Julen Lopetegui, West Ham badge
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui [Credit: Imago]
Zak Anderton
Fri 6 December 2024 18:10, UK
Tony Cottee says it is vital West Ham act quick to make a decision on the future of manager Julen Lopetegui and heeded a relegation warning to his former club.
Lopetegui’s future hangs in the balance after the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City, though he is expected to be in charge for Monday’s contest with Wolves.
Ex-Hammers striker Cottee wants the club to act swiftly because he fears West Ham, who are 14th and six points above the drop, being dragged into a scrap for survival if they get it wrong.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sacked In The Morning podcast in quotes relayed by the BBC Sport website (5 December), Cottee said:
“They’ve got to be careful because time goes very quickly in the Premier League and the games are thick and fast and West Ham have got some tough games coming up over the next three to four weeks into the new year,” he said.
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“If you’re not careful, you get dragged into a relegation battle of some sort and it’s very, very difficult to get out of it, and it’s important they stay above that.
“So I think, you know, if they’re going to make the decision, make it quickly. But just try and get the right fella in to manage the club because you’ve got to keep above that relegation zone.”
Julen Lopetegui must lead West Ham to a victory against Wolves
There’s no denying that the 2024/25 season has been well below par for West Ham. At the start of the campaign, the club were expected to be challenging for the European spots but instead they’re casting a few nervous glances at the drop zone.
While they may not be in the relegation zone just yet, if things continue as they are and they somehow lose to Gary O’Neils’ Wolves, it’s hard to see how David Sullivan could justify keeping the Spaniard in his role.
They had a rather heavy spending summer, with several players being welcomed through the London Stadium doors such as Max Kilman and Crysencio Summerville and, while some have seemed to improve their team, others have been made outcasts or just haven’t been chosen enough.
Julen Lopetegui
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui [Credit: Imago]
A plethora of names have already been linked with the Hammers’ hot seat, including Graham Potter and former West Ham midfielder Michael Carrick.
Granted, nothing is set in stone yet but the crop of managers they have to choose from all seem to be a lot more exciting than what Lopetegui has offered thus far.
In other West Ham news, Erik ten Hag has been named as the search for Julen Lopetegui’s successor is in full swing.
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