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The Hammers have been through a true footballing whirlwind over the last decade, from European success to flirting with relegation – not to mention a conveyor belt of managers coming and going, and a new stadium to contend with after leaving our beloved Upton Park.

Whatever you think of David Moyes, it’s fair to say that the new manager who replaced him had his work cut out.




What do the bookies say?

Moyes was the most successful Hammers manager of the PL era, and his departure seemed like a knee-jerk reaction at the time. It’s since been compounded by Lopetegui and the current managerial turbulence he is going through. Although other managers in the league are in more imminent danger of losing their job, the poor run of form has seen the Hammers pick up three points from just one of their first six games.

It feels like Erik ten Hag will be gone within a few weeks, and aside from Russell Martin and Gary O’Neil, who are also struggling to keep their heads above the managerial waters, the sportsbooks believe that Everton’s Sean Dyche and Lopetegui are at around 9/1 as the next PL manager to face the chop.

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Sportsbooks are often the best source to gauge whether a manager is on the verge of a sacking. However, while the odds are still pretty far out, we know how quickly this can change in football.


Lopetegui at loggerheads

A new manager must get off to a strong start – and while few Hammers fans would’ve been expecting a 100% record after six games, the disharmony in the dressing room, which is now manifesting on the pitch, will be of paramount concern.

Modern-day football has a toxic foundation of instant wins. If managers are trying out a project or looking to do something over several years to instil a philosophy, it’s doubtful they’ll be given anywhere near the time needed to implement it effectively. It feels like the vultures are already circling the Spanish boss.

It also feels like it’s not so much down to the results, although they haven’t helped; it’s the grumbling in the dressing room and the fact that the players look so lost out on the pitch, with football journalists who’ve watched West Ham this season agreeing with this observation.

When a manager begins to lose key players in the dressing room, they must act quickly to stop the contagion. Hammers fans know just how quickly players can down tools if they start to experience friction from a manager. With Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen also looking off this season, more fans are wondering whether they’re experiencing a dip in form or whether they’re beginning to lose faith in the Lopetegui project.


Can the Spaniard turn the tide?

We’d say so – it seems to be a bit defeatist to suggest that he’s not the man for the job, after less than a dozen league games in charge. While Mohammed Kudus might disagree with this, David Moyes engrained the philosophy at West Ham, and for all of the criticism, he had a system where players clearly had direction and knew their role on the pitch.

The next few games are crucial, and while it doesn’t take much for a manager to dig themselves out of such a rut, three or four decent results in a row will often do it. This can work in the opposite direction, too – even if they look lacklustre in games they win, this can also set off the anti-Julen brigade.

His record at Sevilla and the amount of time he spent in and around the Spanish setup during their golden era show that he’s a manager with the pedigree to turn it around. However, the current climate at the London Stadium is frosty, bad for the team and fan morale, and will continue to impact the odds.


Final thoughts

The West Ham board will do its best to keep any negative news away from the prying eyes of the press. As we’re seeing at Man Utd, once a manager is ineffective at commanding their squad, losing just one player can be the watershed moment that opens up the floodgates and leads to a mass downing of tools.

While this may be premature, it also doesn’t help that a big-money signing such as Niclas Füllkrug has not hit the ground running. The official club line is that he’s injured, but some Hammers fans believe something else could be rumbling under the surface, given that he wasn’t given much consideration when he appeared to be fit at the beginning of the season.

When a manager cannot strike the cohesion needed to run the engine smoothly, it feels like elements out of his control can compound it. Again, we don’t want to speak too soon; some fans like to become hysterical and call for blood at the first sign of trouble. Calmer heads prevail, but there does need to be a change in the collective attitude.

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