Ally McCoist reacts to Julen Lopetegui and West Ham United live on air
Ally McCoist admits Julen Lopetegui is under severe pressure after West Ham United crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Leicester on Tuesday.
The Scotsman was, however, pleased with Niclas Fullkrug coming on and scoring at the King Power Stadium on 3 December in the Premier League.
McCoist had his head in his hands as the Irons coughed up plenty of chances with their domination on the ball, only to throw it all away in defence.
Speaking on talkSPORT [4 December, 6:10], McCoist said: “West Ham? Dear me. There’s so much possession, so many opportunities.
“The goalkeeper in the first half with some great saves, I get that. They’re unlucky with the deflection. One off the post. You can take all that into account. But the level of finishing wasn’t good enough.
“Certainly a bonus; Fullkrug coming on as well and doing what he did. But Lopetegui, he’s under pressure.”
Julen Lopetegui dead man walking after West Ham United defeat
While the Irons put in one of their best performances of the season against Leicester in terms of controlling the game, their defending was all over the place.
The London Stadium faithful saw the tide turn a bit after the 2-0 win over Newcastle on 25 November at St James’ Park — with the display evidently buying the Spaniard some time in the dugout.
Arsenal immediately poured water on those hopes, though, beating the Hammers 5-2 at the London Stadium in an embarrassing first half.
West Ham losing to the Gunners wasn’t surprising, but the defending on show from Lopetegui’s team was concerning, and those fragilities also came back to bite them at the King Power Stadium.
The Irons are already looking at replacements for the Spanish head coach after the defeat to Leicester [The Sun, 3 December], and the 58-year-old’s sacking looks inevitable at this point.
David Sullivan needs to be quick in his decision as the mood around the London Stadium has turned, and their ire could be directed towards the boardroom sooner rather than later if things continue to deteriorate.
There have been evident signs of improvement from the Irons in recent weeks, but unfortunately for Lopetegui, he doesn’t seem the right fit to take the East London club forward.
In other West Ham news, an update on the future of Maxwel Cornet has been provided.
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