The Sun’s West Ham blunder reveals bias against Lopetegui – opinion

Julen Lopetegui’s arrival at West Ham has been far from a smooth transition after replacing David Moyes.

Many West Ham fans were initially skeptical when it became evident that Lopetegui was the chosen successor.

The wider football media’s negative assessments also contributed to the lack of enthusiasm around his appointment.

One of the few voices defending Lopetegui was his compatriot, journalist Guillem Balague.

Over the summer, Balague voiced his frustration at the skepticism and harsh criticism surrounding Lopetegui’s new role.

In contrast, Moyes, who left the club, has numerous allies in the media, and his departure was met with widespread disapproval.

Many pundits and fans cautioned the club with the common sentiment of “be careful what you wish for” over the summer months.

The scrutiny on Lopetegui has been intense, and the media appears ready to pounce the moment things take a turn.

A prime example of this was seen during pre-season when West Ham lost a match in the United States.

The Sun ran a headline suggesting that fans were already calling for Moyes’ return, despite these claims being based on just a few comments on social media.

Only three games into the Premier League season, Paul Merson remarked that Lopetegui was already feeling the pressure to get results with his revamped West Ham squad.

While there have been questions about his team selections, particularly after the draw against Fulham, most fans recognize that the club is undergoing significant changes.

With a new manager, staff, playing style, and a turnover of 21 players in the summer, the Hammers are a team in transition.

Despite some doubts regarding his tactics, West Ham managed to salvage a point against Fulham, thanks to a last-minute goal from Danny Ings.

Yet, The Sun’s mishap after the match highlights a possible agenda against Lopetegui.

In their rush to publish, The Sun incorrectly reported that West Ham had lost the game.

The headline read, “Jimenez winner puts Fulham on brink of top four as West Ham near relegation zone,” despite the fact that the accompanying image was of Ings celebrating the equalizer.

Mistakes happen, of course. While The Sun may not have the best reputation, its sports coverage is generally thorough.

However, what stands out in this instance is the clear agenda against Lopetegui.

The relegation zone was mentioned after just four games, two of which were against strong teams like Aston Villa and Manchester City.

It appeared as though the outlet was eager to push a negative narrative surrounding the club.

In earlier times, newspapers and television shows such as Match of the Day wouldn’t even show the league table until at least 10 games into the season, as doing so earlier was considered premature.

To be talking about relegation after only four matches is laughable and deserves to be called out for the clear exaggeration it is.

This premature negativity is something West Ham fans should be cautious of in the coming weeks and months.

The media seems eager to latch onto any sign of struggle at the club, and if fans buy into this negative narrative, they might find themselves fueling the same criticism.

The “careful what you wish for” voices will quickly return, claiming they were right all along if results don’t immediately improve under Lopetegui.

West Ham’s supporters should remain patient and not succumb to the quick-to-judge football press, which seems determined to create a crisis where there might not be one.