West Ham have held talks with a potential replacement for under-pressure boss Julen Lopetegui ahead of their clash with Wolves, it has been reported.
Lopetegui and O’Neil in a win or lose clash
West Ham face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night in one Premier League clash that has been named “El Sackico”, with both Julen Lopetegui and Gary O’Neill under increasing pressure to change things in their respective groups.
The Hammers spent freely in the summer transfer window but have yet to see it deliver in the early stages of the campaign, and were thrashed 5-2 by Arsenal a week ago before losing 3-1 to newly promoted Leicester City midway through week. .
Just one win in their last five Premier League games has left them in 14th place, just two points above 17th-placed Crystal Palace and a massive nine points off European qualification, which was arguably the aim of the season.
|
Julen Lopetegui at West Ham |
|
|---|---|
|
Games |
14 |
|
He wins |
4 |
|
% win |
29% |
|
Goals scored per game |
1.3 |
|
Goals conceded per game |
1.93 |
|
Points per game |
1.07 |
Worse, their football has been uninspiring under Lopetegui, with 18 goals only more than Everton, Ipswich Town, Southampton and Crystal Palace.
It has been widely claimed that if West Ham lost to Wolves, Lopetegui would have reached the end of his time at the London Stadium, with the club ready to make a change in the boat in a bid to save their season and West Ham’s own. fans chanting “they’ll fire you in the morning” during their latest loss. Now, it has emerged that West Ham are already holding talks over a potential replacement.
West Ham meet the serial winner
This comes as reported by Football Insider West Ham “held a meeting with Massimiliano Allegri about the possibility of Lopetegui taking over as manager” if the Spaniard is fired.
Allegri has been out of work since leaving Juventus but has an impressive CV of six Serie A titles along with five Coppa Italias. There are question marks over his style of play, but legendary Premier League manager Sir Alex Ferguson called the 58-year-old “fantasy” coach.
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Now, Football Insider reports that Allegri is “believed to want to train in the Premier League”. However, they add that a deal is unlikely to materialize because “the finances involved in a deal to bring him to the London Stadium are considered prohibitive” for the Hammers, despite the Italian being “at the top of their list” for a replacement . Lopetegui.
The Hammers have been linked with a number of potential new managers, with Michael Carrick the latest has been touted as a potential new face at the London Stadium. Barring a drastic turnaround, it appears to be a case of when, not if, Lopetegui leaves the Hammers. With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see them being touted as potential replacements.
Despite his CV and pedigree though, it seems Allegri will not be taking the reins.
