Julen Lopetegui may be clinging to his job as West Ham boss by a thread but he can’t wait to get away from the club.
That’s according to a journalist who spent 21 minutes in his company before the dismal 0-0 draw with Everton that has piled more pressure on West Ham to sack him.
When the Hammers failed to beat Everton, this international break was always going to be filled with speculation over the future of Julen Lopetegui.
The fact it was another dreadful performance and labelled the worst game of the Premier League season certainly hasn’t helped the Spaniard’s cause either.
It’s just not happening for Lopetegui in east London so far.
The Spaniard failed use the excitement around West Ham’s heft summer investment to get up a head of steam.
Instead he elected to drip-feed almost all of the club’s summer signings to nobody’s benefit.
It was a move right out of the David Moyes playbook.
But West Ham were meant to be going in a different direction with his successor.
Lopetegui has also done very little to dismiss the notion he’s ‘just a Spanish Moyes’.
There’s no clear identity, philosophy or style of play.
And the 57-year-old has even diced with danger by essentially saying the players he has been given are not able to play his style.
It’s not just West Ham fans Lopetegui is failing to inspire, though.
Journalist: Miserable Lopetegui can’t wait to get away from West Ham
The team is clearly either not enthused by him or his tactics or the messages aren’t getting through.
Off the pitch Lopetegui is somehow worse.
His press conferences are so dull they’re giving Moyes’ a run for their money.
The former Spain and Real Madrid boss trots out cliches and platitudes, offering very little insight whatsoever.
He even refuses to answer some straightforward questions, forgetting this is an entertainment sport and fans want to be engaged.
Instead they’re being turned off. Big time.
So much so West Ham supporters have left long before full-time in SIX of Lopetegui’s 13 matches in charge.
Many have noted Lopetegui is wearing an almost permanent scowl.
While supporters don’t expect to see the manager skipping along laughing given the results thus far, they are struggling to get invested in him at all.
It’s one of the reasons many supporters have started likening Lopetegui to Avram Grant.
Now a reporter who spent time in Lopetegui’s company last week has said something which will surely raise a big red flag.
Because it seems miserable Lopetegui cannot wait to get away from West Ham says the journalist.
Reporter Tom Allnutt has lifted the lid on the only thing Lopetegui smiled about during an 21-minute press conference.
And it sums up the grim situation and atmosphere at West Ham.
The only time Hammers boss smiled sums up dour situation
Allnutt says the solitary smile that broke out on Lopetegui’s pained face was when he was asked about going home.
“Through it all, Lopetegui looked drained, like a man under strain, even if the exhausted demeanour is one he has worn throughout his career, through the good times too,” Alnutt wrote in The Times.
“These are not good times…
“Performances have been flat, the sense of freshness or direction lacking…
“It should be no surprise, then, that Lopetegui beamed only when asked about his plans to return home during the international break next week. He will spend two or three days in Asteasu, a sleepy town 15 miles south of San Sebastián, and will stay with his father, José Antonio, who turns 95 next month and who was once a Basque champion at stone lifting.”
That is utterly damning really isn’t it?
Things are so miserably bad that the manager cannot wait to get out of the club and get back to Spain for a few days.
Fans can’t just go to Spain to take away the pain
It should be an exciting honour to be in charge of the Hammers.
The team should be dreaming of getting back into Europe and the fans should be watching some great football.
That was the plan when £155m was splashed out on nine new players. That was the plan when Lopetegui came in amid claims he was ‘one of the best managers in world football’.
Instead the boss is just glad to get away from it all for a bit.
The problem is while Lopetegui escapes home, West Ham fans are stuck with the misery of that Everton stalemate for two weeks.
One thing is for sure, if Lopetegui wants to be a success at this club he has to show a bit more charisma.
The players, Tim Steidten and the owners all have to take their share of the blame for the situation of course. That goes without saying.
But the fans are bored stiff and so are the main protagonists – the players – by the looks of things.
Now it seems the man who is meant to be putting that right is too.
If that doesn’t raise a big red flag in the West Ham boardroom nothing will.
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