Julen Lopetegui has sent West Ham fans a message ahead of the Hammers’ London derby clash with Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.
The Spaniard has overseen a tough start to life in east London since replacing David Moyes in the summer, winning just one of their opening four Premier League games of the campaign.
That victory came via a 2-0 triumph over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, while the two home matches of the season so far have resulted in defeats to two of last season’s top four – Aston Villa and Manchester City.
And a 95th-minute Danny Ings equaliser last weekend ensured the Hammers came away from Craven Cottage with an underserved point.
So it hasn’t been an easy start for Lopetegui, especially as fans had called for Moyes to leave due to discontent over his style of play, despite the Scot overseeing three consecutive seasons in Europe and winning the club’s first major silverware since 1980.
Lopetegui arrived with a lot of expectation, not just to get results but also to play a more open, attractive brand of football. Thus far, he has been unable to deliver both, not to the level many will be expecting of him, anyway.
However, it’s still early days, with eight new signings all trying to fully integrate into the their new surroundings, and the existing players having to adapt to a completely new way of playing.
In his pre-match press conference, ahead of Saturday’s visit of Chelsea, Lopetegui sent a message to fans who may already be wondering whether he is the man to take the club to the next level.
He said (via The Standard): “My message to the fans is first that we are grateful because they always support us. We feel that.
“We want to give them good news, good matches. This is our aim. We have to work hard to be able to compete and to win these kinds of matches.”
The former Real Madrid boss also acknowledged that improvements need to be made, but praised his players for their attitude commitment and hard work during this current period of transition.
“Always you can improve and develop your ideas,” he added.
“I’m very happy with the players’ commitment, they are working hard every day. It’s the first step we need in order to develop the rest.
“With this behaviour and commitment, I am sure that step by step we are going to improve and compete better.
“We’re keeping the good things that the team has and trying to improve the other things.
“You have to look at the end of the season where you are. The Premier League is a very long, very hard season. Different kinds of matches. We have to be ready to be competitive all season.
“The results are about time, but also you need to win. When you win you believe more and get stronger and stronger.”
That certainly sounds like a call for patience from Lopetegui, doesn’t it?
There are some fans who are willing to be patient and wait until the end of the season to truly assess Lopetegui’s impact on the squad, while there are others who are already questioning his style of play, including We Are West Ham podcaster, William Pugh, who recently admitted he was worried that the couldn’t work out what Lopetegui’s style was when the players are in possession.
The good news is, Saturday’s opponents have not had much luck at London Stadium since the Hammers moved there in 2016.
In nine visits to Stratford, Chelsea have won just twice, one of which came behind closed doors during lockdown. The Blues have failed to win any of their last three visits to London Stadium, which might give the Hammers some confidence of picking up their first home win of the campaign this weekend.
