West Ham United suffered a hapless 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest over the weekend. The Hammers have been beaten in five of their ten league matches this season, collecting just 11 points after ten games.
The Irons sit in 14th place in the table heading into a must-win game at home against Everton this weekend. The pressure is mounting on the West Ham board to dismiss head coach Julen Lopetegui, with many feeling that a loss to Toffees would be his last game in charge of the Hammers.
However, talkSPORT pundit Jim White has revealed that the Irons will not be so quick to pull the trigger.
White shared what a source close to West Ham owner David Sullivan told him. He said the spokesperson told him (via talkSPORT), “We hope and expect to do well against Everton.”
“If we were to lose five nil against them, he would still, Lopetegui, be the manager on Monday morning. We are people who honour contracts, and we expect the manager to come good. We have to give him time.”
West Ham have decided to throw their arm around Lopetegui even though a loss to the Toffees could see them leapfrog the Hammers on the table.
As loyal as they want to be, they have to be considering new managers with this talented squad seemingly stuck in a rut.
Lopetegui took over a squad that conceded 74 goals last season and has not improved the defence. Only three teams have conceded more goals than West Ham this term. The midfield has looked disjointed, and the attack is struggling.
West Ham have a mountain to climb. They lost the last time they hosted Everton in East London. To make matters worse, they will be without playmaker Mohammed Kudus after picking up a red card against Tottenham Hotspur. He has since received an additional two-game ban.
The West Ham faithful are growing increasingly frustrated with the team’s performances. A loss against Everton could spark further protests and calls for change.
The club’s hierarchy must weigh the short-term pain of a managerial change against the long-term consequences of sticking with a struggling coach.
