Julen Lopetegui has backed a shock West Ham U-turn and it absolutely reeks of a lack of ambition from the club.
West Ham are gearing up to officially unveil Julen Lopetegui as the club’s new manager.
But West Ham fans and the media are hardly rolling out the red carpet for the Spaniard.
Lopetegui arrives at West Ham under a cloud of negativity and pressure from the get go.
The likes of Guillem Balague have tried to offer the case in favour of ‘one of the best managers in Europe’.
But the way he walked out on Wolves, AC Milan withdrawing a contract offer after their launched a petition against his appointment and a throng of warnings from across the football press mean Lopetegui is fighting an uphill battle.
The fact the ex Spain and Sevilla boss walked out on Wolves over broken promises regarding transfers and ambition was actually comforting for many West Ham fans.
Lopetegui must win over fans and sceptics
The Hammers face a major rebuild this summer.
And supporters feel Lopetegui’s demands will mean the owners are forced to invest in quality signings and show ambition.
Six West Ham players are out of contract and set to leave the club, meaning Lopetegui will inherit 16 senior players.
Reports have abound he has already been working with technical director Tim Steidten to identify signings.
Many of those being linked are young, hungry, talented stars in line with Steidten’s recruitment policy.
Board insider Sean Whetstone stated over the weekend that Lopetegui had made his first four big calls by not pushing to renew deals for Angelo Ogbonna, Divin Mubama, Ben Johnson or Aaron Cresswell.
But now Lopetegui has backed shock West Ham U-turn and it reeks of a lack of ambition.
Lopetegui backs shock U-turn and it reeks of a lack of ambition
Because Claret and Hugh and Whetstone have confirmed a claim from ExWHUemployee that Lopetegui has given the green light for Cresswell to stay after the defender had a ‘change of heart’ on the offer of a one-year deal.
Cresswell has been a great servant for West Ham and an absolute bargain buy at £3.5m.
But he turns 35 in December and many West Ham fans feel he should have been upgraded several years ago.
News of Cresswell’s impending departure had given fans hope that the club would finally address the need for two younger, more modern full-backs.
So this news is going down like a lead balloon among supporters on forums and social media.
As first reported by ExWHUEmployee Aaron Cresswell appears to be having a late change of heart by agreeing to a one-year extension to his West Ham contract which was due to end next month,” Whetstone said.
“The West Ham left back signed a one-year extension back in 2023 with an option for a further year. Last Summer Cresswell was close to £2.5m move to Wolves under Julen Lopetegui who is said to be a big admirer before the Spanish manager suddenly departed the Premier League club last August with Cresswell’s deal collapsing.
“Perhaps the 34-year-old defender’s change of heart comes with a change of manager.”
So much for an exciting new era
West Ham fans will also remember that when Lopetegui wanted to sign Cresswell, the vice-captain reportedly fell out with David Moyes and was banished to train alone for several weeks.
Given Lopetegui’s previous interest in the ageing left-back, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised by this.
It makes it no less disappointing, though.
Yes West Ham need to have a certain number of homegrown players. But this is the kind of unambitious short-termism that has left West Ham with the smallest and second oldest squad in the Premier League.
And in a situation where the Hammers must sign around eight to 10 players in a single summer.
It is a very underwhelming update to emerge on the eve of Lopetegui being unveiled.
It’s difficult to fathom what’s worse. The fact Lopetegui tried to sign a 33-year-old left-back when at Wolves or that he wants to keep him when he’s another year older despite coming in with the chance to revamp his team and squad.
It should also be noted that Emerson’s form has dropped off a cliff in recent months. He has looked more like the meek defender West Ham seemed to have signed from Chelsea two summers ago.
If Cresswell is retained as his back-up he will once again face zero pressure for his place.
And that is not how you get the best out of players or progress as a club.