Julen Lopetegui imminent sack update ahead of Everton clash after West Ham United lose again
Julen Lopetegui does not have to beat Everton to avoid getting sacked by West Ham, according to Jacob Steinberg.
The Guardian journalist reported via X on 3 November that despite another defeat the previous day, 3-0 to Nottingham Forest, the Spaniard won’t lose his job imminently.
And with the Toffees on the way to the London Stadium next weekend (9 November) there is pressure on him to improve results, but he is still not actually on the brink of being removed.
Steinberg wrote: “West Ham are sticking by Julen Lopetegui after defeat to Forest. Everton at home next currently not seen as make or break but pressure on Lopetegui to improve results is getting bigger.”
Edson Alvarez sent off as West Ham lose at Nottingham Forest
There is arguably something admirable about a club not sacking the manager at the drop of a hat, but the Irons boss is going to have to show something soon or the season will quickly amount to going through the motions ahead of the inevitable.
It is still relatively early in the season but it is hard to point to any actual progress being made by the former Wolves boss, despite the relevant mitigations of being a new man in charge of a squad that brought in a lot of new players.
Forest are flying high in third before Sunday’s games kick off so a defeat at the City Ground isn’t necessarily as damning as it might be at other times, but losing 3-0 while picking up yet another red card as Edson Alvarez was sent off for a second time already this term was concerning.
There will of course be those who believe Lopetegui’s failings prove David Moyes should still be in charge.
But the Scot’s successor has arguably just taken the worst parts of the previous era and multiplied them while having none of the credit in the bank.
It seems the board won’t be moved unless the current form continues up until Christmas [Guardian, 21 October], but there are few signs currently that it will so it could be a barren couple of months for Hammers supporters.
Sean Dyche and the Toffees are two points and two places behind West Ham, while the Goodison Park boss is courting many of the same criticisms as he repeatedly makes the same selections and substitutions even as they rarely work.
So next weekend’s meeting between the two sides suggests anything but a spectacle, but even if Lopetegui’s job isn’t actually on the line against Everton alarm bells would have to be ringing with a loss there.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are after a “brutal” new striker signing amid struggles for Niclas Fullkrug.
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