Julen Lopetegui sack decision made ahead of Bournemouth v West Ham
Julen Lopetegui will not be immediately sacked if West Ham lose against Bournemouth, according to Sean Whetstone.
Lopetegui’s side are in Premier League action at the Vitality Stadium on Monday [16 December], with one player absent from the travelling squad.
The Spaniard remains under pressure in East London and will once again need his big-name players to step up against the Cherries. However, the result on Monday will not determine the 58-year-old’s future.
Whetstone wrote via West Ham Football on X [16 December], “Julen Lopetegui will have ‘some leeway tonight as West Ham are LONG odds against winning tonight’.
“He will not automatically be sacked if West Ham lose.”
Julen Lopetegui safe from West Ham sack ahead of clash at Bournemouth
Unlike the 2-1 Premier League win over Wolves at the London Stadium last Monday [9 December], it doesn’t appear as though the result against the Cherries will have any bearing on Lopetegui’s immediate position at the club.
Therefore, the manager will arrive on the South Coast under slightly less pressure than he experienced last time out. However, that does not mean Lopetegui will want his players to take their foot off the gas.
While defeat might not mean he is sacked immediately, it surely won’t help his chances of sticking around long-term at the London Stadium. As a result, the Hammers boss will be desperate for a positive performance and statement win.
Some supporters might argue that the reason Bournemouth away is viewed by the club as such a tough game is because of Lopetegui’s underwhelming work thus far.
Therefore, by that logic, Lopetegui surely shouldn’t be safe from the sack. However, for now, it seems as though he is.
In other West Ham news, one first-team regular could be off in January after a transfer update.
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