West Ham go to basement side Southampton on Boxing Day with Julen Lopetegui looking to avoid a knockout blow.
West Ham’s game against the Saints once again represents a must-win game for Julen Lopetegui.
After being given a final chance following shambolic defeats to Arsenal and Leicester, the Hammers have ridden their luck in the three games since.
West Ham were extremely fortunate not to lose to Wolves let alone win.
Brighton also missed a glut of golden chances to take victory in an unconvincing 1-1 draw at the London Stadium last time out.
West Ham have just five wins from 17 Premier League games under Lopetegui.
Fans have bemoaned a lack of any identity from the team as they languish in 14th place in the table.
And a large number of Hammers supporters are still demanding a change of manager.
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West Ham’s underwhelmed owners have laid it on the line to Lopetegui ahead of the trip to Southampton.
They have left the Spaniard in no doubt that only a win will do at St Mary’s.
The Hammers hierarchy are also demanding the team starts to play better and show clear signs of progress.
Failure to beat what is officially one of the worst teams in Premier League history will carry grave consequences for the manager.
Saints have just five points so far – on course to break Derby’s 2008 record low of 11.
Lopetegui’s luck seems to extend to the fixture list as well as the pitch.
Because each time he faces a “must win” game, West Ham face one of the worst teams in the top flight.
Julen Lopetegui, Manager of West Ham United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Brighton & Hove Albion F...
Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images
West Ham owners tell Lopetegui he must beat Southampton
But the match has been made a potential banana skin by the appointment of new boss Ivan Juric.
The Croatian was allegedly one of many managers on West Ham’s shortlist to replace Lopetegui.
That honour looks set to go to Graham Potter if the axe does swing on the 58-year-old.
Juric, who was sacked by Roma recently, will take charge of his first game when the Irons go to the south coast.
Lopetegui has already been getting his excuses in early ahead of West Ham’s must win clash.
One of those being the fact Southampton have a new manager.
And if new Saints boss Juric carries out his West Ham threat then it’s curtains for Lopetegui.
In his first press conference since being appointed, Juric says he has taken an in-depth look at the Hammers.
The former Torino boss says he will have Southampton playing an aggressive style of football to match his taste in music – death metal.
He then made a bold statement – that he feels his Saints side can beat West Ham.
If that happens, it is the end for Lopetegui at the London Stadium.
Southampton FC unveil the new men's First team manager, Ivan Juric, at St Mary's stadium on December 20, 2024 in Southampton, England.
Photo by Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images
Curtains for Lopetegui if Juric carries out West Ham threat
“I’m optimistic, really optimistic,” Juric said about the Hammers clash and ultimately keeping Southampton up.
“Even the other day (in the 0-0 draw at Fulham) I saw the mentality. It was the first step to doing better and I think we can do something exceptional. The guys have to be very motivated to do something that nobody ever did…
“Maybe people don’t know a lot about my way with Torino and Verona because we didn’t play in Europe, but the style is the Atalanta style. If you watch their game against Arsenal, or last year against Liverpool, we want to press high and play good – a little bit of everything…
“We already analysed a little bit of West Ham.
“In some ways it’s similar like Fulham – very good players, very fast players, but I believe that Southampton can do a good game and that we can win.”
No excuses and no exceptions, only a win will do for Hammers
That style of play sounds like what the Hammers were hoping for when parting ways with David Moyes.
It says a lot about how far West Ham have fallen this season that the new manager of one of the worst teams in the history of the Premier League is confident of beating them.
Should Juric make good on that threat, there will be nowhere for Lopetegui to hide.
Defeat would see the Spaniard replaced and he would not be able to argue the owners have not been fair to him.
West Ham play Liverpool, Man City, Aston Villa twice, Chelsea and Arsenal among their next clutch of games after the Southampton clash.
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