David Sullivan calls meeting over Julen Lopetegui future at West Ham United after Everton draw
David Sullivan is set to hold talks with Tim Steidten over the future of Julen Lopetegui at West Ham, The Times reports.
According to the paper’s website on 10 November the chairman and the technical director will meet next week to assess the manager’s position, with the international break seen as an opportunity to take stock of the situation.
Lopetegui’s side drew 0-0 at home with Everton on 9 November to leave them 14th in the Premier League with just three wins from 11 games.
There is concern over the lack of improvement in that time and a failure to integrate new signings after a summer transfer window where more than £100million was spent, while discontent from fans, who booed the players off at full time against the Toffees, has also been registered.
West Ham chairman set for talks with Tim Steidten
While it has been widely noted that Sullivan tends to stick with managers this sort of development was inevitable in the current context.
The club’s largest shareholder could be accused of failing to make a decision for too long on predecessor David Moyes, but few would have envisaged the new era to go this badly once he finally chose to move on from the Scot.
Growing pains were possibly inevitable for Lopetegui, with so many new players, including a number who came in right at the end of the window.
But he might have been excused some poor results if there looked like a style was developing and West Ham were building towards success down the line, yet performances have been uninspiring and far too much resemble the poorer aspects of the late Moyes side.
Steidten himself is now being called into question over the lack of impact from the transfer haul [Guardian, 21 October] in the summer, and Niclas Fullkrug being out of action with an achilles problem is a mitigating factor for Lopetegui.
But the German quickly cemented himself at the club last term and if it is between him and the Spaniard to carry the can it is almost certainly going to be the latter.
The likes of Sergio Conceicao have been sounded out as possible replacements [TBR Football, 25 October], and the longer the current situation continues the the more action is sure to be taken on lining up a contingency plan.
In other West Ham news, a “brutal” new striker is being targeted by the Irons amid Fullkrug’s early struggles.
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