West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui is safe for the immediate future, Claret & Hugh can reveal.
Last night, C&H’s Sean Whetstone spoke directly with a top source at The London Stadium and asked whether Lopetegui’s West Ham job was under threat should he lose to the Cherries. The Hammers insider said the Irons gaffer has “some leeway because there are long odds against winning.”
West Ham went on to draw the game 1-1 at The Vitality Stadium, but the comments did give an insight into what is expected from Lopetegui. The suggestion is that the Hammers boss is safe as long as he doesn’t lose to sides West Ham are expected to beat.
Most Read on West Ham News
Presumably, most would expect Brighton, Villa, Man City, Fulham, and Liverpool to all do well against West Ham, meaning the crunch games are really against Southampton on Boxing Day, followed by fixtures against Palace and Leicester in January and February, respectively.
Reading between the lines, I can only surmise the Hammers hierarchy are hoping for the best, but if West Ham stay where they are in the league, Lopetegui will be safe.