West Ham go to Leicester City on Tuesday night and Julen Lopetegui desperately needs a victory.
His future as West Ham manager could well depend on it.
West Ham’s owners have made it clear the next two games are “massive”.
Victories are expected against both Leicester and Wolves.
Anything less could have serious consequences.
Especially after it was confirmed David Sullivan has activated his Hammers plan B ahead of those two Premier League matches.
With the pressure back on Julen Lopetegui, all eyes will be on how West Ham respond to the shambolic 5-2 defeat against Arsenal.
The reality is Lopetegui could not have hand-picked two better opponents to face right now with his job on the line.
The Spaniard will finally have star player Mohammed Kudus back.
There has also been a big reprieve for Lucas Paqueta on the eve of the crucial match – so it’s all stacked in West Ham’s favour at Leicester.
Even the history books are on Lopetegui’s side.
The Irons have 55 wins to Leicester’s 51 while there have been 34 draws.
Transparent Lopetegui gets West Ham excuses in early
Although the Hammers did lose home and away to the Foxes when they were relegated two seasons ago.
Make no mistake West Ham fans and owners are fully expecting their expensively assembled side to win at the King Power.
Yet transparent Lopetegui has still been getting his West Ham excuses in early for Leicester.
Although he’s fooling nobody.
If you took time to listen to Lopetegui’s full press conference ahead of Leicester – and managed to stay awake – then you could be forgiven for thinking West Ham are about to play Liverpool.
The former Spain boss offers very little in press conferences and interviews.
That’s his prerogative. But football is an entertainment sport.
The Hammers boss spent much of the presser talking up just how good Leicester are.
He bigged up new Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy too.
And Lopetegui is already giving reasons why it will be tough for West Ham to win.
Chief among them is the new manager bounce – something the Hammers are yet to experience under him.
Of course managers always trot out the usual banal platitudes about the opposition before games.
But this is a real stretch given who West Ham are about to play.
“We have a big challenge tomorrow in Leicester,” Lopetegui said.
“I think Ruud is a very good manager – he’s shown that at the teams he’s worked at, and in the Premier League with Manchester United. I wish him all the best, but after our match for sure!
“We have to be ready because I am sure it is going to be a very tough and demanding match.
“Sometimes there is an extra step and extra energy about a team when a new coach arrives.
Hammers boss fooling nobody with Leicester praise
“Leicester also have very good players, and King Power Stadium is always somewhere that demands a lot, so we are going to need to show the best version of ourselves to compete there and come away with a result.
“It’s always a challenge [when you’re facing a new manager], and you have to match all the things such as the extra energy when a new manager comes in. I know the kind of environment and match we’re going to be going into, and we have to be ready for it.
“I am not in his (Van Nistelrooy’s) mind, so I don’t know what he’s thinking about. It’s not in our control.
“It’s true that one of the difficulties you have when you play a team with a new manager is that you can’t look back at what his ideas might be, but that’s why you have to put the focus on being ready for any and every situation. I prefer to put the focus on the things we have to do, and to be ready to fight tomorrow.”
It’s Leicester Julen, not Real Madrid
Sorry is it Real Madrid at the Bernabeau we’re playing or Leicester at the King Power?
A Leicester side that sit 16th in the table, below West Ham.
The Foxes who have shipped a whopping 22 goals in their last seven games – four of them in a thrashing at Brentford last time out.
Leicester are one of only three teams who have conceded more goals than West Ham this season.
They have lost five and drawn one of their last six matches.
But Lopetegui is talking them up like the Hammers are facing their famous title-winning team.
At the end of the day West Ham should be winning at Leicester with the squad Lopetegui has at his disposal.
It really is as simple as that.
No excuses. Because quite frankly they won’t wash.
Related Posts
