Lopetegui (sacked 8.1.2025)

[maverick180]

I was thoroughly looking forward to the start of this season

Was also prepared that things might take some time and wasn't expecting miracles over night What I didn't expect was a manager who after spending 6 weeks with the total dross he'd been left by Moyes would deem them fit to start in a premier league game And low and behold all of them played absolute shit

We're now 1 game in and none of our new players are any closer to bedding in or learning anything from their new team mates cos they barely spent a second on the pitch, half of them not at all I think it's gonna take somewhere between 6-10 games before we see the team anyone with an ounce of sense would play cos this bloke can't identify shit when he see's it I thought we was handed a miracle at half time when we went in level and low and behold he changed nothing I'm sure people are gonna make excuses for him and say it's too early to judge

But from what I've just seen today, this cսnt is David Moyes in a mission impossible mask

[Nutsin]

Charley wrote,
”J Lo might not be the right manager, but that certainly doesn’t mean that David Moyes was.”

We were flying high up till Christmas last year, the wheels fell off during the Jan transfer window.

Moyes gave us plenty of European nights, To simply dismiss all of his accomplishments and say he wasn’t or isn’t the answer is simply wrong. I miss the European football, no-one can say with any certainty that he wouldn’t have turned it around.

[threesixty]

Joking about Redknapp, mainly because he's old and I'm sure cant be bothered. But he was a very good manager in terms of attacking football when he had good players to call on. 

[eusebiovic]

I think J lo will work it out...we are all so disappointed because the team looks so far off the pace. It's nothing new though is it? For the last 2 seasons under Moyes we were well off the pace in at least half the matches we played anyway.

By the way, anybody who thinks Harry "Rent A Quote" Redknapp could still do a credible job needs a long hard look at themselves in the bathroom mirror.

[threesixty]

if this decision was made by AI or actual stats, I think it would say all stats dictate he would be a top ten manager here at the very least and would do better than our previous manager.

Outside of Pep, none of the managers in the top 10 have a much better CV than JLO really. 
The difference is they either have more PL experience (so your replacement needs more PL experience)
or they have a better playing style.  But that style would have been in another league. 

Sullivan would never poach an existing manager and pay two lots of compensation to get someone better that have PL experience and better playing style.

So I just think we wait and hope he grows into the team and give it time.
I see no alternatives to the present situation.

And please dont say Potter. Seems obvious that Brighton's success isnt just about any one coach.

If you just want someone to take over till the end of the season.. lol.. I'd ask Redknapp if he's still interested.
With the players we have he'd actually kill it really. Not sure he'd fancy being out in the cold in his 70s though!




 

[Pshyco scored all 4]

This is all down to the vertically challenged one . If the rumours are correct. About him tipping off the media before he met amorim to sabotage the deal .  And I fully suspect they are . I don't think lopetegui is a bad manager just one  unsuited to the premier League like juande Ramos at the filth . He's the problem and always will be until he pisses off with his goon loving Pitbull in tow .

[Full Rug]

Rug - The fella answered your question and you just predictably take it apart without even acknowledging any of it even reasonably, like you just set him up for a fall and he took the bait. I won't answer direct questions on here of that nature as WHO being WHO it would only be lambasted anyway, so it's a waste of time. Poor form, son.

What the fuck are you going on about?

We've disagreed, stop reading too much into it.

[Trilby55]

Do you mean the present new manager? 

[northbankboy68]

Things will get worse before they get better and my guess is that the improvement will be down to a new manager.

[Russ of the BML]

Summed up well. 

[wils]

Telegraph has a big story on Lop today:

"Next two matches ‘huge’ for West Ham with Julen Lopetegui desperate for a win to head off crisis"

Spaniard has faced criticism for selections and tactics after just five Premier League games but vows to learn ahead of visit to Brentford

 The next two Premier League matches are “huge” for West Ham United, according to sources close to the club.

West Ham face Brentford away on Saturday – where they have lost on their last three league visits – and are then at home to newly-promoted Ipswich Town before the international break.

