- Lopetegui replaced David Moyes in the summer, but the team has struggled this year
- His side will face Newcastle and Arsenal in their next matches before a decision could be made
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Julen Lopetegui has two games to save his West Ham career, according to a report.
The Hammers boss has had a difficult period in charge of the club, with his side sitting 14th in the Premier League, amid a disappointing 11 games in the opening months of the season.
They have recorded three wins in their matches so far, conceding nineteen goals and suffering some devastating defeats, including 3-0 defeats to Nottingham Forest and Chelsea as well as losing 5-1 to Liverpool in the League Cup.
The club invested heavily in the summer, signing the likes of Max Kilman for £40 million and Crysencio Summerville for £25 million, but they are still seeing no return on their investment.
It was also during the summer that they opted to change managers with David Moyes, who won the club their first major trophy in 42 years as they won the Conference League and left.
He was replaced by Lopetegui, who may already be fighting for his job. And according to The Guardianhe has two games left to make it, with the Hammers already looking for replacements.
Julen Lopetegui has just two games left to save his West Ham career, according to a report
Lopetegui’s West Ham are fourteenth in the Premier League and have struggled this season
He replaced David Moyes in the summer but has yet to see results from a better team
It is reported that those in senior positions at West Ham still have faith in the former Real Madrid boss, but that faith is fading and he could be sacked this month.
The Premier League returns on Saturday after the latest international break – the final until March – with West Ham taking on Newcastle at St James’ Park on Monday evening, live on Sky.
It is reported that a final decision is unlikely to be made based on that match, but a heavy defeat could force the deciders to make a match earlier than they may intend to do.
If he survives that match in the North East, he will take his team back to the capital for a home match against title challengers Arsenal.
That will be for the home fans who are already losing patience at the London Stadium, and two heavy defeats, possibly ending against Arsenal on November 30, could spell the end of his reign.
West Ham’s largest shareholder David Sullivan is reported to be reluctant to make a mid-season sack but concerns are growing over current performances and it is believed talks have taken place over a possible change.
It is unclear who Lopetegui’s replacement could be, but there have been a number of discussions previously, in which former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic would have been important.
Former Denmark man Kasper Hjulmand could also be eyed, while ex-Benfica manager Roger Schmidt and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness could also be options.