Julen Lopetegui pay-off claim made as BBC chief shares West Ham sack verdict
Phil McNulty believes West Ham United will not sack Julen Lopetegui this week, partly to the Spaniard being in line for a “hefty pay-off”.
The Spaniard is facing an uncertain future in East London after the 0-0 draw against Everton on Saturday [9 November] left the boss in limbo heading into the international break.
However, chief BBC Sport writer McNulty shared in a Q&A [11 November] that he believes Lopetegui will remain at the helm for the foreseeable future, with David Sullivan eager to avoid a substantial exit fee.
He said: “I don’t think Lopetegui will be sacked this week. West Ham’s owners are not known for being trigger happy when it comes to managers – and you suspect he might also need a hefty pay-off having only been there a matter of months.
“There is no doubt, though, that there has not been any sort of improvement on David Moyes despite that big summer outlay and the West Ham natives are already restless. He needs to improve and fast.
“What I never got was the notion that Lopetegui would be producing his own version of “heavy metal football” after the perceived pragmatism of Moyes. He never has and he never will.
“It was almost a case of anyone but Moyes by the end. I agree Moyes’ time at West Ham had run its natural course – never forget he won a European trophy in that time – but I was never convinced Lopetegui would be a serious upgrade.
“So far, those suspicions have been confirmed.”
What was West Ham United thinking by appointing Julen Lopetegui?
While the Spaniard has thus proved to be a resounding failure at West Ham, the board must answer the supporters for thinking his appointment would improve the quality of football at the London Stadium.
Lopetegui has been berated several times throughout the campaign for his apparent lack of identity in East London, but none more so than the fact not one player of note has been a standout performer for the boss.
The Hammers are over a quarter of the way through the season and are closer to a potential relegation battle than a European charge, which was expected of the side after an extensive £150million outlay on the playing staff throughout the summer.
West Ham cannot be faulted for backing the manager but they bet on the wrong horse. Now, all they are left with is a divided dressing room, a leader devoid of ideas, and no clear sense of direction for the footballing project.
Regardless, Hammers supporters are going to have to ride the wave until the inevitable occurs and stand by Lopetegui as he is granted his last life at the London Stadium.
If past endeavors are anything to go by, the situation will surely become exponentially worse in East London and a relegation battle this year is becoming more of a given rather than a possibility with every dropped point.
In other West Ham news, Alan Pardew has mooted a return to the Hammers as the pressure on Julen Lopetegui builds.
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