There is no “imminent pressure” on new head coach Julen Lopetegui but after an underwhelming start to the campaign that may change unless West Ham begin to win. If they go into the break without at least one victory then the focus will be even more sharply on the Spaniard.

There is concern that – as yet – Lopetegui has not been able to field a settled side following a big summer of upheaval as he replaced David Moyes and nine new players were signed which also raised expectations.

Poor run of form stretches backThere are undoubtedly mitigating factors to the difficult start – and not least because West Ham have endured a poor run of results which stretches back to the start of this year.

It has been pointed out that although West Ham finished ninth they only won five of their 25 matches in all competitions since January. Their single victory in their last eight fixtures was against Luton Town and only they and the other two relegated clubs conceded more than the 74 goals against West Ham last season.

The poor form meant that, whether Moyes stayed or went, West Ham were determined to have a significant upheaval of their squad which may have won the Europa Conference League – the club’s first trophy in 43 years – in the previous campaign but also finished 14th in the league. The malaise stretches back some time.Into this has been propelled Lopetegui who arrived for Thursday’s press conference, just hours after the chastening 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat away to Liverpool, on crutches having damaged his calf during the tie when he jumped in the air and landed awkwardly after Crysencio Summerville missed a chance.

Lopetegui was in such discomfort that he was unable to fly back to London with the squad and had to be driven – having a scan on Thursday morning amid unfounded fears he may even have broken his ankle.

It is hardly the most sophisticated comment to therefore say that it is not just Lopetegui who is limping at present. West Ham have suffered three consecutive home losses for the first time in the club’s 129-year history, have taken just four points so far, are out of the Carabao Cup and were booed off after the crushing defeat to Chelsea.“

We know we have to improve,” Lopetegui said. “We are just starting. The demand is high. The Premier League is going to be long for all of us and these players are going to improve. I am sure of this. It’s true we need one win and we want to win the next match.

”New-look side lack an identity post-Moyes eraUnderstandably the mood and patience of the fans has also been affected by increased season-ticket prices and the withdrawal of some concessions for disabled fans, Under-21s and Under-18s with some forced to move, splitting up families and friends. That has nothing to do with Lopetegui but has not helped him.

West Ham’s losses have all come to teams who are currently in the top five but their net spend in the summer was the sixth highest in Europe and it is the manner of those defeats that has caused such consternation. Only for half of the 3-1 loss to Manchester City could West Ham be said to have ‘had a go’.

After Moyes, West Ham fans expected a change in style with more expansive football. But is Lopetegui – at 58 just three years younger than Moyes – the coach to deliver that? After all, in Seville, Lopetegui was known as ‘Amara-tegui’ – a nickname that mixed Spanish and Italian but was certainly not a compliment. It basically equated to the belief that Lopetegui was primarily a defensively-minded coach who ‘parked the bus’, to borrow that famous phrase coined by Jose Mourinho.

There has even been some conjecture this week as to who at West Ham drove the appointment of Lopetegui and, in particular, the role played by technical director Tim Steidten who is front and centre as to what is happening at the club. Interestingly, because he and Moyes had clashed partly over Steidten’s desire for a higher-profile name, the German gave an interview to TNT Sports ahead of the Chelsea game.

Spaniard was not club’s first choice Although his first choice was understood to be Ruben Amorim, that was always unrealistic. The Sporting coach flew over in April to meet West Ham chairman David Sullivan but later admitted it was a mistake and apologised for being “disrespectful” in speaking to another club.

In truth the €15 million (£12.5million) euro release clause in the 39-year-old’s contract always made it unlikely – West Ham would not pay that – and Amorim would probably only leave for a Champions League club.

When it quickly became apparent that Amorim was impossible, the decision-makers at West Ham, including Steidten, all agreed on Lopetegui. It should also be remembered, of course, that West Ham was not Lopetegui’s first-choice. He had hoped to get the AC Milan job, succeeding Stefano Pioli, but the Italian club did not proceed amid fan protests and the hashtag ‘Nopetegui’ going viral on social media. The supporters objected to Lopetegui’s style of play.

