Claims of a situation festering at West Ham which very much points to Julen Lopetegui losing his job have been addressed by a top insider.
It’s often said but there really is never a dull moment at West Ham.
After splashing out over £155m in the summer and appointing a new boss it was not meant to be like this, though.
The fledgling West Ham tenure of Julen Lopetegui has not sparked into life.
Incessant speculation has followed the Spaniard around like bad smell.
But it really kicked into overdrive after West Ham’s humiliating 4-1 defeat at Spurs.
It was then that a German journalist close to technical director Tim Steidten claimed Edin Terzic had been put on standby for the Hammers hotseat.
A catalogue of managers have been linked since.
Almost all of them being out of work, which many fans feel speaks to the club’s lack of ambition to get a truly top, innovative coach should they decide to axe Lopetegui.
Speculation over when that might be has been intense since the drab 0-0 draw with Everton.
Many claimed Lopetegui would be sacked during the international break.
But he looks set to survive and it’s been made clear to the manager that the owners don’t expect heavy defeats when they face Newcastle away and Arsenal at home next.
It’s been seen as a stay of execution.
And it’s easy to see why.
Tension rising behind scenes at West Ham?
There has been talk of strained relations between Lopetegui and Steidten in the background.
Those came to the forefront overnight, though.
Now a top insider has responded on the row threatening to tear West Ham apart and it changes everything.
A journalist claimed back in September that Steidten had warned West Ham’s owners off Lopetegui.
The technical director reportedly wanted to go in a different direction with a younger manager. Approaches were said to have been made for Steidten’s compatriots Terzic and new Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
West Ham insisted Steidten is not unhappy he did not get his picks but admitted Hurzeler was seen as too big a risk.
Before heading back to Spain for a break this week, Lopetegui appeared to blame Steidten for his struggles.
Those comments were telling and many felt it could be the beginning of the end for Lopetegui.
Overnight a top former West Ham scout, who only left the club in the summer, made a huge Hammers claim.
Top insider’s response on West Ham row changes everything
Mick Brown said relations between Lopetegui and Steidten are tense and believes that will result in the manager getting sacked sooner rather than later.
Steidten has been notable by his absence in and around the first team on matchdays lately.
Prior to that he had been seen travelling and conversing with the players, doing interviews and being pitch side for West Ham’s matches.
Now a top level source close to majority owner David Sullivan has responded.
Sean Whetstone, who also counts vice-chair Karren Brady among his Hammers contacts, has hit back at Brown.
Having spoken to his sources about the ex scout’s claims, he did not mince his words.
Whetstone questioned Brown’s inside knowledge of the club.
“Another made up report from a former West Ham scout with little to no contacts at the London Stadium,” Whetstone states.
“Pure speculation at best.”
This completely changes the landscape at West Ham.
If Whetstone is denying relations are strained between the manager and Steidten, then the Hammers are harmonious.
A happy camp is great – and what West Ham have enjoyed for most of the last four years.
But it also leaves absolutely no excuses for Lopetegui not to be getting the most out of his expensively assembled side.
If there are no problems then let’s start seeing the proof on the pitch.
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