Lopetegui aftermath: Paul Merson rages at West Ham after what Steidten did
Paul Merson has slammed West Ham after Tim Steidten was photographed with Graham Potter before a change in manager.
Julen Lopetegui was sacked by the Hammers after just 22 games in charge in all competitions, winning just 45 per cent of his matches in charge and leaving the club 14th in the Premier League.
Before David Sullivan finally pulled the trigger, the technical director was spotted meeting with Potter [@WestHamTransfer via X], though it is unknown if the images were new or repurposed to create drama.
Speaking live via Sky Sports News [11 January, 12:37pm], Merson said: “It was poor, having the picture of Potter and the sporting director. These meetings happen, of course, they do, but not in public. You can get away with it in private.
“Don’t worry for him [Lopetegui] because he’s going to get paid. He knows it will have hurt but he had to stick in there. If he’d just got up and left, he wouldn’t have got anything.”
Tim Steidten creates drama at West Ham United
Steidten is clearly one of the big problems at the London Stadium, with many believing that the technical director should join Lopetegui out the exit doors.
The German looks to be a source of controversy, having been asked to stay away from Rush Green [The Telegraph], which will sound all too familiar after the same situation arose during David Moyes’ tenure.
Obviously, it was only a matter of time before Lopetegui lost his job, with supporters voicing their frustration at their team’s performances and results, ever since he replaced Moyes.
But with the Spaniard’s camp now furious with the technical director’s conduct in East London [The Guardian], it appears that the main man in charge was not the only issue.
With Merson now speaking out about the former head coach’s treatment before being sacked, much like many people did when the club searched for Moyes’ replacement, there’s a continuous trend starting to emerge.
In other West Ham news, Serie A giants are unlikely to seal a “difficult” transfer for one of Graham Potter’s stars.
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