Official new manager - Julen Lopetegui

MrsGrey

I suspect someone like Coufal would be a good captain and leader. Or Cresswell - longest serving player, was part of the Noble/Rice group.. but if they aren't starters, then of course can't be captain.

Is there a separate 'club captain' role these days?

Ravel49

I couldn’t find anything on line for club captain
Just Bowen ©️ and Cresswell vice

alderz

I think Soucek would be an option too. I had wanted Alvarez but I can only imagine that making him captain would cause him to dive into even more challenges to prove something

IronHerb

I think Soucek is the natural captain. If you look at the penalty against ManU he was standing alongside the ref when surrounded by ManU players having a say.

Fortuneseeker

If you give the captaincy to Soucek he has to be in the starting line up!

steve

Kilman was always going to be my choice as soon as we signed him

Ravel49

alderz said:

I think Soucek would be an option too. I had wanted Alvarez but I can only imagine that making him captain would cause him to dive into even more challenges to prove something

Or maybe he might think twice with the extra responsibility 🤔

buffybegood

steve said:

Kilman was always going to be my choice as soon as we signed him

Yeah, I thought he was the obvious choice given he had been captain under J-Lo at Wolves.

jay_in_cpt

IronHerb said:

I think Soucek is the natural captain. If you look at the penalty against ManU he was standing alongside the ref when surrounded by ManU players having a say.

He'd be my choice, and we seem to get better results when he plays....might get a chance with Alvarez' red...

buffybegood

jay_in_cpt said:

IronHerb said:

I think Soucek is the natural captain. If you look at the penalty against ManU he was standing alongside the ref when surrounded by ManU players having a say.

He'd be my choice, and we seem to get better results when he plays....might get a chance with Alvarez' red...

Depends on whether he's recovered from the virus he's got; I suspect he would have played on Saturday if he'd been available.

Lukerz

I thought the Bowen choice was sensible. Represents the club well, speaks well, is involved in no off-field drama, committed his long-term future to the club & also now been here for a reasonable period of time. He’s not necessarily the shout & shout leader but he is a role model & can lead by his influence & performances.

Kuchinghammer

I've waited a while before reacting to Saturday's shambles. Whatever the situation now, Lopetc will not be sacked until January, earliest. But he faces increasing pressure every game. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes when the fans turn on him: every other exit has been on his terms, and he hasn't had to face a crowd of 60,000 voicing their displeasure.
Unless he rapidly builds a connection with the players rather than using them as pawns in his tactical games, he has no chance. I wish him well, but it's not looking like a good appointment right now.

claretandbluesky

I'd be happy if his tactical games resulted in a few more points, he wouldn't be the first manager to over think the game and outthink himself.

EXETERHAMMER

I don't think he is an arms around the shoulder type of manager. I would imagine some of our players are missing Moyes.

IronHerb

I keep reading ‘tactics’ but we haven’t shown any. We show no discipline, and I don’t mean cards etc., but player, positional, awareness wise. No one seems to know their roles tied in with Paqueta thinking back flips are the way to go. AWB deciding to play high up on the left wing. Not so much J-Lo losing the dressing room, more he’s never had them.
It’s a shambles.
Now where is the Positive Arms when you need it?

Ravel49

Lopetegui presser ahead of crucial Everton clash

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui will speak to the media at 1pm ahead of the clash against Everton on Saturday.
The Hammers are set to review his position at the club if they lose to Sean Dyche's side, according to The Guardian, having lost five of their last 10 Premier League fixtures.
West Ham are believed to have made background checks on Sebastian Hoeness, Kasper Hjulmand and Roger Schmidt in the event that Lopetegui does depart.

ASLEFshrugged

Source for that, Rav?

Ravel49

‘According to the guardian’
And taken from the Sky Sports News feed

ASLEFshrugged

Found the original Jacob Steinberg article, he’s a fairly reliable source

https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/06/lopeteguis-position-to-be-reviewed-if-west-ham-suffer-everton-setback

Bazshuayi

Wondering if they'd approach Potter too. No compensation

buffybegood

Bazshuayi said:

Wondering if they'd approach Potter too. No compensation

I think he's still getting paid by Chelsea; can't imagine we'd match what he's getting, and can't imagine he'd accept a pay cut to work for Sullivan.

ASLEFshrugged

From the Guardian article

"They have previously been lukewarm on Graham Potter"

Also "the level of their interest in the former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic remains unclear"

Sebastian Hoeness "is regarded as an unrealistic target given that Stuttgart are in the Champions League." but Kasper Hjulmand and Roger Schmidt are currently unattached

Lopetegui isn't alone

"Focus has also fallen on the technical director, Tim Steidten,"

I wouldn't mind Gary O'Neil, did very well with Bournemouth and Wolves with very limited resources.

IronHerb

Wolves are bottom of the league though. 🤔

ASLEFshrugged

Hardly a surprise, they’ve played the current top six plus Brighton, Newcastle and Brentford

Last weekend’s draw against Palace was the first game against another relegation contender.

Plus they sold Kiliman and Neto but haven’t replaced them

Kuchinghammer

Given that the unattached guys are relatively short on experience, I sincerely hope the club looks closely at their personalities and style of management. I really don't think West Ham can be a Spanish/Portuguese style team. Germany/Denmark is a better fit. In my valueless opinion.

ASLEFshrugged

Edin Terzic

Slaven Bilic's assistant at Besiktas and West Ham although they first worked together at Croatia

Assistant coach at Borussia Dortmund, appointed interim manager December 2020 when they were 5th, finished 4th, runners up in the Pokal to RB Leipzig, went out in the Champions League quarters to Man City

Appointed technical director then reappointed manager after one season

2022/23 2nd, lost quarters of the Pokal to RB Leipzig again, went out of the round of 16 Champions League to Chelsea

2023/24 5th, quarters of the Pokal to Stuttgart and Champions League runners up to Real Madrid then decided to leave

Lukerz

We should not be considering a change yet. Stick with him & the players. I’m pretty sure it will come good.

Barney

I hope you are right Lukerz. I have not seen anything that makes me feel it will come good. He has a talented squad but it would seem by some of their behaviour that cracks are appearing, hardly anyone is playing to their potential and I do not understand his game plan or tactics. I am hoping things are better than what I believe I am seeing at the moment.

EXETERHAMMER

I am not convinced he has the backing of the players. I have no evidence of this, just a feeling.

What I do know though is that I do not know who he will play each game and what his tactical plan is. That must unsettle the players too.

Giant_Hammer

Well I can’t understand a word he says in his interviews. If the players are having the same problem in training or in the dressing room that would explain a lot.