Chris Sutton moots West Ham United fans losing patience with Lopetegui in Ipswich Town prediction
Chris Sutton is backing Julen Lopetegui to pick up his second Premier League win as West Ham United boss against Ipswich Town on Saturday (5 October).
The BBC pundit is expecting the Hammers to turn their form around at the London Stadium and return to winning ways against the newly promoted side.
Lopetegui has endured an underwhelming start to life in East London and has won only one of his opening six Premier League matches in charge of the Irons including three consecutive defeats at the London Stadium.
Writing for BBC Sport [3 October], Sutton predicts the Spaniard to end his barren run of form at home with a 2-0 triumph but it will be no easy feat against a side he feels are “better structured” in Ipswich.
He said: “This is hard. I don’t like to give credit to Ipswich if I can help it, but they have really impressed me.
“At this moment in time, they are a better structured team than West Ham. They showed it with the way they finished their draw with Aston Villa last week, and the only downside from the way they have started the season is the fact they don’t have a win yet.
“With the quality the Hammers have got, eventually it has to click for them, but it has not happened yet.
“As much as I hate to predict an Ipswich defeat, I am going to stick my neck out and say the Hammers will get their act together this time.
“Basically, I am backing them to produce a performance that they have not managed all season under Julen Lopetegui.
“They have to really. There was so much made of him taking over from David Moyes, that he really needs a result – West Ham fans are not always the most patient bunch, and they are expecting more than they have seen so far.
“Prediction: 2-0.”
Julen Lopetegui is facing a must-win clash with West Ham United
West Ham have performed far below the required standard expected of the side that when through a heavy summer rebuild in the transfer window.
The Irons sit in fourteenth place in the Premier League table only two points clear of the relegation zone and one point higher than Everton, who have been ripped to shreds in the media for their abysmal start to the campaign.
Therefore, the Hammers must be painted with the same brush as an established Premier League side flirting with the relegation places albeit with so much more football left to be played this season.
Lopetegui has received almost as much, if not more, criticism than Sean Dyche in East London and the importance of the clash against Ipswich cannot be understated, anything less than three points could result in the end of his time at the London Stadium.
However, West Ham earned a well-fought 1-1 draw away to Brentford last weekend and there are signs of improvement under the new boss. On paper, the Hammers boast a significantly stronger squad than their opponents that should make easy work of Ipswich on home soil.
In other West Ham news, Hammers chief David Sullivan is set for a multi-million-pound loss.
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