West Ham United

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The pressure is mounting on Julen Lopetegui - so we wanted to know who you think the club should be looking at appointing as the next West Ham United boss if the Spaniard leaves.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Ben: Graham Potter is the best option, especially given the West Ham board's usual criteria of Premier league experience and being unemployed. He will also have something to prove, much like David Moyes did. As for Lopetegui, he can have no complaints about being sacked.

David: Potter is not the right man for the job needed at West Ham. We need a total rebuild from the academy through to the first team. The bigger picture is that a cultural change is needed in the running of the club. Sullivan, Brady and Steidten all need to be replaced.

Glen: The obvious choice is Wayne Rooney.

Ant: It should be Moyes, obviously, but he won't come back after the way he has been treated twice now. Plus a fair-sized chunk of the fanbase still don't see that he was our best manager since John Lyall. He is proven in the Premier League and in European competition.

Tim: I believe Lopetegui should be given the season. There have been glimpses of what he is trying to achieve and binning managers so quickly is unsettling for any club. We are not bad enough to go down so I think we should wait to see how things pan out.

Lee: We should go for Edin Terzic. Potter's win percentage is the same as Lopetegui's whereas Terzic's is over 60%. Originally I wanted Ruben Amorim, but that obviously hasn't really worked out for Manchester United, so I guess we could be in a worse place. But I feel Terzic would work well for us, especially with director Tim Steidten.

Martin: In a nutshell, it has got to be Ange Postecoglou.

Geoff: The club is run like a complete circus and no manager worth his salt would touch the job with the proverbial barge pole. The next appointment will be someone who has fallen off the managerial merry-go-round and is currently, therefore, available.

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Under-pressure West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been training on Wednesday despite growing question marks over his position.

The Spaniard had been scheduled to take a news conference at the club's training ground at 13:15 GMT, but that has since been cancelled.

It is understood former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and ex-Paris St-Germain coach Christophe Galtier, now managing Al-Duhail in Qatar, have both been spoken to by the Hammers.

However, the belief from both camps is that ex-Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter will get the job.

So, if Lopetegui is to exit, who should they appoint next, West Ham fans? Is Potter the right man for now? Or should they not go for any of the three names above?

Let us know here

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Former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp says the club approaching and talking to Graham Potter while Julen Lopetegui remains in charge is "disrespectful".

"No doubt about that," Redknapp told BBC Radio London. "If you want to get rid of him then you call him and say I'm sorry it's not worked out, but obviously talks have been going on with Graham Potter."

Wednesday's FA Cup media conference has been cancelled by the club as speculation around the Spaniard's position grows.

"Potter seems to be the number-one target," added Redknapp. "But it's not an easy place to manage West Ham. The expectation there is very high.

"Whoever goes there, not only do they have to produce a winning team, they've got to produce a team that plays what West Ham fans see as the West Ham way."

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West Ham have cancelled today's scheduled press conference with Julen Lopetegui.

He was due to speak to the media at 13:15 GMT in preparation for Friday's FA Cup tie at Aston Villa.

On Monday, BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone reported the Hammers have held talks with Graham Potter about possibly replacing the Spaniard.

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui cancelled a team bonding meal that had been planned for Tuesday night as he waited to hear if he had been sacked by the club. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

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We asked for your views on whether Julen Lopetegui can keep his job at West Ham or if the writing is already on the wall for the Spaniard.

Here are some of your comments:

Colin: He was the wrong person for the job right from the start. Little investment in the areas needed and a populist approach by the owners getting rid of David Moyes. I said at the time be careful what you wish for, and here we are.

Tristan: The worrying thing is that we have not improved defensively having changed three of last season's back four. Having spent considerable parts of our summer budget on defensive additions, is it down to poor recruitment or is it down to poor management? I think the main reason why we are poor lies in the midfield, which is not mobile enough to offer adequate protection to the back four. Rodriguez is not up to the speed of the Premier League and Edson Alvarez's lack of pace has been made more obvious. We need to invest in a mobile midfielder for anything to change, regardless of a change of manager.

Ben: What is really concerning is who will want to come to a club that treats people the way our board seems to think is acceptable? He is taking training with a massive cloud above his head - if it hasn't worked out for him then treat him with some decency. Let him go without this endless speculation. Moyes was treated with very little respect so what manager with any decent credentials will want in at a club clearly in turmoil yet again? Massive questions need to be asked about things like James Ward-Prowse being loaned out, why Danny Ings has been left to rot and why over-aged, slow, overrated players have been brought in. It is all very poor.

