With a 0-0 loss to one of the Premier League’s now perennial relegation candidates, West Ham are clearly playing well below their standard under Julen Lopetegui, who was expected to have the Hammers at least somewhat improving initially on the poor second half of the 2023/24 season under David Moyes.
Because, for starters, Moyes did have the Hammers looking good in the first half of the season before injuries took their toll, and, secondly, West Ham added so much talent to support Lopetegui this summer, particularly in the attack.
While it’s true that some of the big name acquisitions like Niclas Fullkrug, Carlos Soler, and Jean-Clair Todibo have yet to make an impact, there is simply no excuse for how poorly this team has performed under Lopetegui.
Before the season even started, fans around Europe had reservations about Lopetegui’s appointment, given how woeful he was for Real Madrid and Wolves, as well as how badly he flamed out of Sevilla after what may have been a fluke 2021/22 campaign.
West Ham are already considering parting ways with Lopetegui due to a 14th-placed standing after 11 Matchdays, which is simply intolerable. The Hammers want to avoid dumping Lopetegui too quickly after hiring him, but he is very much on the chopping block.
Former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic has been bounced around as a possible replacement, as he is one of the more credible free agent managers available due to a DFB Pokal win and Champions League Final appearance with BVB that shrouds over his concerning failings in the Bundesliga.
The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel is reporting that Terzic would be open to taking the West Ham job if approached.
In the early going, that makes Terzic the leading man to take the gig if it were to be open, because nobody else really has been linked. But like with Lopetegui, who had his ups and downs outside the Premier League with Sevilla, Terzic, too, comes with a buyer beware price tag.
But as troubling as it is for Terzic to carry the reputation as the man who killed Mats Hummels’ and Marco Reus’ Dortmund careers, he very obviously has a better tactical acumen than Lopetegui and did get more out of the likes of Julian Brandt and Emre Can than anyone had any right to.
West Ham need to be careful about who they hire next, because they could very well end up with another manager who, like Lopetegui, is visibly worse than Moyes was.
