West Ham address claims that Steidten opposed Lopetegui appointment

Julen Lopetegui’s start at West Ham has been far from ideal.

Under his leadership, the Hammers have secured just one win, one draw, and suffered three defeats in the Premier League.

However, they did manage a victory over Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, setting up a challenging third-round clash against Liverpool.

The latest blow came with a dismal 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, marking the first time in West Ham’s 129-year history that they’ve lost their first three home league games in a season.

Lopetegui’s team selections and tactics have left fans frustrated and confused, drawing criticism from pundits and journalists alike.

The 57-year-old manager has been heavily criticized in the media for the team’s poor performances.

The discontent among supporters was evident during the Chelsea match, where fans jeered Lopetegui’s substitutions, booed the team off the pitch, and thousands left the London Stadium well before the final whistle.

Sources close to West Ham’s ownership have indicated that the board is far from pleased with what they’ve seen so far.

Concerns have also been raised regarding Lopetegui’s handling of star summer signing Jean-Clair Todibo, who has yet to make a Premier League start.

According to reports from Hammers News, Lopetegui believes Todibo is not “tough enough” for the Premier League, though this has been misreported elsewhere as him not being “fit enough.”

There is no doubt that Lopetegui is already under pressure from the media, the club’s owners, and the fans.

Recently, journalist Graeme Bailey told Hammers News that Tim Steidten, West Ham’s technical director, had other managerial preferences and was not the driving force behind Lopetegui’s appointment.

West Ham has since responded to the claim that Steidten was against hiring Lopetegui.

According to Hammers News insider Sean Whetstone, a senior club source stated that all West Ham stakeholders were in agreement over Lopetegui’s appointment.

While Steidten is not technically a stakeholder, the suggestion is that he too approved of the decision to replace David Moyes with Lopetegui.

Whetstone reported, “Steidten was at all the interviews for the prospective head coach, and the decision to appoint Julen Lopetegui was unanimous with all West Ham stakeholders.”

Despite this, Bailey’s sources indicate that the move to hire Lopetegui was largely driven by West Ham owner David Sullivan, who was impressed by the former Wolves and Spain manager during the interview process.

The primary issue facing West Ham now is their poor results.

While some managers have managed to implement fresh, exciting styles of play quickly, the overhaul of 21 players during the summer transfer window has made this transition difficult for Lopetegui.

It’s clear that he won’t be able to revolutionize West Ham’s style of play overnight, but results are needed to buy him time to make gradual changes.

Lopetegui’s attempts to instill his style from the outset have backfired, with West Ham looking too vulnerable defensively.

Although the team’s possession and passing statistics have improved, they’ve allowed more shots than any other Premier League team (83)—20 more than the next-worst side.

Additionally, West Ham has created only seven “big chances” in their five Premier League matches, the second fewest in the league.

The fixture list hasn’t been kind, with Liverpool being the latest in a tough opening run of games.

However, upcoming matches against Brentford and Ipswich present an opportunity for Lopetegui to turn things around and build some much-needed momentum.