Terry: Last season, under Moyes, West Ham played some awful football but scraped enough points along the way. So many fans wanted a return to the 'West Ham way'. So here we are now playing some creative football but not as of yet getting the results. We are not conceding 75% possession and often have as many shots on goal as teams we lose against. Hang on tight - JLo may still be a good choice. Give him some time.

Paul: For a 'family club' all they have done in recent years is treat managers appallingly at the end of their reign. I don't know if this hints as to what may be going on for the rest of the time. This is nothing new and since the days of John Lyall there has been a perpetual feeling with fans that there is something not quite right, regardless of manager and the quality of team.

Will: Lopetegui has refused to allow players to settle. He repeatedly takes off our best players at 70 minutes (eg. Crysencio Summerville against Wolves) and then starts them on the bench, stopping anyone from building momentum. We lack the quality cohesion we saw a couple of seasons ago under Moyes and it isn't getting any better. If we get someone new in now, they have time in the transfer window and we can still make a positive out of this season with the mid-table so tight, but owners need to act fast.

David: The truth is Lopetegui is WORSE than Avram Grant - that's just plain shocking. We have so much potential in this team with some quality players but this man has no direction or any clue over to what our best line-up is. He has to go. It's over for him. I can't see him surviving another match or we'll get worse.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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Julen Lopetegui's position as West Ham boss is under increasing scrutiny, but if the Spaniard is to go, it will not be because the Hammers' defence became terrible under him.

In fact, it would more likely be because he did not improve the terrible defence he inherited in the first place.

West Ham had the worst defence outside of the promoted sides last season - and they have the worst defence outside of the promoted sides this season too.

The east London side are conceding goals at exactly the same rate as they did last campaign (1.95 per game), so not much has changed in that aspect since the departure of David Moyes.

The Hammers still having one of the worst defences in the league is less than favourable, but what has actually been the difference compared with 2023-24 is the finishing.

Despite taking more shots (14.6 per game compared to 11.8) and having a slightly higher expected goals (xG) figure at 1.45 per game, they have actually scored fewer goals (1.2 per game compared to 1.58).

West Ham deserved to finish ninth last season because they got the results to finish there, but they were not the ninth-best team in the league based on their underlying numbers. That was something disgruntled match-going fans could see in their performances and ultimately led to the change of manager.

The greatest trick the Premier League table ever pulled was convincing people it never lies - and it lied about West Ham last campaign (see also Manchester United finishing eight).

What do you make of the numbers, West Ham fans? Can Lopetegui survive? Or is the writing already on the wall? And if the Spaniard goes, who would you want to succeed him?

Let us know

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It was reported on Monday that West Ham were considering whether to sack Julen Lopetegui following a disappointing start to his tenure.

The board have held talks with Graham Potter about possibly replacing the Spaniard but as of yet Lopetegui remains in his position.

"Weirdly it has felt like it has been coming for a while," said New York Times Chief Football Correspondent Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"He has been under pressure since October and he has never really seemed like a great fit as there have been numerous low points already.

"It is hard to see it lasting long term, so it is just about who West Ham think they can get in to replace him.

"If there is no obvious upgrade available then maybe he sticks around a bit longer but it does really feel like a loveless marriage at this point.

"The board are known for not liking to pay managers compensation so that does limit who they attract, but for me there is no internal reflection of how they keep getting themselves into this situation and how they should be doing it all differently."

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West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug is a January target for Juventus, with the Italian club keen to bring the 31-year-old Germany international in on loan. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

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James Jones
Fan writer

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It is difficult to know how much longer West Ham can go on like this.

We have conceded nine goals in the last two games and while they have been against Liverpool and Manchester City, it is the manner of the defeats that continue to ring alarm bells.

The way in which we crumbled in both games highlights serious issues within Julen Lopetegui's system which have needed to be addressed for months now.

The performance against City on Saturday was good in parts, but you have to wonder whether that was only because Pep Guardiola's side are struggling for form and, as their manager said afterwards, still not their usual selves. I dread to think what the scoreline would have been had City been at their very best.

So what happens next? I cannot see any positive scenario that involves Lopetegui. I wrote a few months ago that there is evidence from other clubs that being patient, not panicking at the first sign of trouble and giving managers time to work with their players can have huge benefits.

