Erik ten Hag (pictured) was under pressure at Manchester United last season (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Julen Lopetegui was touted as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United last season but is now facing pressure to keep his position at West Ham. The ex-Spain and Real Madrid boss, who was reportedly on United's shortlist, returned to the Premier League after leaving Wolves just before last season, having successfully helped them avoid relegation.
There was plenty of attention around the Hammers, who appeared to have considerably strengthened through signing Jean-Clair Todibo, Carlos Soler, Niclas Fullkrug and others. However, success on the pitch has not been immediate, with Lopetegui only managing two victories in his first eight matches. Despite trailing behind Brentford due to another early goal from the Bees, West Ham managed to secure a draw over the weekend but are still without a win in five games across all competitions.
Earlier this year, Lopetegui was among 10 managers considered as potential successors to Erik ten Hag at Man United. However, according to a report in Spain, the new West Ham manager could be facing an early exit if he fails to turn around his team's performance, despite being only a few months into his two-year contract.
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Spanish outlet Sport has suggested that Lopetegui's position at West Ham is under threat following their 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last week. The Telegraph also hinted that the upcoming matches against Brentford and Ipswich could be pivotal for the Spaniard as concerns mount.
Supporters have expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance this season, criticising Lopetegui's tactics. Despite urging fans to reserve judgment until May, the scrutiny surrounding his role is likely to intensify if the team's winless streak persists.
This situation contrasts starkly with earlier speculation linking him to the Manchester United job, given his Europa League success with Sevilla. Spanish publication Relevo named Lopetegui as a potential replacement for Ten Hag in February, amid interest from AC Milan and Bayern Munich.
Julen Lopetegui has had a difficult start to his West Ham United reign (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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Lopetegui praised his team's resilience after a poor start in their recent match. "This is the first match at home that [Brentford] didn't win, so I think that we have to highlight above all the reaction of the team after a very bad start," he said. "It was a nightmare to start losing in the first minute.
"We were able to change the match against a very good team at home, so we have to highlight this, to keep the good, positive things," he added. "We are with one win very close with a lot of teams, a lot of big teams, so I think that I have tried to highlight the positive things and to highlight the positive reaction in the second half when we worked as a team, and it is very important for us."
Meanwhile, Ten Hag also finds himself in a precarious position at Old Trafford, with the team languishing in 12th place after six Premier League games. Despite assurances that his job is safe for now, fan sentiment is turning against him, with calls for his dismissal growing louder following their defeat to Tottenham.
