Julen Lopetegui is only seven games into his West Ham managerial career but there are already question marks over his east London future.
A cocktail of poor performances, one win in all competitions and rumours of a rift in the dressing room are fuelling talk of another change in the London Stadium dugout.
Meanwhile, the fanbase appears to be split on the matter. Some have already seen enough and want to see the back of the Spaniard, while others are willing to give him more time and are considerate of all the moving parts that come with the level of transition the former Real Madrid boss is overseeing this season.
It should also be considered that the four defeats Lopetegui has overseen so far this season have come against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. In all honesty, there’s no shame in losing to all of those teams.
But the concerns over the level of performances and lack of discernible style of play have understandably led to question marks over Lopetegui’s ability to build on the foundations David Moyes build over the last four years.
But it appears the club is willing to stick it out and give Lopetegui more time to get things right. That’s according to notorious transfer guru Dean Jones, who took to X on Tuesday to reveal what he’s heard about the situation at London Stadium.
West Ham look set to stick with Lopetegui for now
There are signs of friction in the camp and results/performances have not been good enough
But they do not have an obvious Plan B to turn to and Lopetegui is likely to get a chance to turn things around
— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) October 1, 2024
He posted: “West Ham look set to stick with Lopetegui for now.
“There are signs of friction in the camp and results/performances have not been good enough.
“But they do not have an obvious Plan B to turn to and Lopetegui is likely to get a chance to turn things around.”
The lack of Plan B is the most concerning part of this update, in my opinion. But it also potentially suggests that should an Plan B become available in the near future, the club might decide to move quickly and make a change if results don’t improve in the next few weeks and months.
Lopetegui, though, isn’t the favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job. In fact, he’s the fifth favourite by the bookies to be the next top-flight boss to be sacked.
Man United’s Erik ten Hag is the current favourite, while Southampton’s Russell Martin, Wolves’ Gary O’Neil and Everton’s Sean Dyche are all ahead of Lopetegui in the odds rankings.