Since then I have seen absolutely no reason to suggest Lopetegui is going to finally get things clicking with this West Ham squad. Yes, we are having loads of shots and enjoying more of the ball compared to previous seasons, but we are not scoring enough goals and we are conceding too many at the other end.

As I have said so many times before, this is just not sustainable.

So it is time for change. It has to be made immediately before it is too late for a new manager to come in and identify what players he wants from the transfer market to get this team operating properly. We cannot wait any longer.

We have a squad full of top-class players - some world-class. It makes absolutely no sense to wait any longer to make the change everyone knows needs to be made.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Man City and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

City fans

Alan: The score doesn't reflect the game although I'm very glad to see us score a few goals! We are still wide open on the counter-attack and are playing slowly. It is frustrating but a win is a win. Onwards and upwards, Blues.

Susan: It was heartening to see City working together as a determined team and claiming the three points. The fans will be left feeling hopeful that City might start to climb the table and back into the top four.

Derek: An improved performance, but we are still well off our best. We are still looking very vulnerable to quick counter-attacks. Josko Gvardiol is still giving wingers way too much time and space to attack him.

Terrance: I feel our season is over. Our long-term the future is secure, apart from the elephant in the room which is City vs Premier League. Short-term, I hope that we can bring in two young energetic midfielders. Perhaps the FA Cup is a possibility for us this season. No disrespect to Salford City but I'm looking forward to the fourth-round draw.

West Ham fans

Simon: Another game, another starting XI, another heavy defeat. We are just wide open every game. I don't regret David Moyes going, but this can't continue.

Richard: We need to be so much better. Our defence don't seem to know what is happening or what they are doing. The team isn't the same without Jarrod Bowen and we need to take our chances when we create them.

Zalvador: Niclas Fullkrug was due to be hooked but then he scored and Julen Lopetegui changed his mind and took off our best player Mohammed Kudus instead. That was a big, big mistake. I don't understand his decisions and I'm fed up with his excuses. He should swallow his pride and admit he has made a huge mistake. Get Will Still in now.

Iain: It's not the fact that we lose, it's the manner. There has been no improvement on last season at all and the team are far too lethargic, which leads me to believe that the whole club needs a shake-up, not just a new manager. Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez and Lucas Paqueta are way below par - they are costing us points and need to go. Get the youth development right and then invest in the right players that will make a difference.

Martin: Regularly conceding three or more goals is relegation form. It is very fortunate that there are three worse teams than us this season!

West Ham are drawing up a list of attacking targets for January which includes Brighton and Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson, 20, Wolves' 28-year-old South Korea forward Hwang Hee-chan and Middlesbrough's Ivory Coast forward Emmanuel Latte Lath, 26. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea

• Brighton 1-1 Arsenal

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West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat: "I think it is not easy to explain the match. We did not take advantage of the chances and we have to improve the little details. We are in a moment where this unlucky thing [the first goal] happens.

"The second goal was a big knock for us. The third goal was from one counter-attack. For all of their goals, we can do better. After we scored, we had good moments again but it is not enough. It is a pity.

"We regained a lot of balls but the little details and individual actions played against us. The message [to the players] is if you don't take your chances and score, they will win the match.

"The first goal was lucky for them, the second goal was big quality but even then we can do better. We have to improve with the moments we have and also be more solid.

"I think we did very good things, even if it is difficult to say when you lose 4-1."

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This is West Ham United's sixth Premier League defeat by a three or more goal margin this season, more than any other side.

All three of Niclas Fullkrug's Premier League goal involvements for the Hammers have come on the road (two goals and one assist).

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West Ham United captain Tomas Soucek has been speaking to Sky Sports: "We are upset because we had a good chance to take the points from Manchester City. Especially in the first half, I had a good chance, we had a few others and then we conceded a deflected goal.

"We tried to compete - and we did - but the result is not good.

"We have suffered a few big defeats. We have one way which we are building in training, which we wanted to show. In many ways we did, but we have to try not to concede goals.

"Jarrod [Bowen] is a big miss for us. This season he has been great, but this is football and we need to step up for him now.

"We showed more with the ball and we had chances but we need to concentrate on getting points."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Man City supporters - what did you make of the match?

West Ham fans - let us know your thoughts

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Tottenham v Newcastle (12:30)

• Aston Villa v Leicester

• Bournemouth v Everton

• Crystal Palace v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man City v West Ham

• Southampton v Brentford

• Brighton v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here