Julen Lopetegui faces two crucial games at West Ham, who used the international break to explore potential replacements. Although the club is clinging to the hope that the Spaniard can turn things around, confidence in the manager is fading and there is a serious chance he will be fired this month.
It is understood that much will depend on how West Ham perform when they travel to Newcastle on Monday and host Arsenal on Saturday week. Losses in these matches will likely have serious consequences for Lopetegui, who is under extreme pressure after a poor start. There is even the possibility of a heavy Newcastle defeat forcing West Ham’s hand.
David Sullivan, West Ham’s biggest shareholder, has been reluctant to make mid-season layoffs. But concern over performances under Lopetegui is growing and it is understood discussions have taken place to make a change.
West Ham, who are five points above the bottom three after winning three of their 11 games, do not appear to have decided on a preferred replacement for Lopetegui, who took over from David Moyes last summer. They examined former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic and carried out internal checks on former Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, former Benfica coach Roger Schmidt and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness. The Guardian understands there are other coaches in the running. Long-term and short-term appointments are being considered. Graham Potter, the former Chelsea manager, is available but West Ham have never seemed keen on him.
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The atmosphere at the London Stadium was muted as West Ham were held to a draw by Everton in their final match. Star players are not performing and questions have been raised about Lopetegui’s tactics. The football was lackluster, the new players didn’t settle in and there were disciplinary issues. Concern over recruitment has also led to a focus on technical director Tim Steidten. There have been reports that Steidten is cool towards Lopetegui, but it is understood the German was involved in the process which led to the 58-year-old’s appointment.
West Ham would prefer not to be pressured into sacking Lopetegui so soon. He is an experienced coach and insisted he would oversee improvement over time. Lopetegui has previously managed Porto, Sevilla, Wolves, Spain and Real Madrid. He was available after leaving Wolves at the start of last season.