West Ham produced one of their performances of the year to save Julen Lopetegui from the sack and the owners were impressed.
It may have only been 11 games into the Premier League season, but had Julen Lopetegui been sacked by West Ham after the draw with Everton, he couldn’t have complained.
That’s how woeful the Hammers had been under the Spaniard since he took over from David Moyes.
There has been little to like or get excited about watching Lopetegui’s new-look side.
It was reported West Ham’s top brass held meetings to discuss his future over the international break.
They chose to stick by the under fire 58-year-old.
But it came with a huge and much-publicised caveat.
Lopetegui saved from brink of West Ham sack by Newcastle win
Lopetegui and the players were made all too aware that defeats to Newcastle and Arsenal would see the head coach axed.
Indeed a heavy defeat, which many had predicted at in-form Newcastle, could have been enough to land a P45 on the manager’s desk.
Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports before the game that Lopetegui was very fortunate West Ham hadn’t sacked him over the international break.
Carragher has been criticised by some West Ham fans.
But he was only reiterating what a growing number of them have been saying in recent weeks.
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West Ham owners share what they loved most about win
There was an element of vindication for West Ham’s owners at St James’s Park.
Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka goals sealed an unexpected 2-0 win for the Hammers.
But more important than that was the sudden signs of life in the new-look team.
There was so much to like about the performance and approach in a victory few, if anyone, saw coming.
Now West Ham’s delighted owners have shared what they loved the most about a win which has saved Lopetegui.
David Sullivan, technical director Tim Steidten and the Hammers board had reportedly been lining up potential replacements for Lopetegui had West Ham’s performances and results continued to flag this week.
There have been claims of unrest in the Hammers dressing room.
Specifically that several players are unconvinced by the former Spain and Real Madrid manager.
What pleased Sullivan and co most was clear evidence which disproved those claims.
A spokesman for the owners exclusively told Hammers News that the running statistics were what really delighted the board.
Hammers run their socks off for boss to vindicate Sullivan and co
Although they know it must be not be a one off with title hopefuls Arsenal up next.
“It was much better,” a spokesman for West Ham’s owners told Hammers News.
“Did you see we ran the most we have – by OVER six kilometres – than in any game this season.
“It shows they can do it, now it’s about doing it consistently.
“We enjoyed it. We battle on. Saturday will be tough.”
The owners are bang on.
West Ham’s players quite literally ran their socks off for Lopetegui.
In fact it wasn’t just the most West Ham have run all season.
Second most any Premier League team has run all season
It was the second most any side has run in a game anywhere in the Premier League all season.
As a team West Ham ran a staggering 119.1km in the victory at St James’s Park.
That was second behind Spurs’ effort in their win over Man United where they ran 119.8km.
There is no lack of irony here.
For all the talk about identity, style of play and philosophy, good old fashioned hard work is what has saved Lopetegui and may have just turned West Ham’s season around.
When Lopetegui’s predecessor Moyes returned to West Ham in 2020, the team’s running stats were among the worst in the league.
The Scot famously declared “If you don’t run, you won’t play.”
It laid down a marker from which West Ham enjoyed a spell of remarkable progress.
Lopetegui and the owners will be hoping this can be a springboard for something similar.
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