West Ham United sources confirm Julen Lopetegui sack decision to BBC chief
West Ham United sources have told BBC journalist Simon Stone that they remain "100 per cent behind" Julen Lopetegui but results "have to improve" if he is to avoid the sack.
The future of the Spaniard has been under major scrutiny since the start of the season due to the countless poor performances his Hammers team have put in.
Writing for the BBC Sport website (13 November), chief football news writer Stone shared his verdict on the performances of Lopetegui this season.
"Amid massive speculation about his future, club sources have told me they are still 100 per cent behind Lopetegui but that results have to improve," he wrote.
"The Hammers have some tough games ahead - a trip to Newcastle immediately after the international break and a London derby against Arsenal straight after that.
"The pressure is on Lopetegui to deliver".
West Ham United are making a mistake by sticking with Julen Lopetegui
While the form of his West Ham squad is also obviously to blame for their poor league position of 14th, it feels like the Spaniard has shown a lack of leadership this term, resulting in the Hammers' underperformance.
At the start of the season, he was let off with the scrutiny somewhat due to the sheer amount of new faces that were welcomed into the London Stadium doors.
But now we're nearing the halfway point of the season, fans should be seeing vast improvements from their team.
That, however, hasn't been the case and if anything, it feels like no progress has been made whatsoever.
Unless someone new is brought in to take over the reins, it's hard to see how they're going to improve on their league position.
David Sullivan needs to take a gamble and bring in someone like Edin Terzic to try and at least thrust some life into the Hammers' squad.