Julen Lopetegui does not think he should be facing the sack at West Ham regardless of what happens in the next week.
It is being widely reported that the club’s owners may wield the axe on Julen Lopetegui if West Ham lose to Newcastle and Arsenal over the next week.
The Hammers hierarchy even have Lopetegui’s replacement on standby according to word from sources on Friday.
West Ham head to the freezing north to take on Eddie Howe’s in-form Magpies on Monday night.
Arsenal then visit the London Stadium next Saturday.
Newcastle have won their last three games. The title-chasing Gunners will be back in east London after inflicting a record 6-0 defeat on the Hammers in February.
David Moyes was manager back then and West Ham’s performances, form and leaky defending has not improve under Lopetegui.
The Spaniard has had £85m spent on his defence, though.
And West Ham are a million miles from where many expected them to be under the former Spain and Real Madrid boss.
Jacob Steinberg, a Guardian journalist who counts Hammers majority owner David Sullivan among his contacts, has claimed Lopetegui could be sacked if West Ham lose heavily to Newcastle.
He stated this week that the ex Wolves manager will almost certainly be shown the door if West Ham lose both their next two.
What seems a more likely scenario regardless of the outcome of those two fixtures, is that Lopetegui will be given until Leicester to turn things around.
Failure to win there if West Ham are beaten by Newcastle and Arsenal, and it will be curtains.
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Desperate Lopetegui makes two pleas to West Ham chief Sullivan
West Ham are closer to the bottom three than the top six.
In fact the Hammers may well find themselves in the relegation zone if, as many predict, two defeats are looming.
Many supporters feel the manager should have been dismissed after the drab Everton stalemate.
He survived, though, and now faces a do-or-die week.
One person who doesn’t think the Hammers boss should be fighting for his job, is the man himself.
Now desperate Lopetegui makes what could be two final pleas to West Ham chief Sullivan and the response to one of them is telling.
Lopetegui was asked if he has spoken to Sullivan about his future.
The ex Sevilla man was tight-lipped on the subject.
But he did use the platform to urge the billionaire – once again – to judge him in May.
Another report claims he also asked the Hammers co-owner for a new signing ahead of the January window.
The responses make his situation perfectly clear.
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Sullivan’s response to Lopetegui request is telling
“The only thing I am focused on is to be able to be ready to go to Newcastle, in a very tough match against a very good team,” Lopetegui said in his press conference.
“We have to be ready to improve and overcome the difficulties that we are going to have as a team. That is the only thing I am focused on.
“The rest of the things, believe me, that is football, we are not focused on this.
“We (Lopetegui and Sullivan) talk every week. I am not going to tell you about what I speak to David about…
“It is true that none of us are happy with the position we’re in in the table, and living under pressure is normal in this line of work,” Lopetegui added.
“The most important thing is that we’re pushing to improve, and I am confident that we have the players’ commitment to do this.
“My focus is on the team, our daily work and how we can get better. We can only concentrate on the things we can control, and that’s what we’re going to do. The season finishes in May, not November, and I’m hopeful about what we can achieve going forward.”
Give Me Sports sources claim Lopetegui made another plea to Sullivan during one of their chats.
That being to sign an unnamed quality striker in the January window.
The striker in question remains a mystery.
But Sullivan’s response shows the club are not throwing all their weight behind their current boss.
GMS sources claim Sullivan told Lopetegui the centre forward he wants will cost more than the club is willing to pay.
Instead Tim Steidten will be handed a limited budget and told to ‘get creative’ to bring in a new striker.
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