Ben Foster makes Lopetegui sack claim at West Ham United after ‘massive’ development
Ben Foster believes Julen Lopetegui has saved his West Ham United job for the time being after the 4-1 win against Ipswich Town.
The Spaniard picked up his first three points at the London Stadium on Saturday [5 October] and his second Premier League win in seven fixtures overall, with Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta all getting on the scoresheet.
Lopetegui was perceived to be under intense pressure heading into the match and Foster, when discussing the result on Fozcast [7 October, 27:26], said he believes the win couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the Hammers boss.
He said: “The home form for West Ham is always going to be big for them. But yeah, it’s a massive win, because if they would have lost this game or not got three points from this game again, going into the international break…
“It’s not a nice time for a manager under pressure, I promise you, this is when decisions get made. It’s like we’ve got two weeks until the next Premier League game, do we do it now, do we pull the trigger now so we get a new manager in ASAP, and he’s got two weeks to work with the team?”
Julen Lopetegui still has plenty of work to do at West Ham United
Lopetegui is not out of the firing line just yet, and, until the Irons boss produces a consistent run of form in the Premier League, he will continue to be under scrutiny due to the £150m squad rebuild conducted over the summer.
The Hammers were expected to mount a serious challenge for a European finish this season but an abysmal start to life under the new boss, including three consecutive defeats at the London Stadium before the win against Ipswich, have left the side well off the pace in the league.
While the manager has taken the brunt of the criticism, the players have looked out of sorts this season. Antonio and Kudus, who have started regularly under Lopetegui, only opened their Premier League accounts on the weekend.
The transition to a new style of play in East London has proved more problematic than expected, and with Niclas Fullkrug absent through injury, goals have been a rare commodity for the Irons this season.
Lopetegui has the backing of the West Ham board for now despite recent results [TBR Football]. However, a consistent run of form is needed in the coming weeks which, with games ahead against Tottenham and Manchester United after the international break, will not be easy to achieve.
In other West Ham news, a player is set to miss the West Ham v Manchester United clash.
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