The pressure on Julen Lopetegui is quite literally at breaking point ahead of West Ham’s trip to face Newcastle United.
Julen Lopetegui was already walking a West Ham tightrope heading into the game against Everton before the international break.
What ensued was one of the worst performances of his tenure so far and a drab 0-0 draw.
The game, labelled the worst in the Premier League so far this season by the press, saw Hammers fans leave early en masse once again.
Jeers rang out from the London Stadium crowd at half-time and full-time from those who suffered it until the end.
The result left West Ham 14th in the Premier League table after 11 games under the Spaniard.
Speculation had already been rife that West Ham’s owners were considering sacking the former Wolves boss.
After Everton, rumours intensified and there were claims Lopetegui could be fired during the break ahead of a meeting between majority owner David Sullivan and technical director Tim Steidten.
He has survived, though, and has been taking West Ham training ahead of a tough-looking trip to Newcastle.
Unconvinced West Ham have secret managers on shortlist
Lopetegui appears to be leaving no stone unturned to try and save his job.
The Hammers boss is making his players train at night to get them ready for the Monday night game at St James’s Park.
There have been claims that Lopetegui has two games to turn things around.
Given those matches are away to in-form Newcastle under the lights and at home to Arsenal, many fans feel the owners are simply delaying the inevitable.
The Hammers hierarchy said they don’t expect two heavy defeats from those fixtures.
That in itself has been seen as the board setting Lopetegui up for a fall.
Now a new report has emerged and the Hammers boss and it piles even more pressure on the 57-year-old.
Because unconvinced West Ham have secret managers on a shortlist as well as five announced by a journalist close to the club’s owners.
Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian claims his sources indicate Lopetegui could be sacked before West Ham face Arsenal.
That’s in addition to five Hammers candidates announced
Steinberg has strong contacts at the very top of the club.
He says the West Ham hierarchy have used the international break to hold high level meetings.
In those meetings potential replacements have been discussed and appraised.
And if West Ham lose heavily to Newcastle then Lopetegui could be sacked before Arsenal.
If he does Steinberg has named five men on the club’s shortlist. But he has tantalisingly revealed that other mystery candidates have been discussed too.
Steinberg claims West Ham have looked at Edin Terzic, the former Hammers assistant coach and tactical brains behind the Farewell Boleyn campaign.
He reports the club has also made ‘internal checks’ on former Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, former Benfica coach Roger Schmidt and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness. Graham Potter has also been discussed but is believed to be a real outsider.
Lopetegui could be ‘sacked after Newcastle’
Those names have all been linked prior to the international break.
Most intriguing of all in Steinberg’s update, though, is that he understands there are other as yet unnamed coaches in the running.
With both long and short-term appointments being considered.
Last week Hammers News took an in-depth look at why Terzic would the perfect replacement for Lopetegui.
Among the reasons very much in Terzic’s favour is that he is ‘highly regarded in the West Ham boardroom’.
It seems we may be about to find out just how highly if Lopetegui does not get a performance and result at Newcastle.
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