West Ham millions wasted as Tony Cottee rages at ‘ridiculous’ Hammers board
Tony Cottee has slammed West Ham for wasting millions by hiring Julen Lopetegui instead of Graham Potter in the summer.
The Hammers announced on 8 January that the Spaniard had been sacked after failing to align with the East London club’s ambitions in the first half of the season.
It now looks as if Potter is going to take over from the ex-Real Madrid man with the Irons set to strike an agreement with the 49-year-old [David Ornstein].
With this news, the former Irons striker Cottee has taken to X (8 January) to question why the board didn’t hire the former Chelsea boss in the summer rather than wasting money on Lopetegui.
He said: “Who’s going to take responsibility for the ridiculous appointment of JLO? It’s going to cost the Club millions and has taken us back to 2019!! The last few days have been a shambles too! Until there is someone with Football knowledge advising this Board, things will never change!
“Why was Graham Potter not considered last May when he was clearly available and a better candidate Why? Someone please tell me. I’m now happy the right appointment has been made.”
Tony Cottee rages at West Ham board after Julen Lopetegui sacking
When David Moyes was let go at the end of last season, many supporters were looking forward to a new and refreshing style of play at the London Stadium.
The hierarchy in E20 clearly believed in the former Wolves manager and backed him with a large summer spend as the likes of Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug came in for large fees.
It is safe to say that under Lopetegui, fans never got to see that as performances and results were largely frustrating.
As a result, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see him sacked but the question is there as to why Potter wasn’t appointed six months ago.
The Englishman has been without a club since leaving Stamford Bridge in April 2023 and may have been keen on the job during the last transfer window.
Now the ex-Brighton man is going to be given his chance in the second half of the season in what may prove to be a turning point in the Irons’ campaign.
In other West Ham news, six staff members have now been sacked in one fell swoop.
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