At West Ham, Lopetegui accepted the role of ‘head coach’ rather than manager but he has certainly exerted an influence on signings. Max Kilman, who he managed at Wolverhampton Wanderers, was his at £40 million as was Guido Rodriguez, a free transfer from Real Betis and both have started every league game. However Guido, who Lopetegui wanted to sign at Wolves, has so far been a major disappointment and was substituted after just 38 minutes against Chelsea.

Lopetegui wanted Villa’s DuranLopetegui wanted Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran to be his new centre-forward but when that deal could not be landed he accepted Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund – for £27 million – even though the 31-year-old German is a very different striker.

Unfortunately, Fullkrug was injured, ironically also suffering a calf problem, playing for his country and is now not expected to be back until after the international break. Similarly another big signing, Jean-Clair Todibo – who started against Liverpool – has lacked match sharpness while 18-year-old Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme was signed for £20 million but is yet to make the match-day squad.

There is sympathy at West Ham towards Lopetegui who, partly because of injuries and lack of availability and time, has not yet been able to implement his style. But there is a desire for him to quickly find out what his best team is and play it regularly while there were murmurings after his curious tactics against Chelsea when he played five-at-the-back including midfielder Edison Alvarez, hardly the quickest, appearing to mark the rapid Nicolas Jackson – who then scored twice. West Ham have now conceded 12 goals in their last four games.

While being demanding, Sullivan and the West Ham board do not have a history of being trigger-happy with their managers and like to assess at the end of a campaign. But that patience may be tested if Lopetegui does not get the team firing soon.

There is another concerning factor – possibly even a greater one – and that is the poor form of key, established players: namely the new captain Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta who, it is said, is playing like a man with something on his mind ie. the Football Association charges for allegedly breaching betting rules.

Lopetegui praised the Brazilian international’s “good mentality” and focus but, in truth, he is not playing like that. It is just another problem for the new head coach to deal with although the harsh reality is that he desperately needs a win, more than anything, to head off an impending crisis.

[Hammer and Pickle]

Just in case anybody out there is missing Moyes, pinched this from FB
Under David Moyes in 2024, we played 19 league games and won only 4. We had one clean sheet, that was on New Year’s Day. In that time, we let in 5 twice and 6 on another occasion. We shipped a total of 44 goals in those 19 games.  Over the season, we let in more goals than any team that were not relegated.  Anyone who thinks we need a return to that needs to give their head a wobble. J Lo might not be the right manager, but that certainly doesn’t mean that David Moyes was.

Odd isn’t it how nobody seems equipped to pull up these TV-studio so-called football experts when they come up with their “careful what you wish for” bollocks. Instead it’s all nodding and another round of lazy cliches. Absolute rubbish.

[charleyfarley]

Just in case anybody out there is missing Moyes, pinched this from FB
Under David Moyes in 2024, we played 19 league games and won only 4. We had one clean sheet, that was on New Year’s Day. In that time, we let in 5 twice and 6 on another occasion. We shipped a total of 44 goals in those 19 games.  Over the season, we let in more goals than any team that were not relegated.  Anyone who thinks we need a return to that needs to give their head a wobble. J Lo might not be the right manager, but that certainly doesn’t mean that David Moyes was.

[Russ of the BML]

The wait until Christmas thing (I can't think of a better word) is just moronic really, nobody can lose matches for four months, ffs, particularly after spending 150 mil. He needs some results very soon or it will begin to look untenable.

Stop going on about the christmas thing. Nobody has said give a bloke losing every game until christmas. What people said was we probably won't get a true and proper gauge of the job Lope is doing until christmas. If he doesn't make it to christmas then that's tough shit and we will never know for sure. But, yeah, right now, its looking grim and doubtful he will make end of October. 

 

You and some others were happy to give him until Christmas, I can only assume that would be regardless of results or you would have qualified what you said, but you never. The fella rocked up in June but you think it would take SIX months to get a proper gauge of the job he is doing?? He's not reinventing the wheel here, some managers get their message over within weeks. Just admit you didn't think it through properly, no biggie, you usually talk sense.

