West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan and Tim Steidten have been heavily criticised by Chris Sutton.
David Sullivan brought Tim Steidten to the London Stadium back in the summer of 2023, and the West Ham director of football was handed the keys to the kingdom 12 months later when it comes to having total control of transfers.
Julen Lopetegui replaced David Moyes in the summer, and it was clear to see that the Spaniard was more open to operating under the continental model whereby a director of football chooses the players to sign.
Steidten himself helped finalise the deal to bring Lopetegui to West Ham, although the Spaniard was said to be far from the German’s first-choice appointment.
Lopetegui’s difficult start to life at the London Stadium has shone the spotlight squarely on Steidten and Sullivan.
And Chris Sutton has raised an extremely valid point about the Hammers’ decision to replace Moyes with the 58-year-old former Wolves boss.
Chris Sutton baffled by Tim Steidten and David Sullivan move
The Hammers owner and director of football conspired together to make an appalling summer decision.
That’s what Chris Sutton thinks anyway.
And in fairness to the the pundit, I actually agree wholeheartedly with his reasoning.
When speaking on the It’s All Kicking Off podcast on Monday, Sutton laid into the decision making process behind bringing Lopetegui to the London Stadium.
He said, “I just don’t understand why you would bring him in if West Ham wanted a different style of football to play the West Ham way, whatever that is, why you would bring in somebody like Lopetegui who is regarded as a pretty measured coach.“
“More in the David Moyes category than the Postecoglou category so that whole decision-making process I don’t get.”
In fairness to Sutton, it’s actually hard not to agree with him here.
The West Ham fans were crying out for someone like Ruben Amorim or Sebastian Hoeness to be appointed in place of Moyes.
But we ended up with the Spanish version of Moyes in the end.
It was a really strange appointment, there’s no doubt about that. I do think that Lopetegui deserves time, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s moved on before Christmas.
There is no clear vision, playing style or footballing identity on display right now, and it’s obvious to see that nothing has changed from last season.
Sacking Moyes was the correct decision, but replacing him with Julen Lopetegui already looks like an error from the West Ham owners, as Chris Sutton has highlighted.
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