There has been a major update on the future of Julen Lopetegui from the journalist who broke news of his latest West Ham bust-up.
West Ham have gone back into their Julen Lopetegui holding pattern after the win over Wolves.
The Spaniard was given the game against his old side to save his job by the Hammers board.
That was very much against the wishes of West Ham fans, the vast majority of whom still want to see the 58-year-old fired after another unconvincing display.
West Ham’s owners admitted they weren’t impressed by the team’s performance in scraping a 2-1 win against a woeful Wolves side.
The board admitted the win was ‘omnipotent’ in this case. But better is being demanded.
Many supporters believe the owners are simply kicking the can down the road when it comes to Lopetegui.
A journalist with strong contacts in the Hammers hierarchy claimed Lopetegui’s job is still on the line when West Ham head to Bournemouth on Monday night.
Andoni Iraola is ironically one of many targets heavily linked with West Ham of late.
His side are flying and are a match for anyone at home.
Fans have heard so many of Lopetegui’s matches billed “must win” or “must not lose” that it’s starting to become like The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Major new Lopetegui update from journalist who exposed latest West Ham bust-up
It is felt a one-off win – and a very fortunate one at that – against really poor opposition should not dictate whether West Ham stick with the former Spain boss.
After defeat to Leicester last week, supporters were calling for the manager’s head.
And highly-detailed stories of a massive bust-up with Jean-Clair Todibo suddenly emerged, despite it happening during the previous shambolic defeat to Arsenal.
Lopetegui confirmed there was an incident between him and Todibo. But he described it as ‘nothing important’.
It was important enough to see Todibo made to train with the under 21s and dropped from the team.
Now there’s a major new Lopetegui update from the journalist who exposed his latest bust-up with West Ham star Todibo.
The French defender is not the only top West Ham star to have fallen out with the manager.
Mohammed Kudus had a run-in with Lopetegui at Brentford.
The pair have endured frosty relations since and Kudus was seen ranting at Lopetegui when subbed off against Wolves.
Since the Todibo story broke, there have been claims from multiple sources that he, Kudus, Niclas Fullkrug and Edson Alvarez are part of a mutiny.
The five Hammers stars have told the owners they want out if the manager isn’t sacked.
He would have been had West Ham not beaten Wolves.
But the Hammers got the win to give their boss a stay of execution.
Conscious of how David Sullivan and the board operate, frustrated supporters believe that victory will have tipped the sand-timer for Lopetegui.
Well those fans will be delighted in that case by a new update from reporter Sami Mokbel.
Lopetegui job sill on the line at Bournemouth as Potter waits
Because that is not the case at all.
And there is every chance Lopetegui will still be sacked if West Ham are beaten by Bournemouth on Monday night.
Mokbel has also doubled down on claims Graham Potter has agreed to take over West Ham until the end of the season.
The only problem is, Mokbel’s claim may have some West Ham fans committing football sacrilege.
Because the owners have put fans in a state of purgatory where they obviously want their team to win, but feel it is self-defeating to the bigger picture of calling time of the failed Lopetegui appointment.
And the journalist says in his Daily Mail column that a bad result against Bournemouth on Monday night will see Lopetegui back under pressure of imminent sack.
Hammers fans left in purgatory by board
Mokbel confirms Potter remains in contention for the position if West Ham’s owners do pull the trigger should Iraola’s side inflict defeat on the Hammers at the Vitality.
No true West Ham fan wants to see their team lose. Ever.
But such is the lack of belief in the manager, it is felt by some that it might be better in the long run.
Especially as West Ham are in no real danger of being relegated but are already some way off the European spots.
Once again everything is riding on the next result.
That in itself tells you all you need to know about the ridiculous situation the club has put itself in by not acting after Leicester.
If Lopetegui manages to get a win over Bournemouth then he will still be required to beat Brighton and Southampton according to a top board source.
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