After a creditable four points from two games, the pantomime around Julen Lopetegui has subsided somewhat. At the same time, no-one seems convinced that we’ve turned a corner.
As a KUMB article from the other day had it, he has the air of a ‘dead man walking’. Such a phrase might sound tactless given the subsequent death of Lopetegui Snr. It would be even more tactless to suggest that this personal loss, combined with Antonio’s near-death experience, might unite the squad and provide the beleaguered Spaniard with a little bit of breathing space. But there’s at least as much truth in it as there is insensitivity.
The board’s disinclination to issue Lopetegui with his P45 is matched by my own, if only because it’s not the West Ham Way to make judgements after 16 games. The average length of service for managers at Upton Park was closer to 16 years. Even the four managers who’ve overseen our eight seasons in the London Stadium represents a relative sea of tranquillity in these trigger-happy times, though the toxicity emanating from the stands (and even more so from social media) has given a very different impression.
And here’s the rub: managers... stadiums... the grass is always supposed to be greener. Except, of course, it isn’t. Reality rarely matches the fantasy.
Which is not to say that prevarication is the way forward. Other clubs have benefited from being ruthless. But just as many have paid the price for impatience matched with unrealistic aspirations. Because managers are generally not miracle workers and the problems generally run deeper than the person sat in the dugout.
It seems to me that we’re in a state of limbo, stuck between being a middling club and grander ambitions. Every imagined step forwards leads to a step back, be it stadium moves, big-money signings or trophy-garlanded managerial appointments.
Sebastien Haller and Luca Scamacca should both have been striking upgrades, yet we ended up relying on a converted winger who worked his way up from non league, while Manuel Pellegrini and Lopetegui promised Latin flair but had many pining for the Scottish dourness of David Moyes.
Given that I grew up supporting a yo-yo club and was once excited by a knackered Paulo Futre, the middling club status we “enjoy” today could still be considered progress. Hell, we won a European trophy less than two years ago! It’s just, wasn’t the grass supposed to be even greener in Stratford...
I’m reminded of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. We’re continuously eyeing-up pastures new. And who do you reckon the troll is in this scenario?! Even the morning after the ecstasy of Prague, he was popping up to declare that Declan Rice could cross the bridge for the right price.
The club culture comes from the top and I’m inclined to believe that we need to rid ourselves of the troll if we’ve ever going to reach the promised land. However, at the same time, I’m not sure Sullivan’s the pantomime villain he’s made out to be. We were warned to be careful what we wished for when dismissing Moyes; I fear the same could apply to the owners.
Outsiders don’t see us as a circus. Who’d want to buy a circus? For all his faults (chief among them the hideous PR that makes my troll analogy a pretty flattering one compared to what other fans call him), Sullivan has made West Ham a more attractive proposition than the one he took over… from the Icelanders, who similarly promised us a shiny new tomorrow.
Defending GSB’s past record, one frame of comparison was Mike Ashley, then busy trolling thousands of Geordies. Newcastle fans understandably wanted rid, and they struck gold (or should that be oil?) with the new owners, as long as you ignore the Saudi’s questionable human rights record. And even with all the money in the world, ambitions are thwarted by equally questionable Financial Fair Play rules.
From the North East to the North West, INEOS’s track record of sporting success seemed to make them a perfect fit for returning Manchester United to former glories. It’s still relatively early days, and Ruben Amorim is the appointment many Hammers lusted after and Sullivan reportedly screwed up, but things look far from rosy under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Which alternative owners would we want? Leicester looked to have everything going for them a few seasons ago, then promptly got relegated. Brighton have an astute business model informed by gambling man Tony Bloom stacking the data in his favour, but how long before their grateful fans get fed up of star players being unearthed and then sold?
The best of the bunch comparably is Aston Villa, currently living the dream after a sobering spell in the Championship, yet there are fine margins between the Champions League and the points deductions at Everton, where Farhad Moshiri invested heavily but also deleteriously. Still, at least they look like getting an impressive new stadium and new owners out of it.
Being told to be careful what you wish for often comes across as condescending. However, it can also be sage advice when wishes are often a mirage. Lopetegui deserves more time, but with it Sullivan’s is running out. A few optimists have spied green shoots in recent matches and I’m wishing for progress in 2025. I’m just not entirely sure what that looks like any more!
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