West Ham line up Carrick move as Lopetegui sack decision made
West Ham United plan to pursue Michael Carrick as their new manager if Julen Lopetegui is shown the door, according to the Daily Mirror.
The newspaper reported on 7 December that Carrick is a name very high on the Irons’ shortlist should they sack Lopetegui in the coming days, with the club “eager” to make use of his “attractive” style.
Lopetegui is on the brink of the sack at the London Stadium following the Hammers’ 3-1 defeat to Leicester City last time out, and failure to win on 9 December against Wolves could be the final straw.
Mark Noble, Carrick’s former Irons team-mate and current sporting director, is fond of the Middlesbrough boss [TBR Football, 5 December], but David Sullivan is yet to explore Carrick.
Michael Carrick would be a feel-good appointment at West Ham
Even if Lopetegui does pass his trial by Wolves on 9 December, all signs point towards the Spaniard not lasting much longer in the London Stadium dugout given the performances he’s overseen this season.
Their display at Leicester was arguably one of the best – registering a total of 31 shots – and yet the Irons still suffered a 3-1 defeat, with Niclas Fullkrug’s late goal nothing more than a consolation.
Lopetegui’s appointment – pitched as a progression from David Moyes but proving to be nothing of the sort thus far – has proven to be a huge misstep, and the away end at Leicester made this feeling clear.
As a result, the next managerial appointment if and when Lopetegui is given the boot must be one to get Hammers fans back onside, and Carrick, as an Irons academy graduate, would be exactly that.
Former assistant coach Edin Terzic has already swerved the Hammers’ advances [Florian Plettenberg, 5 December], but if Carrick were to take the leap, fans in East London would welcome him with open arms.
In other West Ham news, the club’s board are worried that a star player could push for the exit door if Lopetegui remains in post.
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