Julen Lopetegui sack pressure verdict issued at West Ham ahead of Arsenal clash
Simon Stone believes Julen Lopetegui will be under pressure again if he fails to get positive results at West Ham United in the next few games, starting with Arsenal.
The Hammers beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the Premier League on 25 November, increasing the gap between the East London outfit and the relegation zone.
Lopetegui has to prepare his team for Arsenal next on Saturday (30 November), and writing for the BBC’s website [28 November], Stone has warned the Spaniard that the win over the Magpies can’t be a one-off.
“Lopetegui’s problems have not gone away, but they can approach Saturday’s visit of Arsenal to the London Stadium with some degree of confidence,” he wrote. “After that comes meetings with struggling Leicester City and Lopetegui’s former club Wolves.
“If West Ham can put some positive results together, instead of being top of the teams at the bottom of the table, they would be firmly in the mid-table mix and eyeing a European berth.
“Should results go the other way, Lopetegui will be under fire again. The Newcastle effort was no more than a single win. Lopetegui cannot afford it to be an isolated good day.”
Julen Lopetegui can’t rest on Newcastle v West Ham United laurels
West Ham undoubtedly saved their best performance of the season for the trip to St James’ Park, and Lopetegui needed his team to pull a rabbit out of the hat amid all the talk of him being sacked.
The Spanish manager made his way to the London Stadium in the summer after the departure of David Moyes, and the Hammers’ faithful were looking forward to the 2024/25 campaign after a promising transfer window.
Lopetegui hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts with the Irons, and sitting 14th in the league table isn’t an accurate reflection of the quality of players in the squad.
The Spaniard has rightfully been under pressure for the way West Ham have performed this season, and while David Sullivan is keen on giving the 58-year-old time in the dugout [GiveMeSport, 26 November], most fans have a different opinion.
Lopetegui might’ve been able to buy himself some time with the win over Newcastle, but the Hammers’ faithful will be on his back again if results don’t go the Irons’ way.
While Arsenal are one of the best teams in the English top flight, and the Spaniard could be excused if West Ham lose against them, getting victories against Leicester City and Wolves will be pivotal for the Spanish head coach.
In other West Ham news, Callum Marshall has been called out for his performances on loan at Huddersfield.
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