Ex Everton chief's words haunt West Ham as 'senior source' confirms position on Julen Lopetegui future

The words of former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness have come back to haunt West Ham as Julen Lopetegui risks the sack should he not grind out a result against the Toffees at the London Stadium next weekend.

Claret and Hugh reported on Sunday that a 'senior source' at the club has confirmed that the Spanish manager will be relieved of his duties should he fail to get a result against the Merseyside opponents. West Ham have won just three of their opening 10 fixtures this term and sit 14th in the Premier League table.

The Hammers were embarrassed by Nottingham Forest on Saturday as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at The City Ground. That result has followed recent thrashings by Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Victories against Manchester United and Ipswich Town in recent weeks haven't alleviated the growing pressure on Lopetegui, who splurged large sums on new recruits during the summer transfer window. The former Wolves boss must now turn the tide at the London Stadium or face the chopping block.

Wyness - ‘Fans will regret Moyes criticism’

The make-or-break game against Everton comes with a reminder of words of advice shared with West Ham by former Toffees chief executive Keith Wyness in the summer. Speaking ahead of David Moyes' departure from West Ham, he warned the club to be careful what they wish for.

Wyness, who now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs, told Football Insider: "It appears Moyes’ time is coming to an end.

“There have been reports of foreign managers coming over for interviews, and I don’t think David would’ve been very happy about that if he hadn’t made his mind up. Although he hasn’t gone public, I think it will be his last season.

“West Ham may come to regret that. He’s done a great job for them, and I’m sure he’ll end up somewhere else. I saw him develop into a reasoned, seasoned man-manager at Everton.

“The main moan from the fans seems to be about the style of play. It’s very difficult because some fans still live in the Martin Peters and Trevor Brooking era, where West Ham were one of the classiest sides around.

“They expect the same thing every time. The reality is that you can’t always do that, and sometimes you have to grind out results. I think that in time, the fans will realise that Moyes has done a great job and regret the criticism.”

David Moyes’ admission spells trouble for Lopetegui

Moyes himself was all too aware of the pressure on him when at West Ham, despite his success in winning the Europa Conference League in 2023. Speaking in response to a 'Moyes out' banner earlier this year, the Scotsman acknowledged that fans wanted both results and attractive football - neither of which Lopetegui is currently managing.

He said: "I have seen other teams have similar, Newcastle, Man Utd, Man City before the World Championship, Arsenal over Christmas. There is no divine right that West Ham don't have a dicky period at some point in the season. We are hoping we can get back on it.

"I am pretty long in the tooth, you can never please everybody, it would be hard to say there have been many better times at West Ham. Maybe they want something different, but they would honestly have to say it has been the best times they have had at the club with regards winning a European trophy, the league positions.

"Maybe there would be managers who excite them more, possibly, but the one who is sitting here wins more. This year already we have beaten Tottenham, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, we must not forget there were good times not so long ago. We have not been playing well, but there are some mitigating circumstances since January 1, with boys going to the African Cup of Nations, Jarrod Bowen came back from England with an injury and has not been the same since, we have been without Lucas Paqueta as well for most of the time so there are things that have affected us."