I know its no biggie. No issues here, mate. But I said he needs to be given time. And I said we probably won't know until at least Xmas to see the extent of how well a job he is doing. I suppose that could be construed as giving him until Xmas. But, fuck me, I never thought at the time of saying it that results and performances would be as poor as they have LOL! But yes, I do think six months at least. Look at Villa. Within 2 months many Villa wanted him out. Results were average and their performances were shite. I can testify to that as I recall watching them at home in Emery's first game at London Stadium and they were gash. But now look. So I am not saying you just blindly give a losing manager until Xmas - The comment was made with regard to Lope doing enough to still be here at Xmas. Then you analyse. I don't think anybody saw what is happening now. 

[moorethanjustananon]

The seeming lack of intensity is a big concern. We’ve had some reasonable spells with the ball, however we have still looked at our best in the transition which was the major strength of the old regime. 

Can only hope the lack of intensity is a case of the players not quite getting the gaffers instructions yet, as that’s possible to fix with time. I would be seriously concerned if it was something to do with the coaching / the players already not having the manager. 

The next 6 games will be telling, hopefully we learn our lessons and improve - 4 very winnable games and 2 of the softer big sides. If we repeat a similar points tally to the previous 5 games I think we could be in for a long season. 

[Manuel]

Rug - The fella answered your question and you just predictably take it apart without even acknowledging any of it even reasonably, like you just set him up for a fall and he took the bait. I won't answer direct questions on here of that nature as WHO being WHO it would only be lambasted anyway, so it's a waste of time. Poor form, son.

[Full Rug]

 There are some good and bad in our performances. 

 

What good have you seen in our performances?

A willingness to try and pass the ball more and quicker, more possession and more shots on goal. More players comfortable on the ball and willing to commit a player. No we are not a slick passing, dominant team but also not a boring tactical one trick pony. 

That is some seriously low hanging fruit. I think you're judging against what we saw the last 2 seasons under Moyes, rather than looking objectively on what you're seeing now. More shots on goal? I think we're currently only better than Ipswich at that in the whole league ffs

All I've seen, in every game bar the odd 20 minutes against Palace, is one of the easiest teams you are likely to ever play against, a constantly changing starting 11 with no concrete idea of who fits where, players given roles that do not suit their strengths, players not being ready for the Premier League not starting ahead of players who are making mistakes every week, Bowen & Kudus looking absolutely pony. We're shocking at the back, slow in midfield, and pitiful going forward.

I'm glad you're enjoying it though.

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

He looks on his chin strap already...
He won't be here for very long

[Full Claret Jacket]

 There are some good and bad in our performances. 

 

What good have you seen in our performances?

A willingness to try and pass the ball more and quicker, more possession and more shots on goal. More players comfortable on the ball and willing to commit a player. No we are not a slick passing, dominant team but also not a boring tactical one trick pony. 

[threesixty]

He's not reinventing the wheel here, some managers get their message over within weeks. 

 

 

I kind of thinking he is "reinventing the wheel" with West Ham.
No other club in Europe played like us under Moyes. It was an even more defensive setup that Atletico Madrids one. Whenever we didnt have the ball our defenders setup in 2 banks of 4 inside the area and provided no midfield support, only getting out on the wings. And that was for pretty much every team who tried to play "football" against us. Sometimes really bad teams that feared us would play the same low block and we didnt even know how to play against them, it was ingrained in us.

For me, thats why we won so many games initially with Moyes. No one knew how to really play against us. Then after time they sussed us out and we kept losing and losing. But we never adapted our game and Moyes knew that doing that low-block, low possession counter with some very good players at the front would be enough for him. It's definitely why we won our European fixtures easily because I doubt they'd seen anything like it.

So yeah, any manager must unpick all of that muscle memory we have. Defenders not really having to learn positioning because they're not really running around at the back, just sitting back for every attack. Maybe that suited Zouma as well, which is why Moyes persisted with it. who knows?

Unless you put a whole brand new 11 in and start a fresh your kind of telling people to play quite differently from what their used to, and integrating others in at the same time. I think it's a hard job. I'm not saying JLO is the best for the job. But I think it would be hard for any manager to transform us in a few months in the hardest league in the world,. And do it against 3 top top 4 teams at home at the same time.

