Sutton namedrops ‘Quality’ West Ham United star in Southampton prediction
Chris Sutton believes Jarrod Bowen could salvage West Ham United a draw in the clash against Southampton.
Julen Lopetegui will embark on his final make-or-break game in East London [Sky Sports] after securing an impressive 1-1 draw against Brighton on Saturday [21 December] despite VAR corruption claims emerging in the aftermath of the clash at the London Stadium.
However, the Hammers have drawn both their previous outings and despite the “quality” of Bowen, Sutton predicts Lopetegui to settle for a share of the spoils once more against Southampton on 26 December, in his Premier League predictions for BBC Sport [23 December].
He said: “There has not been much Christmas cheer for Southampton but they did at least keep a clean sheet against Fulham and their new manager, Ivan Juric, would probably be happy with another bore draw in his first game in charge.
“West Ham also picked up a point over the weekend, against Brighton, but they really got away with one there – I was so unlucky with my prediction of a Seagulls win, because they absolutely battered them.
“The Hammers have got some really quality players, like Jarrod Bowen, and I keep thinking they are eventually going to get going and find some consistency, but it has not happened yet.
“I’m still not convinced by West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, and I don’t really know what to expect from Juric, so the safest prediction here is probably another 1-1 draw – which would be West Ham’s third in a row, all against south coast clubs.
“Prediction: 1-1.”
Julen Lopetegui cannot afford to drop more points at West Ham United
Although earning valuable points against Bournemouth and Brighton is a positive for Lopetegui, failing to beat Southampton would ultimately end his tenure.
The West Ham board will assess the Spaniard after the Boxing Day clash at St Mary’s and would have been in a far better position to argue his case had he been preparing to head to the South Coast with six points on the board from the previous two.
While the performances show signs of improvement, questions remain about what style he wants to implement at the London Stadium seven months after his appointment.
Furthermore, the Irons are facing the bottom-placed Premier League side at the worst possible time – with Ivan Juric succeeding Russell Martin, the new manager bounce could haunt Lopetegui.
Regardless, Southampton have one win in 17 outings in the league thus far and boasts a significantly inferior squad to West Ham.
Should Lopetegui return to East London with a share of the spoils and/or empty-handed, that would be a surefire sign as any to immediately remove the Spaniard from his duties.
In other West Ham news, Tim Steidten could solve an obvious issue at the Irons after January transfer news emerges.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.