West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui may not last in his current job past this weekend. According to multiple reports, the WHUFC board met today to discuss their embattled gaffer’s fate, with Sky Sports reporting that the board is at 60/40 right now in letting him go. That tracks with what David Ornstein said on Wednesday, during an appearance on NBC Sports.
Ornstein said the club is “leaning that way” but nothing is finalized yet.
West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Kick off: 3pm, Monday Dec 9, London Stadium
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Other reports indicate that a decision could come as early as Friday, as if that is the case, and the decision is to give the sack, then who manages the team Monday night against Wolves?
It kind of sounds like Lopetegui might be given a little more time, but also that the next defeat could seal his fate.
He’s only seven months into the job, but he kind of started behind the eight ball a little, as the decision to bring him in as a replacement for David Moyes was substantially criticized and not extremely popular.
Lopetegui has won just four of his 14 league games, and the Irons find themselves separated from the drop by just six points. In addition to the losses on the pitch, Lopetegui has also feuded with players. He got into a nasty halftime spat with Jean-Clair Todibo, in the loss at Leicester City, and previously had a falling out with Mohammed Kudus.
Speaking of Todibo, he could miss out on the next match due to his ongoing groin injury. (Or, if things get ugly, they club might discipline him as well).
“We have had a little problem in the last match with Jean-Clair, so we need to see how he is,” Lopetegui said on Monday.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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