Julen Lopetegui sack: West Ham loanee shares player verdict
Carlos Soler has suggested that Julen Lopetegui needs more time to turn things around at West Ham this season.
Since the Spaniard’s arrival in the summer, he has struggled to implement his style into the Hammers side so far which has led to inconsistency in the team.
As a result, there has been plenty of speculation over the 58-year-old’s future at the London Stadium with the recent game against Wolves on Monday [9 December] labelled as ‘El Sackico’.
The East London outfit came out on top with a 2-1 win meaning Lopetegui is safe for now but there are still plenty of fans who are yet to be convinced.
However, speaking to AS, Soler argued that Lopetegui needs time: “We have been inconsistent because there are games that we play well, I think, and we deserve to win, like the one against Leicester and then there is the day against Arsenal.
“It is true that it is a great club [Arsenal] and a great team, but we can do much better. The project has many new players. The club has changed the coach, and the style of play too, and I think that takes time.
“There are coaches who come to a club and in the first season, in the first games, they excel. I just remembered, for example, Arne Slot at Liverpool. It is not easy, but it is also Liverpool. In my opinion, I think it takes time.”
Can Julen Lopetegui turn things around at West Ham?
Although the Hammers won against Wolves, there is still plenty of speculation surrounding his future which shows how much work there is to be done at the London Stadium.
The main reason why a new manager was brought in was to bring the excitement back to East London with an improved style of play as well as consistency in the league.
However, the new boss has struggled to implement either of these so far. The Hammers have remained consistently low in the table and will still feel that being only nine points clear of the relegation zone isn’t good enough.
Furthermore, while they have shown they can play good football at times, even in their victory against Wolves, the Hammers didn’t look overly impressive.
Soler is right in the fact that it does always take a bit of time for new players and a new ethos to establish itself at a club although given we are a fair way through the season now, patience to do so is wearing thin.
If Lopetegui wants to be the man to take this side forward, consistency in high-level performances has to be delivered sooner rather than later, otherwise he will run out of time.
In other West Ham news, a new timeline on the sacking of Lopetegui has emerged.
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