West Ham United ‘dog fight’ admission shared in Julen Lopetegui sack verdict
Nedum Onuoha believes there’s “no reason” for Julen Lopetegui’s position as West Ham United manager to be under scrutiny “so soon” into his London Stadium stint.
The Hammers have been well below par this season and currently sit 14th in the Premier League table after several poor performances.
Speaking to BBC Sport (21 November), BBC pundit Onuoha shared his thoughts on the current situation at West Ham.
“The style of play seems to be the biggest issue because that is what brings consistency to your squad,” he said.
“If I was a player then I wouldn’t be overly concerned but the bigger issue is the lack of results. It is better to have a manager on the front foot who will make changes if things aren’t working.
“There is no reason to doubt the manager so soon into his tenure because for some it does take time to implement their changes.
“West Ham are not in a dog fight, it is not great, but Lopetegui has the pedigree to make it better because I think he is a well established manager.”
Julen Lopetegui doesn’t have long to turn things around at West Ham
Since the start of the season, the Spaniard has found himself under plenty of scrutiny due to the poor performances of his team across all competitions.
Many expected the Hammers to be competing for the European places, but instead, they’ve found themself on the cusp of a relegation battle.
It’s already been reported that the former Wolves manager is on borrowed time at the London Stadium and it’s clear to see why.
Most fans and pundits can’t see much of a future for Lopetegui at West Ham, but in some ways, you can see why Onuoha still believes it’s too early to relieve him of his duties.
There were many new faces brought in over the summer and of course it’s going to take time for them all to gel but at this point in the season, everyone should be settled and ready to give their all.
If things don’t change and turn around soon, it’s hard to see how David Sullivan could justify keeping him as the Hammers’, even though he’s not yet been in the role for much time.
In other West Ham news, the future of Niclas Fullkrug has now seemingly been sealed after the latest transfer news from the London Stadium.
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