We really need to give it time and stop wetting the bed here.

[eusebiovic]

Football is relatively easy. As the famous saying goes...a simple game made complicated by idiots.

Everybody defends to together and everybody attacks together in one mass block. It shouldn't be beyond a manager to understand this.

Knowing our chairman he will favour an insecure threatened egotist who likes to complicate things to make themselves feel clever. 

What are the fucking chances eh?

[El Scorchio]

Danny Murphy said on TS that West Ham look like a team that simply do not know what they are supposed to be doing without the ball. One West Ham fan went on and said they are not playing for the manager and not putting the effort in. He disagreed. Not knowing what you are doing can often look like a lack of effort, but its not. He said he doubts any West Ham player is deliberately not trying, but they just look like that as they do not know what to do. He said the DM that drops between the CB's to play as a sweeper is very specialised and is not very common. He only knows of a few players that did that. He doubted Alvarez was good enough. But you also have to have CB's that understand when to be close and when to split. Chelsea's first goal came from Stavros simply not knowing he had to go wide and close the space. It just all looks confused. With the ball Murphy said West Ham look good and with sustained possession could hurt teams, but not defending properly is costing us. 

Fair assessment in my eyes. 

That makes a lot of sense. I don;t like the man but I think he's pretty much spot on there. They do look uncomfortable with the roles they are being asked to play, and unsure of what they and their teammates are supposed to be doing. A lot of people have said he has a very niche way of playing, and if it's not working, then it's on him to adapt it to what his players are comfortable with and capable of. (I'm sure if he pitched up at Man City and did the same thing, it would look a hell of a lot better just because of the relative quality of the players) He's got to go a bit back to basics here. It's not rocket science and if he's worth his salt and not a stubborn inflexible idiot, he surely will at least try. To be fair to him, he at least did ring some changes fairly early in the Chelsea game (not that they worked) when it became clear we were getting fucked. We all know Moyes would have just persisted with doing exactly the same thing regardless.

Surely things aren't so bad behind the scenes already that he's doing any of this deliberately?

[El Scorchio]

Yup I agree. The one thing in his favour so far is that the fixture list particularly at home has not been kind. We've played three of the current top five, and i think many on here underestimated Villa prior to that game- of course that's tempered with it being optimistic ahead of the first game of the season as well. But you wouldn't expect (as much as you would hope for) more than a point or two from those games regardless in normal circumstances.
I'd call both the away games 'tricky', although Palace do look a shadow of last season so far, so maybe that result isn't as good as it might have seemed at the time. Losing Olise seems to have killed them.

Realistically, you wouldn't have expected more than 6-7 points so far? Take away the Palace win and it's a dismal start though.

However, it's the performances rather than the results which have been so worrying. Really unconvincing in every single game so far.

[scott_d]

The actual time period a manager should be afforded is obviously not a set period.

If the rule was give him until Christmas and he loses every game up to Christmas, then obviously you should have acted before Christmas.
If just an rough indication of how long it might take for a new manager and new players to implement their philosophy on the players and staff.

But equally, we've lost 4 games this season against Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool, all of which are expected to be above us at the end of the season.  It's not that we SHOULD lose to these teams but those defeats won't define our season, it's just a shame they have come back-to-back in the new managers first 3 home games.

Winning at Palace and drawing at Fulham are the kind of results that are likely to define our season and dare I say it the next 2 games again Brentford and Ipswich, too.  

We just need to make sure we not dragged too far down with too much ground to make up. If we can do that and start improving the way we play then I'm hopeful that the second half of the season will be better.

 

[Any Old Iron]

The truth is that there hasn’t been a single game where the team has looked convincing, not even the Palace win. Whatever system Lopetegui is employing is not working and the new signings look like a bunch of duds.  Between the manager and Steidten they seem to be making a right bollocks of things. 
if we don’t get more than two points out of the next two games then I’d fire the pair of them

[arigurrin]

Dunno about the waiting list but their communications are dogshit. They closed the online ticket office before the stated deadline. I exploited that.