Julen Lopetegui, West Ham badge
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui [Credit: Imago]
Carla Devine
Sat 7 December 2024 9:40, UK
The Athletic have suggested that West Ham should hire Gerardo Seoane should Julen Lopetegui be sacked from his job at the London Stadium.
After a poor start to the season, there is heaps of pressure on the Spaniard which has only grown ahead of Monday’s [9 December] game against Wolves in which the losing manager may well lose their job.
The likes of Graham Potter andMichael Carrick have already been linked to the potential upcoming vacancy with the Hammers.
However, The Athletic used data to answer who they thought would be the best fit for the job as Mark Carey wrote: “A pragmatic, safe option with Premier League management experience could come in the form of Steve Cooper, having recently left Leicester, but as a data-led pick, why not consider Borussia Monchengladbach’s Gerardo Seoane?
“The 46-year-old has shown strong pedigree in Germany and his native Switzerland, known for his tendency to instill a high-pressing, energetic style of play. Things have not been so easy for Seoane this season, but looking at Monchengladbach’s playstyle wheel, you can see that they are keen to get the ball forward quickly (Patient attack, 12 out of 99) to generate high-value chances (Shot quality, 80 out of 99).
With a particular focus on transitional play and exploiting wide areas in attack, Seoane’s style could be more suited to West Ham’s squad, utilising the wide threat of Bowen, Summerville and Kudus in particular.
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“Lopetegui looks set to be in the dugout for West Ham’s bleak-looking clash with Wolves on Monday night, and surely anything less than a stellar performance and result is likely to lead to the club’s decision-makers reaching for their shortlist of managerial options.”
Could Gerardo Seoane be the man for West Ham?
The appointment of Seoane could certainly be an exciting one for the Hammers to consider if they find themselves in a position to recruit a new boss in the coming weeks.
After the departure of David Moyes from the club, supporters were desperate to see an improvement in the style of football being played at the London Stadium. However, their Spanish boss has failed to deliver on this front, whilst also leading the Hammers to a tricky position in the table.
Although he is not a name that has been linked with the role yet, the data does show that the current Borussia Monchengladbach boss is able to deliver the type of football that the supporters want to watch. Not only would this give supporters something to cheer, but it would no doubt suit a number of players at the club too, therefore raising the morale throughout the team.
Although his side currently find themselves sat tenth in the Bundesliga, at this stage in the season the Hammers won’t be expecting to compete for anything at the top end of the Premier League.
Therefore, this could be a good appointment for the club with someone who could really be the start of a new project at the London Stadium and provide immediate safety too.
In other West Ham news, Erik ten Hag has been mentioned as the search for Lopetegui’s successor is underway.
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