Julen Lopetegui ‘fierce demand’ hours before West Ham United sack revealed
Julen Lopetegui reportedly “demanded” to take part in his usual pre-match press conference just hours before he was sacked as West Ham United boss, according to Daily Mail.
The news outlet reported via its website [16 January] that the Spaniard was desperate to conduct his usual routine before his sacking, which led to criticism around how the club handled it.
Lopetegui was said to be disappointed with the decision made by the club to cancel the press conference, but the ex-Irons boss still spoke well about his time at the London Stadium in a statement released after his sacking on 8 January.
West Ham can be thankful Julen Lopetegui nightmare is over
Quite frankly, the main cause of the regression at the London Stadium was indeed the Spaniard, although there were certainly other factors – one of which remains at the club in the form of Tim Steidten.
His recruitment arguably left Lopetegui between a rock and a hard place with very limited options in terms of what he could do with the squad, although ultimately, it still had more capability than was showcased throughout his tenure.
However, if Graham Potter is to succeed as West Ham boss, improvements in that regard are needed and a failure to acknowledge that will likely see fortunes follow a very similar trend.
Potter has already shown his capabilities of getting the best of out his players, but a complete lack of depth among the squad can and likely will prove detrimental if not addressed.
The Irons can still make something of this season but several things will need to change in order for that to happen.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have been linked with a player tipped to win the Ballon d’Or.
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