West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui looks dejected after his side's 3-1 defeat at Leicester
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui looks dejected after his side’s 3-1 defeat by Leicester
Julen Lopetegui is clinging on to his job at West Ham after the club’s supporters turned on him towards the end of another defeat.
Lopetegui endured chants of “sacked in the morning” from the 3,000 travelling fans and is under mounting pressure, with Sergio Conceicao emerging as a potential contender to replace him.
West Ham spent over £100 million in the summer but sustained a seventh Premier League defeat at struggling Leicester to leave the Basque manager vulnerable.
Conceicao is available after leaving Porto at the end of last season and West Ham now face a key decision before they play Lopetegui’s former club Wolves on Monday night.
‘The only thing I’m worried about is the training session tomorrow’
When asked about the reaction from the fans, Lopetegui said: “I’m a coach and I am not aware of what’s happening around me.
“We are able to change the situation for sure. I believe in the players and the team.
“I am very frustrated and tomorrow we are looking for the next challenge, knowing that we can change the next situation.
“The only thing I’m worried about is the training session tomorrow and preparing for the next challenge.
“We have to improve and we are very frustrated for the fans and the players. There are a lot of matches in front of us and a lot of points to pick up.”
Story of squandered chances
Lopetegui admitted it was “unbelievable” that West Ham failed to score from 20 shots on goal in the first half.
His team also subjected Leicester to frequent pressure in the second half but had only substitute Niclas Fullkrug’s header three minutes into added time to show for their dominance.
West Ham's Niclas Fullkrug reacts after missing a chance to score
West Ham’s Niclas Fullkrug reacts after missing a chance to score
“It’s not easy because I think we deserved much more,” he said.
“We had many, many chances but if you don’t score you have to take more risks in the second half, and a good team takes advantage of that. It is not easy to explain football.”
Lopetegui has secured only four league wins since his appointment in May. West Ham’s latest defeat leaves them just six points above the relegation zone.
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