West Ham United to delay Julen Lopetegui announcement after ‘regret’
West Ham look set to delay the official announcement of Julen Lopetegui as their new manager after some regrets about their public pursuit, according to Malik Ouzia.
The Evening Standard journalist has reported that some board members at West Ham have expressed a “sense of regret” about how their touting of replacements for David Moyes became so public.
Lopetegui has agreed a deal to become the Hammers’ manager next season, but the club only confirmed that Moyes would be leaving his post at the end of the current campaign on Monday (6 May), after weeks of speculation.
When will West Ham announce Julen Lopetegui?
West Ham certainly made no secret of their elongated quest to find a new manager, all whilst failing to give any update whatsoever on the immediate future of Moyes.
Talks with Lopetegui had reportedly been ongoing for months before coming to an agreement on 6 May, while Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim was also sounded out and spoke with the Hammers’ hierarchy in London.
Furthermore, Hansi Flick was spotted attending a match at the London Stadium, which doesn’t necessarily imply that West Ham wanted to discuss the managerial position with him, but was yet another sign that Moyes was coming under scrutiny.
The fact that an announcement on the Scot’s fate only came on 6 May, two games prior to the end of the season, suggests that the Irons board really let the mask slip in their overtly public chasing of a replacement.
Had Moyes’ future been announced sooner, it may have provided a lift for both himself and the West Ham players, who’s form of late gives off signs aplenty of a team coming to the end of a cycle.
In other West Ham news, players have witnessed friction between Tim Steidten and David Moyes behind the scenes.
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