Chris Sutton Questions West Ham’s Identity Under Julen Lopetegui

Former Premier League forward Chris Sutton has expressed uncertainty regarding West Ham’s playing style, stating he “does not know what West Ham are,” following the team’s challenging beginning to the season under manager Julen Lopetegui. Lopetegui’s past managerial roles include Spain, Real Madrid, and Wolves. Currently, West Ham occupies the 14th position in the Premier League standings, having accumulated only 11 points from their initial 10 fixtures. Sutton suggested that Lopetegui, who took over from David Moyes at the conclusion of the previous season, might face “major pressure” if the team’s performance does not improve imminently. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, Sutton remarked, “West Ham this season are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, you don’t know what they are and that’s the issue.” He further commented, “It looks like he’s a little bit stuck. He’s in the wrong movie.” This assessment followed West Ham’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which marked their fifth defeat of the season, coming after what appeared to be a significant victory against Manchester United in the preceding week. The club’s only other league successes this season have been against teams struggling in the league, Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace. Sutton also stated, “He needs time, but you don’t really know what they are and he’s spent a fortune.” David Moyes, who guided West Ham to win the Europa Conference League title in 2023, similarly suggested that Lopetegui ought to be afforded additional time. Moyes informed the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, “I had a few defeats where we lost heavily at different times, so it happens for all managers.” He continued, “But I just think that the manager needs to be given an opportunity, a bit of time to settle things down. Sometimes players need to perform as well, they need to step up and show what they’re about.” This month, West Ham faces challenging fixtures against Newcastle and Arsenal. Furthermore, a victory for Everton on Saturday would see them surpass Lopetegui’s team in the league table. Sutton remarked, “David Moyes had a style of football, whether you agreed with it or not. West Ham wanted a more progressive brand of football, but at least you knew what David Moyes’ teams were and they were counter-attack.” Rory Smith, a football journalist for the New York Times, commented that West Ham supporters might be more tolerant of the team’s current poor performances if Lopetegui’s side were exhibiting a more engaging style of play. Smith further added, “They can tell they’ve got a worse version of what they had before, with all the bits they didn’t like about Moyes.”