It may have been painfully dull when they met two weeks ago but there’s never a dull moment off the pitch when it comes to West Ham and Everton.
The Hammers and Toffees played out what’s been labelled the worst game of the Premier League so far.
Ironically the 0-0 draw had pushed both West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui and Everton’s Sean Dyche closer to being sacked.
The draw was seen as a better result for Everton than it was the Hammers.
So it was no real surprise Dyche survived the international break.
The same couldn’t be said about Lopetegui at West Ham, though.
Speculation was rife before the Everton clash that it was a must win for the Spaniard.
After the drab 0-0 draw, the Hammers were booed off.
West Ham majority owner David Sullivan reportedly held meetings over the break to decide Lopetegui’s future.
Meanwhile speculation continues to abound about the future of Dyche at Everton amid a prospective takeover.
The outcome of Sullivan’s summit regarding Lopetegui’s future was that he be given Newcastle and Arsenal to turn things around.
Some ask.
Billionaire eyeing Everton launches West Ham hijack
But against the odds and all expectation, West Ham went to Newcastle and deservedly won 2-0 on Monday night.
After the game the likes of Jamie Carragher warned the Hammers to beware a false dawn.
Carragher said West Ham should wait for evidence the performance – and massively increased running stats – were not just a one off.
Despite those warnings, it emerged today that Sullivan feels his patience with Lopetegui has been vindicated.
And that he wants to now give him an extended run to prove West Ham are on the up.
With Arsenal up next that’s a daunting task. But the east Londoners do have a run of games after that which should be winnable.
As a result of his new-found confidence that sticking by Lopetegui is the right move, Sullivan has reportedly instructed technical director Tim Steidten to stand down Edin Terzic.
Friedkin move forces Sullivan into biggest decision yet
Former Hammers assistant boss Terzic was put on standby to replace Lopetegui according to a source close to Steidten.
Terzic even turned down the Roma job as reporting gathered pace he would return to West Ham if Lopetegui lost to Newcastle and Arsenal.
Many Hammers fans were excited by the idea given Terzic’s achievements at Dortmund and the fact he was the tactical brain behind the club’s magnificent Farewell Boleyn campaign.
Other managers had also been put on a shortlist including Sergio Conceicao.
Now the billionaire eyeing Everton has launched a West Ham hijack that’s forcing Sullivan into his biggest decision yet.
As many have pointed out, there has been nothing prior to the win at Newcastle to suggest Lopetegui was the right hire for the Hammers.
Many fans believe the owners could be playing a risky game by failing to act while the likes of Terzic and Conceicao are available.
Especially if, as is being reported, they are basing their decision on one performance, albeit West Ham’s best of 2024 let alone the season.
Now Everton are about to test Sullivan’s nerve big time.
Stick or twist? Sullivan backed into a corner over manager
Because according to journalist Rudy Galetti, a friend of Hammers News, the prospective new Everton owners, headed up by Dan Friedkin, are ready to take advantage of West Ham standing by Lopetegui.
Friedkin’s American consortium has agreed to buy Farhad Moshiri’s majority 94 per cent stake in Everton.
With West Ham taking Terzic off standby and by default cooling interest in former Porto boss Conceicao, Galetti has revealed Everton have made the duo their prime targets to replace Dyche.
Conceicao is said to be Everton’s number one target – two weeks after it was reported the Hammers were battling the Goodison Park outfit for the ‘new Mourinho’.
It is stated in Galetti’s report for Team Talk that Terzic is next in line but ‘may prove to be outside the club’s budget’.
This really backs Sullivan into a corner now.
Does he stick or twist? Stick with Lopetegui off the evidence of one game and miss out on Terzic or charismatic Conceicao?
It’s a huge call because West Ham would undoubtedly have the edge over Everton if they did want to go for either.
Sullivan appears to have made his choice already. Whether this might see him have second thoughts remains to be seen.
Time will tell whether the Hammers chief makes the right call.
If Freidkin does appoint Terzic or Conceicao then West Ham will certainly be interested – and slightly nervous – observers as to how they fare on Merseyside.
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