West Ham next manager: ‘Extraordinary’ verdict shared as source speaks out
Jason Burt says it would be “pretty extraordinary” if Julen Lopetegui is still in charge of West Ham United come the end of Tuesday.
Lopetegui is reportedly on the verge of being formally sacked by West Ham [talkSPORT, 6 January] on the back of the 4-1 loss to Manchester City at the weekend.
That loss appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Graham Potter looking like being the man to step in and replace Lopetegui.
Speaking live on Sky Sports News [6 January], The Telegraph journalist Burt said after speaking to his sources: “The phrase used to me was that he’s on borrowed time.
“I then asked whether or not he’d definitely take charge of Friday’s FA Cup game against Aston Villa and was told that decision has not yet been made.
“But it would be pretty extraordinary if we’re here tomorrow evening and Lopetegui is still West Ham head coach and hasn’t been replaced.
“I fully expect a statement in the morning to say he’s going. The whole situation is untenable now.”
West Ham set to confirm Julen Lopetegui exit
There has been murmurings of Lopetegui being on the verge of being sacked for a number of weeks now, but the situation – as Burt himself says – is very much untenable now.
The Spaniard will surely accept that it just has not worked out for him at the London Stadium since replacing David Moyes.
The City loss alone is not what is going to get him sacked, but rather months of rather bland football and pretty terrible results.
Assuming West Ham pull the trigger on Tuesday (7 January), it is then a case of making the new appointment as swiftly as possible.
Everything points towards Potter being in the dugout for Friday’s (10 January) FA Cup third-round clash against Aston Villa.
Some will not agree with that appointment, but it is a safe one and the Irons at least know where they stands for the time being.
Potter is best remembered now for his underwhelming job at Chelsea, but he had great success at his previous clubs and deserves a chance.
With a bit of hope, West Ham can still make the 2024-25 campaign a successful one.
In other West Ham news, a player’s father is in talks with a European giant over sealing a January exit.
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