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

[,]

We don’t need anyone to tell us the board are concerned because they should be. What would be news is that the Board are relaxed about what is going on. 

So watch this space because we know from previous that when the Board think that there is more risk in keeping than ditching a manager they will act these days. They learned a lesson by not acting in a timely fashion when Avram Grant held stewardship and the Board and us don’t want to live through that again.

As ever the issue of replacing a manager is immense the more so when a team is in trouble. In this era when top level football clubs change manager with that change goes the coaching entourage and this unfortunately means there is nobody left at the club of sufficient experience to hold the fort for more than a few games. 

In a couple of weeks we have another international break and if jalopy has not eased the Board’s concerns by then he could be toast, the more so if the presently winless clubs get victories.

[Manuel]

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.

[Come On You Irons]

I missed the season ticket renewal deadline due to the club sending out contradictory info but managed to renew eventually after they initially said under no circumstance would they relent. Wish they would've kept that stance and saved me £1500. If saturday is to be a summary of our season we're proper fucked, and it's been pretty uninspiring apart from 2nd half spurts against MC, CP & Fulham.

You mean to say the 50,000 season ticket waiting list is a blatant Sullivan and Brady club lie? Well I never!

Every year I consider saving myself the outlay of the season tickets for me and my son, but then I conclude I am am in a high tax-band bracket and dish out for more West Ham misery.

[Russ of the BML]

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. 

[arigurrin]

I missed the season ticket renewal deadline due to the club sending out contradictory info but managed to renew eventually after they initially said under no circumstance would they relent. Wish they would've kept that stance and saved me £1500. If saturday is to be a summary of our season we're proper fucked, and it's been pretty uninspiring apart from 2nd half spurts against MC, CP & Fulham.

[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. 

[goose]

I wonder how long it will be until we hear from a 'source inside the club' that he has 2 or 3 games to save his job?

Didn't take long.

[El Scorchio]

Yup, 1-2 quick passes right through the middle to completely bypass our midfield and expose our high line with a striker running right through the middle onto a through ball. Or allowing a player to run with the ball unchallenged for 20-30 yards. It's the non existant midfield which is the huge worry.it's completely exposing the defence time and again. Players are easily getting behind the full backs as well. This has happened numerous times in every single game so far. The manager needs to take a half step back from what he's trying to do and implement more gradually. Actually make us hard to play against and build from there. His approach really isn't working at the moment so he has to adapt it.

[F 129 Row66]

Every game we have played in there have been several attacks by the opposiition where a single pass has led to a clear run on on goal, many of which have resulted in a goal. There has been no improvement, and last night we were opened up easily again by a fairly mediocre Liverpool.  This is a really serious problem and he seems not to know what to do otherwise some action would have been taken. There must be some improvement in this area soon or we well be stuck in the shit with no way out.

[Fat, Bald n 50]

I have one foot in the Lop out camp.  Looking at that list of available managers, I'd be talking to Joachim Low

[El Scorchio]

True- although with Bilic and Pellegrini I'm not strictly talking about results as what broke the camel's back. They got really bad but I think Bilic had to go when he started embarrassing Sullivan by being insubordinate to the media- 'dildo brothers' remark, explaining his truth about the situation Sullivan claimed with the Portuguese and Polish players Bilic was supposedly offered. That was the end for Bilic. When he wasn't a good little soldier, rather than because results first and foremost were bad. IIRC Pellegrini and his staff started to bite back against Sullivan in the media too which lead to his dismissal. The one thing SUllivan can't stand is being made to look bad over and above shit results. Which is pretty alarming. Moyes was presiding over similarly bad times but always bit his tongue which i'll wager was what kept him in his job. 

Lop is going to have to start slagging off Sullivan to lose his job, unless the results start to get really, really, REALLY dire like cut adrift at the bottom of the table dire. Don't forget Moyes survived some astonishingly bad runs, performances and results. Arguably worse than anything under Bilic and Pellegrini. But yes point taken Bilic did have some prior credit in the bank. I can't really remember if it started off well or not under Pellegrini TBH. 

I just don't know if the media laying into Sullivan with be careful what you wish for will make him do anything or actually make him double down on his decision to try and prove he knows better.

Agree that if we don't take at least 4 points from Brentford and Ipswich, then things are starting to look fucking grim. 

[goose]

No player has guaranteed minutes in his contract.

[Lee Trundle]

Guillem Balagué takes pride in reminding people that his mate Lopetegui walked out on Wolves because he didn't get his own way.

I can't believe he's being told what players and tactics he should employ.  It must be all down to him.

[Mike Oxsaw]

Maybe the managers team selected is restricted on account of some players having guaranteed minutes in their contracts?

Some of his choices have been fairly debatable on the issue of team requirements (or footballing ability).

[Full Rug]

 There are some good and bad in our performances. 

 

 

What good have you seen in our performances?

[Lee Trundle]

It's incredible there's a few who are happy to watch us being stuffed by Chelsea and Liverpool just because Moyes isn't managing us anymore.

