Big four pundits make same gravely concerning West Ham claim ahead of Premier League clash with Newcastle

There is a lot riding on the game for Julen Lopetegui.

It’s been widely reported in the build up that Lopetegui will be sacked if West Ham don’t get positive results from their next two games.

The first is against a Newcastle side who’ve won three on the spin – two of which have come against Arsenal and Chelsea.

Throw in the fact it’s under the lights at a raucous St James’s Park on a Monday night – and West Ham go there in awful shape without their best player and it all feels rather ominous.

Historically Newcastle have the better of this particular fixture with 60 wins to West Ham’s 43. There have been 41 draws.

It may be Lopetegui who is history this week, though.

That’s if the predictions of some of the Premier League’s leading experts transpire.

Because the big four pundits have made the same gravely concerning West Ham claim ahead of the Premier League clash with Newcastle.

Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg claims ahead of the match that Lopetegui may not even make it to Arsenal.

Because, he states, the ex Wolves boss could be sacked if West Ham are well beaten by Newcastle.

Big four pundits make same gravely concerning West Ham claim

Given how readily West Ham have been giving up shots at their goal and how good the Magpies are looking, that’s a distinct possibility.

Certainly as far as some of the top Prem minds are concerned anyway.

Mark Lawrenson, Sky Sports’ leading football analyst Lewis Jones, the ‘magic man’ Paul Merson and Premier League winner turned pundit Chris Sutton have all had their say on West Ham’s trip to Newcastle.

Damningly, the quartet anticipate the very thing Steinberg has said Lopetegui must avoid.

In fact all four have predicted a defeat which will leave the manager on the rocks.

And by a combined aggregate score of 11-2 in Newcastle’s favour no less.

Sutton suggests lightning could strike twice for West Ham

Sutton has suggested lightning could strike twice for West Ham at Newcastle.

Sutton believes that West Ham’s 4-3 defeat – having been 3-1 up – at St James’s Park at the end of last season was the end for David Moyes.

And he predicts the Magpies will inflict another damaging defeat on a West Ham team that has no identity.

“It feels to me like Russell Martin of Southampton is the manager who is closest to the edge at the moment but West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui is probably not too far behind him,” Sutton said, predicting a 2-1 loss for the Hammers on BBC Sport.

“I was at this game last season, when Newcastle won 4-3 after being 3-1 down, and it was probably one of the results that meant Lopetegui’s predecessor, David Moyes, was not offered a new deal.

“Hammers fans have been underwhelmed by what they have seen since Lopetegui arrived, because it is not working out under him. As I’ve said before, I don’t quite know what kind of team they are trying to be.

“I don’t see them getting any joy at St James’ Park this time, either. Alexander Isak looked back to his best when Newcastle beat Forest last time out, and they should be too strong for West Ham too.”

Lawrenson says West Ham are southern softies

Lawrenson is famed for hardly ever predicting West Ham to win during his years doing predictions for the Beeb.

There’s no change this week either. Lawro is not giving West Ham any hope of a positive result.

He ‘really fancies’ Newcastle and believes the Hammers’ softness will be exposed on a cold night after a long trip north.

“I really, really fancy Newcastle to win this,” Lawrenson said when predicting a 3-0 win for the hosts.

“They haven’t been great overall but they’ve had a couple of good results and they look to have something about them now.

“I think pretty much everyone’s fit and I just don’t fancy West Ham at all making the long trip up to the freezing north!”

Merson says Lopetegui could be gone by next Tuesday

Merson agrees with Lawrenson in predicting a 3-0 defeat for West Ham.

He says it is ‘delusional’ to think the Hammers won’t lose to Newcastle and Arsenal.

But he believes failure to win at Leicester next Tuesday would more likely spell the end for the Spaniard.

“West Ham got absolutely rinsed by Nottingham Forest a couple of weeks back,” Merson told SportsKeeda.

“I don’t even know how they beat Manchester United! I worry for West Ham, but I still think they will give Julen Lopetegui a lot more time. If they weren’t going to back him, they would have got rid of him after the draw with Everton before the international break.

“If you are counting on Lopetegui to turn it around against Newcastle here and Arsenal next, you are delusional! I don’t think he will be there long-term, but he still has time. West Ham have a clash against Leicester coming up in two games’ time, that’s a cup final and if he does not win, he won’t be in the job.

“I’d be shocked if West Ham get anything out of this game. It has Newcastle written all over it. I’m backing the hosts to slaughter West Ham and become a strong candidate in the race for top four.”

Sky Sports man says Lopetegui-ball is worse than Moyes-ball

Jones is one of Sky Sports’ leading football analysts.

He produces his regular Jones Knows column and he too has predicted the Hammers will ship three goals.

Jones says West Ham made the biggest mistake of any Premier League club in the summer by hiring Lopetegui.

And he believes the style of play is even worse than it was under Moyes.

“What are West Ham under Julen Lopetegui?” Jones said when predicting a 3-1 defeat for the Irons.

“It looks like David Moyes football without the swashbuckling counter-attack style that led the club to some special places under his watch.

“Lopetegui’s appointment is turning into one of the big mistakes of the summer.

“On the road in 2024, West Ham’s defence have conceded 35 goals in 14 games in the Premier League – that’s an average of 2.5 goals per game and is the worst record of any ever-present Premier League team in that time.

“I’m fully expecting Newcastle to fill their boots here.”

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