Julen Lopetegui 'sack fate will be sealed' at West Ham very soon

Julen Lopetegui is under such pressure at West Ham that his fate will be sealed within the next five games, Jason Cundy and Jamie O’Hara have claimed.

The pair, speaking live on talkSPORT, decided that with the next two fixtures likely to be lost against Newcastle and Arsenal it will be failure from the following three winnable matches could see the Spanish coach let go before Christmas.

Lopetegui is tipped to need to go unbeaten against Leicester, Wolves and Bournemouth between 3 and 16 December to avoid the sack at the London Stadium.

Former Tottenham midfielder O’Hara said, “I think if he loses the next two…” before ex-Chelsea centre back Cundy cut in to say, “Well, look, they have Newcastle and Arsenal. They probably will lose those two. I can’t make a case for him going to Newcastle and picking up three points—definitely can’t make a case for them going to play Arsenal.

He went on, “the games they have after them, mate—Leicester, Wolves, and Bournemouth. So his fate will be sealed,” before O’Hara agreed, “in the next five games”.

Cundy added, “I would think so, he’s got to pick up at least two wins and a draw out of these final three games I mentioned.”

David Sullivan like to run out of patience at West Ham

Football Insider Opinion

Despite his credentials and previous success at Sevilla, where he won a Europa League title, the challenges of managing in the Premier League are proving to be a difficult hurdle for the Spanish coach.

After winning just three if his first 11 league games Lopetegui is under intense pressure at West Ham, and it seems increasingly likely that his position as manager could be snatched away in the near future.

A glaring issue for the Hammers is their inability to score goals, something that has plagued them in recent matches. The Iron’s have failed to score in their last two games, drawing a blank against Everton and Nottingham Forest.

This is a stark contrast to the team’s traditionally solid attacking play. Their inability to find the net in crucial fixtures has left them vulnerable, while teams around them in the lower half of the table continue to pick up points.

Jarrod Bowen has scored just three Premier League goals this season, while Michail Antonio has netted only once, far below expectations for two of the Irons’ key attacking players.

And with the likes of ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic seemingly being lined up as a possible replacement it is reaching make-or-break time for Lopetegui with his side 14th in the table and just five points from the relegation zone as December approaches.

In other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a defender in January.

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