[Manuel]

El - Fair enough post, but I'm not so sure we/he can sit on his hands with Lop.

Bilic got off to a good start, not sure about Pellegrini, but pretty sure his start wasn't this bad, and Moyes was never really down on his haunches, at least not at the beginning of his two spells, I believe - so my point is these managers all had some credit in the bank before it went to shit, Lop doesn't. I don't see how it won't become untenable if he keeps losing. Also fans are less tolerant now than before what with increased prices etc, then there is the media pressure / wish for cunts. I think he needs some points from the bees/tractor boys.

[Full Claret Jacket]

Are people already getting itchy feet? Probably all the Moyes lovers who would rather spend their time in the bar at games as there was fuck all football to watch. 
It's way too early to sack a manager. Absolutely ridiculous to even be talking about it. There are some good and bad in our performances. The pressure is why individual players are making mistakes. That and admittedly in the Chelsea game tactics which didnt work. 

After two seasons of watching us barely have a shot on goal in the league and still lose games, I'm at least seeing some attacking intent. There were some good chances we should have put away. 
First of all we need a settled side and gameplan. We cant have defenders not having a clue if they are going with a man or not or handing them off or not. This lack of understanding is gifting teams goals. Do we need a defensive coach to sort this? I somewhat surprised since JLop has a record of having teams that are mean defensively.

Some of the players have let him down. Kilman and Alvarez not had the best couple of games. The sending off last night was rash and smacked of frustration. 

It was good to see Todibo, Summerville and Soler get a good run out. Summerville has some elite footwork and just needs that bit of physicality to stop himself being bullied. 

Supporters have never been patient with managers or players. Always they are great or shit within 5 minutes. For me he needs until end of November and then if it's more bad than good we need to consider what the right solution is.

When Fulham replaced this many players one season they were also awful. Nottingham Forest similarly.  It's very hard and unforgiving at this level to replace pretty much the whole defense and most the starting 11 and have them click straight away. 

[Lee Trundle]

It was always likely to end this way after Sullivan decided to go with Salthouse's pick (and client) over the proper football people he employed to make those decisions.

Salthouse has only got more influential with Lopetegui joining, it seems.  I wondered where the John Egan rumour popped up from, then I had look at his agent.

Will Still could be next.  Another Salthouse client.

[El Scorchio]

Sullivan is renowned for not admitting to any mistakes and also being a tightarse. No way does he cut ties with Lop so quickly as that both shows he was wrong, and it would require likely spending millions. Look how much rope he gave Moyes when we were looking like a total shitshow. He also waited until he was out of contract rather than let go of any compo money and also if it's to be believed in a cowardly way shifted all the onus onto Moyes by offering him no doubt a ridiculous and derisory set of T+C's to stay on, thus washing his hands with it and saying 'oh it's David's choice'. Maggot behaviour. Things would have to be unbelievably bad to sack him this soon. It needs to be Bilic or Pellegrini bad. He kept Avram fucking  snooze and a massage Grant until the end of the season.

There is NEVER a good relationship at this club between manager and owner- and who is the common factor?......

Lee Trundle is right. He's far too influenced by certain people and doesn't act with success on the pitch first in mind. It's always all about what's the best deal for him and those around him and creaming a bit off the top if he can with all his preferred agents nonsense and if that also turns out well then so be it, it's a nice little bonus. 

Until he is gone, it will always be the same with his stink and greasy little fingers infecting every corner of the club and holding us back. He can't resist sticking his nose into everything and interfering and trying to prove he knows better than the experts. It compromises everything. The last two managers haven't been on the same page as the technical director which is INSANE when he should be the one picking the managers. The technical director hasn't had the backing to do what he wants to do in the transfer market either because the claret and blue napoleon thinks he knows better than everyone else. 

[goose]

managers currently out of work:

Lolpard
Potter
Low
Tuchel
Xavi
Allegri
Terzic
Sarri
Lucien Favre
Igor Tudor

[Manuel]

LJC - I'm pretty sure he'll get the Ipswich game before the break.

That said, it's not always just about the result, if relations are becoming strained behind the scenes something may give that way.

[LJC]

He wasn’t my first choice but I was definitely in the camp of anyone is better than Moyes. Unfortunately, it is looking like a wrong fit. Don’t think they will go with Potter as it seem Sullivan has never been impressed and I still think that is a gamble. Got a bad feeling we are going to lose at the weekend and that will be that.

[Lee Trundle]

We get rid of Salthouse talking in Sullivan's ear, then that will go a HUGE way on getting us on the right track.

Owners should never be so close to agents.

[goose]

We look a real mess, that's pretty obvious at the moment. We are far too easy to play against, the gaps between midfield/defence are too big.

When he arrived at Wolves he made them tough to play against, here Lopetegui seems to have fallen in-between keeping things tight and playing attacking football - we aren't doing either.

fwiw I don't think we've bought bad players in the summer, they've all performed well at the highest levels. He just needs to find a way of making us compact and then utilising the attacking talent we have.