Julen Lopetegui pressure from David Sullivan, Karren Brady as West Ham United lose to Chelsea
Julen Lopetegui will be facing pressure at West Ham already after his side were beaten 3-0 at home by Chelsea, says Rob Green.
The former Hammers keeper reacted on BBC Radio 5 Live on 21 September after goals from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer condemned the home side to a miserable defeat at the London Stadium in front of chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady, but with a significant section of home seats empty [Tom Rennie, 21 September].
And having seen the two Irons bosses’ Green felt the situation is clear, with neither happy with the start to life under the new manager.
Green said, via The Mirror: “Lopetegui will be under pressure. It’s a performance that screams pressure all over it, the manner of the defeat, against London rivals.
“The camera has just shown Karren Brady and David Sullivan – I’ve seen those faces before.”
West Ham go backwards early after David Moyes exit
Whether there is a genuine threat to Lopetegui’s job or not at this early stage there is simply no way he can avoid pressure after the start he has made.
All the usual caveats apply for a new manager with a much-changed squad that takes time to bed in and get the tactics settled.
But when the wheels had come off for David Moyes in the eyes of many last term, but the Scot still enjoyed significant backing from sections of the fanbase for what he achieved at the London Stadium, the way to unite supporters behind the new era is not to get worse.
After the way the previous manager’s tenure was allowed to fizzle out unhappily under a cloud of uncertainty last year it would actually be a surprise if Sullivan, Brady and company were to act decisively one way or another with Lopetegui.
To their credit they did sanction major investment in the squad this summer to kickstart the new regime under Lopetegui.
On paper there was a lot to like about the signings that Tim Steidten managed to secure but few have definitively clicked the way the new manager has used them, if he has at all, so far.
If results, or at least performances, don’t improve sooner rather than later then everyone will be under pressure, but as things stand the new man in the dugout clearly will take the most heat.
Green should know a few things about what happens at West Ham when the situation isn’t healthy, having been relegated under Avram Grant, and seen the Israeli, Gianfranco Zola, Alan Curbishley and Alan Pardew sent packing during his time with the club, so his comments could be ominous for Lopetegui.
In other West Ham news, a player the club wanted to get rid of has confirmed an update on leaving.
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