Julen Lopetegui may have survived the international break but West Ham used the time to put his successor on standby.
That’s according to sources behind a new report that has emerged ahead of West Ham’s make-or-break games against Newcastle and Arsenal.
The Hammers were booed off after the 0-0 draw at home with Everton before the international break.
Nearly a dozen different managers have been linked as replacements for Julen Lopetegui in the two weeks since.
The Spaniard remains West Ham’s head coach ahead of a daunting trip to Newcastle.
But journalist Jacob Steinberg sensationally claimed ahead of that game that it could be the 57-year-old’s last.
His report suggests Lopetegui could be sacked if West Ham suffer a heavy defeat under the lights at in-form Newcastle.
Two defeats in the games against the Magpies and Arsenal, which many fans feel are inevitable, would almost certainly spell the end, though according to Steinberg.
The list of managers who have been linked with West Ham of late is diverse and intriguing.
Dozen managers linked with West Ham job
From Graham Potter to Sergio Conceicao, four German managers and even former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand.
Steinberg’s report had claimed that majority owner David Sullivan is reluctantly coming to terms with the possibility he made the wrong call hiring Lopetegui.
The ex Real Madrid and Spain boss had been out of work for a year after leaving Wolves on the eve of last season.
A year is a long time in football and many would argue it has showed in his disastrous start to life in east London.
West Ham have won just four of his 13 games – three of those deemed extremely fortunate.
Most worrying, though, are woeful performance levels with players and fans uninspired by what they are seeing.
Many Hammers supporters feel there is no identity to the team’s play.
West Ham have been awful defensively all year, before Lopetegui’s arrival.
But the club spent £85m on three big signings to tighten up with Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo coming in.
Lopetegui’s tactics have seen the side look a lot more open, though.
So fears that two big defeats are on the horizon are understandable.
West Ham choose their man as secret talks held claim sources
Some believe the owners are setting Lopetegui up for a fall by making the unrealistic ultimatum that West Ham avoid defeats in the next two games.
Reports during the break claimed Sullivan met with Tim Steidten to discuss how long the head coach should be given.
The next two matches seems to have been the result of that meeting.
But a replacement was clearly discussed too if a new claim is anything to go by.
Because West Ham have chosen their man as secret talks are held with a Lopetegui successor claim sources.
According to talkSPORT sources, that man is Edin Terzic.
After the embarrassing 4-1 defeat at Spurs last month, a German journalist close to Steidten claimed the Hammers had ‘put Terzic on standby’ to replace Lopetegui.
A top club insider suggested Steidten had briefed Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg about that.
Well now it seems there was substance to that information.
Because the sources claim West Ham’s hierarchy have ‘sounded out’ their former assistant boss ahead of these do-or-die matches.
“The Hammers are preparing for the eventuality that the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager cannot turn their poor start to the season around,” the report states.
“Director of football Tim Steidten is a big admirer of Terzic, who led Dortmund to last season’s Champions League final.”
talkSPORT journalists Alex Crook and Jim White have close contact with Sullivan. So that gives this claim real credibility.
With rumours gathering the ex Dortmund boss could be the man West Ham turn to, Hammers News looked at seven exciting reasons why Terzic is the ideal replacement for the Spaniard.
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