West Ham source quoted as Lopetegui sack update shared pre-Aston Villa
West Ham United sources are unsure who will be in charge of the Irons against Aston Villa in the FA Cup this Friday, according to Sean Whetstone.
The Hammers insider posted on his West Ham Football account on X (7 January), claiming a source from the London Stadium does not yet know whether Julen Lopetegui will remain in charge for the cup tie (10 January).
Lopetegui’s immediate future has been called into serious doubt with widespread reports claiming the Spaniard will be imminently sacked with talks having taken place with Graham Potter.
Whetstone’s initial claim (via X, 6 January) suggested the 58-year-old is about to face the chop, and now uncertainty has arisen following Lopetegui’s report as usual to the training ground on Tuesday (7 January).
He has now posted: “It’s too early to say who will be in charge of West Ham on Friday for the Hammers’ cup game with Aston Villa, with a club source saying: ‘Time will tell. I really do not know’.”
West Ham United situation with Lopetegui could turn ugly
West Ham were for a long time hugely unlikely to persevere with Lopetegui for the long haul – something which became apparent weeks ago when results were continuously far too inconsistent.
As a result, the fact this situation is playing out the way it is has become downright disrespectful to Lopetegui, who isn’t daft. He’s been around the game decades long enough to know how this will go, and to acknowledge the pressure surrounding him.
Many considered Tim Steidten to have made the wrong choice from day one to bring the Spaniard out of the unemployment shadow, and the nine-figure sum the club spent on strengthening the squad in the summer has so far been redundant.
With the public knowledge of the Potter interest in East London, Lopetegui has to report to Rush Green as usual and take training with the inevitable looming over his head – for a game he is highly unlikely to take – and it is completely out of line.
He’s not the right man to take the Hammers forward – that has become abundantly clear. But let him depart and seek his next challenge with some dignity, at least.
In other West Ham news, Danny Dyer reveals when Jarrod Bowen is aiming to make a return.
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