West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui is thought to be 'fighting to save his life' with the Hammers sliding down the Premier League table, according to reports - after the Spaniard lost his eighth game in just 16 matches in charge of the east London outfit in midweek.
West Ham had beaten Newcastle United away from home little over a week ago, in a result that looked to have turned the tide of their poor start, but a leaky defence saw them concede five goals against Arsenal in the first half of a 5-2 mauling on Saturday evening, before their toothless display away at Leicester City on Tuesday really began to turn the screw.
And with that in mind, a report from David Ornstein of The Athletic states that Lopetegui is ‘fighting to save his life’ at West Ham - with discussions over his future taking place after their shambolic 3-1 loss at the King Power Stadium. As a result, West Ham chiefs are considering their options when it comes to appointing a new boss, but there is no set deadline for when that would be, with the club merely discussing their options for the time being.
The Hammers sit 14th in the Premier League table, but a win for his former club Wolverhampton Wanderers against Everton on Wednesday would see the Irons sit just four points clear of the relegation zone at this stage of the campaign - which is not good enough once you take into consideration the money that they spent in the summer.
Wolves are up next for Lopetegui’s side on Monday night, and having been appointed on a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months in the summer, owner David Sullivan gave the former Real Madrid boss a huge wad of cash to spend - bringing in the likes of Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug, Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysencio Summerville - though the majority of their summer signings, bar Aaron Wan-Bissaka, have failed to step up to the mark.
With just four wins from 14 in the league, West Ham fans were chanting ‘sacked in the morning’ at their boss from the away end on Tuesday, highlighting a real indifference in relations throughout the London Stadium at present - but despite being 'unfazed' about the chant, Lopetegui could be made to pay for his poor start by being given the sack if results don't improve.