(Credit: Imago)
Josh Edwards
Sat 15 March 2025 12:51, UK
Julen Lopetegui was sacked at West Ham because of the team’s poor position in the Premier League.
West Ham have endured a fairly horrid campaign, though the majority of that regression was down to the work done by Lopetegui in the early stages of the season.
The Spaniard appeared way out of his depth at the London Stadium and failed to motivate his team on or off the pitch, which actually opened the door of possibility when it came to relegation.
Of course, Lopetegui wasn’t the only issue at West Ham, with Tim Steidten also shoudlering some of the blame for the failures, which have been somewhat patched up by the improvements made by Graham Potter.
However, comments made by the Spaniard show exactly where he went wrong during his tenure.
West Ham Julen Lopetegui
West Ham sacked Lopetegui (Credit: Imago)
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West Ham lacked ambition under Lopetegui
Since the start of the season, West Ham have looked far away from being a side capable of challenging towards the top of the Premier League, though Lopetegui seems to think they were on course for some form of success.
In an interview with AS (14 March), Lopeteui said: “The team was where it should have been, understanding the circumstances. The second half of the season was going to be better. The team was 13th and had a chance of finishing 9th or 10th, which I think is where we should be.
“We were nowhere near relegation.”
Premier League W D L P
West Ham 9 6 13 33
It has been an uneventful campaign for the Hammers
That last comment is exactly where he went wrong with the Irons. Given the squad he had at his disposal, relegation should not have even been a minor consideration, though the fact he has mentioned it showcases that his mentality was completely wrong.
He went on to claim that he had the “commitment of the players”, which couldn’t have been further from the truth based on the way he failed to captivate the team.
Simply put, a top-10 finish should be the minimum requirement for a West Ham manager, not something that should be looked upon as a success.
Potter has a task to get West Ham back on track (Credit: Imago)
Potter needs to spearhead West Ham improvement
Potter has improved the side since his appointment, but there have still been some concerns for West Ham that must be addressed for the new campaign.
This season’s failure cannot be replicated, and given the level of quality in the squad, it shouldn’t be, though decisions made in the summer will play a big part.
Recruitment needs to be spot on for the Hammers, otherwise, it could be another long campaign.
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