, and I've brought my particular brand of good luck to him, haven't I?" he said.

"I was surprised at the result; they've been in decent form – I had felt that Newcastle were regaining their poise in recent weeks.

"I was surprised by the result, and Lopetegui – I'm not an admirer of his – I think he's okay, and I think he's struggled at West Ham."

West Ham produce shock to beat Newcastle United

Jordan will be far from the only person shocked that the Irons came away from St. James' Park with a clean sheet and three points in the bag, with many of the travelling fans likely to be feeling the same.

Two dismal displays before the International break against Nottingham Forest and Everton saw the Hammers held scoreless twice, suffering a 3-0 defeat to the former and drawing 0-0 with the Toffees.

Julen Lopetegui
Julen Lopetegui arguably saved his job at West Ham with their 2-0 win over Newcastle United

The nature of their second stalemate left many wondering just how Lopetegui could turn things around in East London, given their insipid attacking performance against a hugely limited Everton side.

However, going to an in-form Newcastle and winning is a huge statement of what Lopetegui is capable of producing in the London Stadium dugout, and fans will be hoping they can repeat such feats.

The Spaniard is hardly out of the woods having won just four of his first 12 league games, but if Monday's result can prove to be a springboard, the Hammers will be looking up rather than down.

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.

www.westhamzone.com