Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says West Ham fans’ high expectations could play a role in Julen Lopetegui being sacked.
The Spaniard remains under pressure despite a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Monday evening. Speaking after the match, Henry said the result may help Lopetegui stay in the job for longer but he will need to do a lot more to win over supporters:
“I hope it can give him time to perform and show what he’s about. But again, I go back to what I said before. Sometimes, at West Ham, Everton and Newcastle, clubs like that feel like they should be higher and doing better than what the team are actually doing so that can be something that can work against him.”
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The Hammers remain in 14th place after picking up a point at the Vitality Stadium. The club are clearly underperforming and the fanbase are right to expect better, despite Henry’s remarks.
Heavy investment has failed to translate to results on the pitch
Despite spending heavily during the summer transfer window, West Ham have arguably gone backwards since the end of last season.
Under David Moyes, the Irons finished 9th in the table on 52 points. Based on Opta stats, Lopetegui’s side are currently tracking to finish where they are currently (14th), with roughly 46 points.
West Ham have no identifiable style under Lopetegui
The team’s regression could have been made more palatable if there was better football on display, but no real discernable style of play has emerged since the arrival of the new head coach.
Lopetegui seems just as pragmatic as Moyes with fewer upsides in terms of results. That is why the majority of fans believe a change in the dugout may be required in the not-too-distant future if things don’t improve markedly.
Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here