Julen Lopetegui wasn’t the manager many fans were expecting when he was appointed last summer.
The main reason behind calls for David Moyes not to be offered a new contract at the end of last season weren’t because he had been unsuccessful, obviously. It was because while he enjoyed success beyond our wildest dreams over the course of four-and-a-half years in charge, his pragmatic and often dull style of play was difficult to enjoy. Towards the end it also stopped getting results.
So fans wanted the club to make a change to something a bit more entertaining. We weren’t asking for the next Pep Guardiola – although that would’ve been very nice indeed – but were asking for a manager who was capable of both winning games and delivering an element of excitement and entertainment.
Contrary to what some cynics will have people believe, it is possible to have both. So many fans and pundits often allude to the fact clubs like West Ham should only be able to have one or the other, often disregarding the fact the likes of Brighton, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Bournemouth have all appeared to find a nice balance without being honorary members of the prestigious ‘big six’ cartel.
So, Lopetegui’s appointment understandably underwhelmed many who believed it required a younger, more tactically modern head coach to really deliver on what we were asking for.
The Spaniard has, somewhat unsurprisingly, struggled to impress in his first few months in charge and there are now calls for his immediate departure. This is led to an array of managers being linked as his replacement. Some exciting, some not so much.
The likes of Graham Potter, Sergio Conceicao and Edin Terzic are all considered front-runners for the position should Lopetegui be sacked in the coming weeks. They’re interesting names who have a reputation for playing good football and winning football managers, so in my opinion I would take any one of them in a heartbeat right now.
But the club, namely David Sullivan and technical director Tim Stiedten appear to be undecided on the matter. It’s a huge decision, granted, but it does beg the question – why has there been no succession planning for this exact situation?
The other question everyone is asking is – who really is the best man to be manager of West Ham United moving forward? Given the key men in charge don’t appear to know, I wondered whether ChatGPT might have a better idea.
So I asked ChatGPT the following…
“Suggest five managers who could replace Julen Lopetegui at West Ham as manager. The managers must be realistic options and must have a playing philosophy of attacking football.”
Its response was a mix of predictable and interesting. We have to bear in mind its knowledge base only goes as far as April 2023, so it’s slightly behind the times. As a result, I had to keep asking it to replace some managers it suggested due to up-to-date events rendering some of its suggestions either impossible or unrealistic. Therefore, Ruben Amorim, Vincent Kompany, Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi and Paulo Fonseca were all disregarded by me.
So here are the five managers ChatGPT thinks West Ham should target, complete with its own reasoning behind each one.
1. Graham Potter
Background: Former Brighton and Chelsea manager, known for implementing attractive, possession-based football.
Why Him?: Potter’s tactical flexibility and focus on building attacks through structured play align with West Ham’s aspirations for progressive football. He is currently unattached, making him a viable option.
2. Marcelo Gallardo
Background: Highly successful with River Plate, winning multiple trophies while playing an intense, attacking style of football.
Why Him?: Gallardo’s aggressive, high-pressing game and ability to nurture young talents could inject fresh energy into West Ham. He has been linked with moves to Europe and might be attracted to the Premier League challenge.
3. Kjetil Knutsen
Background: Manager of Bodø/Glimt, renowned for their attacking football in the Norwegian league and strong performances in European competitions.
Why Him?: Knutsen’s innovative, forward-thinking tactics and ability to overachieve with limited resources make him a compelling candidate. His success in Europe highlights his capacity to manage at a higher level.
4. Ange Postecoglou (if available)
Background: Known for his “Ange-ball” philosophy of high-tempo, attacking football, currently managing Tottenham Hotspur.
Why Him?: While currently employed, his success at transforming Celtic and early impact at Spurs demonstrate his potential. If Spurs underperform or circumstances change, West Ham could present an appealing opportunity.
5. Andoni Iraola
Background: Former Rayo Vallecano manager, now at Bournemouth, Iraola is known for his high-pressing, attacking style of football.
Why Him?: Iraola’s ability to implement dynamic, entertaining football with modest resources makes him an exciting prospect. His tactical acumen and focus on attacking play align with West Ham’s ambitions for a vibrant, modern footballing identity. Andoni Iraola’s track record of success with underdog teams and his attacking philosophy could bring a fresh approach to West Ham, making him a strong candidate for the role.
The two suggestions that really caught my eye were Marcelo Gallardo and Kjetil Knutsen. Gallardo recently returned to River Plate after difficult eight months managing Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. That perhaps makes him in an unrealistic target in the short term, but as a long term option he’s certainly an interesting candidate to look closely at.
River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo
River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo
Knutsen doesn’t really get the plaudits he deserves for the way in which he’s transformed Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt. He was promoted to the managerial role after being the assistant manager in January 2019, and it came at a time when the club were named among the favourites to be relegated from the Norwegian Eliteserien.
He finished 11th in his first season and, since then has won four league titles and never finished outside of the top 2. His side’s achievements arguably started getting the attention it deserved after they beat Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 in the Europa Conference League in 2021.
Meanwhile, I decided to keep Ange Postecoglou in there because as things stand he’s under immense pressure at Tottenham with a lot of fans calling for him to be sacked, although there are also fans who sympathise with him and the issues he’s had to face since joining from Celtic. If he does leave Spurs, he’s one manager we can be sure would implement an exciting style of play, although there’s no guarantee he would be able to balance that with good results. After all, he’s struggling to get that balance at Tottenham right now.
So, given ChatGPT’s suggestions, it’s fair to say it could give Tim Stiedten and David Sullivan a run for their money. Perhaps we should look to AI to make these decision for us in future?
It probably won’t be long before AI starts playing a bigger role at the elite level of football anyway…