A small group of managers are facing intense early pressure this season with West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui and Man United’s Erik ten Hag chief among them.
Julen Lopetegui is already feeling the heat at West Ham.
But if he thinks he has it bad, just imagine how Erik ten Hag feels at Manchester United.
Ironically Man United were linked with Lopetegui in the summer before he was appointed by West Ham.
But INEOS stuck with Ten Hag and backed him with further signings.
Lopetegui – and technical director Tim Steidten – was heavily backed by West Ham’s owners too.
Over £155m was spent on nine players but, like Man United, the Hammers have made a hugely underwhelming start to the new Premier League season.
Ten Hag is the one most in the spotlight right now after a 3-0 home defeat to Spurs and a flaky 3-3 draw with Porto in Europe.
West Ham have just one win from six in the Premier League so far. They’ve been dumped out of the Carabao Cup 5-1 by Liverpool.
And Lopetegui has presided over an unwelcome new 129-year club record by being the first West Ham team to lose their first three home league games.
That must change when Ipswich visit the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Or Lopetegui faces the sack.
That’s according to a pundit and former Premier League manager who believes the Hammers boss is under more pressure than Man United’s manager.
Forget Ten Hag because it’s Lopetegui facing axe says Sherwood
READ MORE: Predicted: Top star dropped in big shake-up as Lopetegui makes two changes
Forget Ten Hag because it’s Lopetegui facing axe at West Ham claims Tim Sherwood.
Speaking to the Premier League’s official site, Sherwood made the rather astonishing claim.
That’s despite INEOS chief Sit Jim Ratcliffe refusing to back Ten Hag in an interview yesterday.
Or the fact Man United are the biggest club in world football.
Although believing Lopetegui could be sacked if West Ham lose to Ipswich, Sherwood thinks the Hammers will win – just – to keep him in the job.
“This is big game for Lopetegui,” Sherwood said.
“This is huge.
“They cannot lose this game. He really can’t.
“You know, you think Ten Hag’s under pressure (at Man United), you think he is under pressure (then what about Lopetegui).
“If he loses this game, it’s serious trouble, so they won’t. They won’t lose. They will win 2-1.”
READ MORE: Lopetegui says he has special player on his hands he’d never heard of
Hammers boss in under most pressure says Sherwood
Sherwood completes a rare clean sweep of pundits backing West Ham to do the business against the Tractor Boys.
Paul Merson, Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton have made shock claims about the West Ham situation.
All three reckon West Ham’s players will rise to the occasion despite the immense pressure.
They believe they will do it for Lopetegui to keep him in the job.
Heading into the Premier League meeting between West Ham and Ipswich, it is actually the visitors who hold the edge historically.
There have been 75 matches between the two teams with West Ham winning 28 and Ipswich 29. There have been 18 draws.
Most of the of these encounters were in earlier decades, with both clubs spending time in different divisions in recent years.
Their meetings in the Premier League era have been less frequent due to Ipswich’s long spells outside the top flight.
West Ham hold a slight advantage in top-flight encounters (14 wins to 12), with the two clubs closely matched during Ipswich’s time in the First Division.
Their last meeting in the Premier League was in the 2001-2002 season, as Ipswich were relegated that year.
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