Julen Lopetegui on thin ice after new nail in coffin at West Ham United
Michael Bridges feels Julen Lopetegui is “on thin ice” at West Ham after the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham in the Premier League on 19 October.
Despite taking the lead through Mohammed Kudus, the Irons were embarrassed before he picked up a red card towards the end of the fixture.
As things stand, the Irons are fifteenth in the Premier League and speaking on Optus Sports’ Football Podcast [22 October], Bridges started to see the end for the Spaniard.
“I really feel for West Ham,” he said.
“And I think that was another nail in the coffin for Lopetegui.
“Lopetegui, I think he’s on thin ice.”
Julen Lopetegui out of time at West Ham
David Moyes’ departure was seen as necessary by many at the end of last season due to the lack of progression after being crowned Europa Conference League champions.
Lopetegui’s arrival looked like a decent appointment at the time, with the former Spain manager having won the Europa League during his time in the Sevilla dugout.
The 58-year-old had also built a pedigree in the Premier League after his stint at Wolves, which was relatively successful.
Unfortunately, managing at the London Stadium has proved to be too much of a challenge for Lopetegui, with the Spanish manager failing to make a mark so far.
With the players at his disposal, it is fair to say that the 58-year-old hasn’t been able to get the best out of the team.
The Hammers invested heavily this summer, buying the likes of Jean Clair-Todibo, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug.
However, Lopetegui has struggled to implement his style, and there are now reports of Edin Terzic being lined up as his replacement [Florian Plettenberg, 22 October].
In other West Ham news, Edin Terzic’s reputation emerges at the London Stadium already after new reports.
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