Julen Lopetegui looks poised to replaced David Moyes as West Ham United manager next season, but would the Spaniard's style give Hammers fans what they want?
Former West Ham defender Matthew Upson tells The Football News Show why he is not convinced by the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss.
Watch the full episode of The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer
Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist
David Moyes has been speaking to the media before his final home game as West Ham boss against Luton Town on Saturday.
Here are the main lines from his news conference:
Moyes said he is "comfortable with his departure" and thinks it is the right decision for both parties. He added: "I believe it has been a really good four and a half years."
Asked whether it will be an emotional farewell, Moyes said he is "not necessarily that type of person" and bouncing back from their 5-0 defeat by Chelsea is most important for him.
On his final home game in charge: "I'd hoped we'd be pushing for Europe in this game. We've just dropped out of it but we are still pushing for a strong finish in the Premier League. To finish in the top 10 would be excellent for us and it's really important we win the game."
Moyes said he is "not quite sure yet" whether he wants to give up management but does have more he wants to achieve in football: "I hope now I can give a lot back to younger managers. I'm keen on coach education. I'm involved with the League Managers' Association so there's a lot of things hopefully later in life I can choose to do."
He is looking forward to working as a pundit at the men's Euros this summer but "the first and most important thing" is to have a break. He added: "I want to keep really involved in football. I really love football."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences
Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of West Ham v Luton at 15:00 BST on Saturday
Incoming West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui is considering raiding former club Sevilla for 26-year-old Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri and 32-year-old Argentina defender Marcos Acuna. (Sun), external
Image source, Getty ImagesWest Ham are to face fellow Premier Leagues sides Wolves and Crystal Palace in pre-season friendlies in the US as the compete for the inaugural Stateside Cup.
The Hammers will face Wolves in Jacksonville on Saturday 27th July before they travel to Tampa to play Crystal Palace on Saturday 3rd August.
The club's chief commercial officer Nathan Thompson said: "We’re really excited to be heading Stateside this summer for our pre-season tour.
“The US market is key for West Ham United, and the club’s presence, fan-base and status continues to grow significantly in the States.
“We can’t wait to play the matches and deliver unique experiences and opportunities for our fans and partners in America.”
It will be West Ham's first trip to the States since 2016.
Image source, Getty ImagesCesc Fabregas believes Julen Lopetegui could be a good coach for West Ham despite playing a "different style" to what fans have grown used to in recent years.
The Spaniard has agreed a deal to replace David Moyes as manager at the end of the season and speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Planet Premier League podcast, Fabregas rates him highly.
"I think he's a good coach - I shouldn't say that because he kicked me out of the Spanish national team. He's the one that stopped taking me - so that hurts," Fabregas said.
"He's had success, obviously. All that mess that happened in the Spanish national team when he signed for Real Madrid - they kicked him out before the World Cup but when Real Madrid signs obviously something is good around you.
"His Sevilla team for example played quite well - they won the Europa League playing some good football.
"At Wolves I think he did a good job - especially in the first year. Creating a good dynamic, a very good brand of football and getting them away from the relegation zone."
Lopetegui left Wolves three days before the start of the Premier League season and the club said both parties had "accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed an amicable end to his contract was the best solution".
Fabregas added: "He's definitely a coach that has very clear ideas of what he wants to do - he's had success a couple of times where he's been.
"I think he could be good - but again, he plays a different style than what West Ham have done for the last couple of years."
Listen to the whole episode on BBC Sounds
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter confirmation earlier this week that David Moyes will leave West Ham at the end of the season, there is at least the chance of a proper send-off for the Scot.
While many Hammers fans believe now is the right time to sever ties - with Julen Lopetegui set to be named Moyes' replacement - there is total appreciation for the work the 61-year-old has done in four-and-a-half years at London Stadium.
No grand gestures are planned. Moyes is not that kind of guy anyway and West Ham have chosen to make the change, but there will be an acknowledgement from the club for three successive European campaigns for the first time in the club's history, for what could yet be three top-10 finishes out of four - and, of course, that Europa Conference League final victory against Fiorentina last June.
That night in Prague will go down as one of the greatest in the club's entire history.
Moyes was responsible for it and after Saturday's game against a Luton Town side scrapping for their lives, West Ham's fans will recognise that while ushering in a new era.
Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between West Ham and Luton in the Premier League.
West Ham are looking to complete their first league double over Luton since 1983-84 following their 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road earlier this season.
Luton are winless in their past five away league games against West Ham (D3 L2). This is their first visit to West Ham since a 2-2 draw in December 1992, and first in the top-flight since a 0-0 draw in August 1991.
West Ham have conceded 70 Premier League goals this season - their joint-most in a single campaign along with 2010-11 when they finished bottom. They last conceded more in a league season in 1975-76 (71).
Since beating Brighton 4-0 in January and moving outside the relegation zone - Luton have won just one of their past 15 Premier League games (D4 L10). Defeat in this match would leave them on the cusp of relegation back to the Championship.
Jarrod Bowen has scored 16 Premier League goals this season – the last West Ham player to net more in a single top-flight campaign was Tony Cottee in 1986-87 (22).
No player has scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen (five). Of all players to score 10+ goals in the competition this season, only Chris Wood (42%) has scored a higher share with his head than Luton’s Elijah Adebayo (40%).
Follow live commentary of West Ham v Luton from 15:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds
Image source, PA MediaIt is always a difficult situation when the manager is going to leave.
It has been clear for some time that a new contract was not going to be agreed. The supporters were wanting change for a long time - almost demanding it - so we knew David Moyes was going to be leaving.
Could they have announced it earlier? There has been criticism over the situation with Jurgen Klopp and with other managers where people say you should wait to the end of the season, but it was clear he was going to leave.
I felt that whatever he was doing was not going to matter and that has made the situation worse. Ultimately the players would have known. The fans were frustrated and there has been some poor results. It has caused uncertainty since the start of the year and maybe they could have cut their losses earlier.
If it is Julen Lopetegui that is coming in, why do we have to wait for that announcement? The whole situation just looks silly.
We have seen Lopetegui before and know the experience that he has got but I do not think it is going to be that easy for him. Wolves were in a tricky situation when Lopetegui was there and I know they have had a good turnaround under Gary O’Neil but it could have gone a lot worse. Yet I just do not know what massive style difference he will bring.
As for Moyes' future, the first Premier League job for a club outside the top four will be his. I cannot see how it will not be. He just needs the right situation to open up for him. There will be clubs who will want him.
Full commentary of West Ham v Luton from Saturday, 15:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds
West Ham face competition from Serie A side Napoli in their pursuit of 20-year-old Anderlecht and Belgium centre-back Zeno Debast. (AreaNapoli via Sport Witness), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
West Ham United have opened talks to sign Corinthians' 19-year-old Brazilian winger Wesley Gassova, who is also a target for Liverpool. (Standard), external
Meanwhile, Roma and England forward Tammy Abraham is open to a move back to the Premier League, with West Ham one of the teams keeping tabs on the 26-year-old. (HITC), external
Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton believes "a section" or West Ham fans are "entitled" and "want fantasy football".
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said the club's owners have got "sucked in" by these fans and that is why he will be leaving at the end of the season.
The Hammers sit ninth in the Premier League and haven't won in their last six games in all competitions but Sutton thinks it's not just West Ham fans that want to see a more different style of football, stating: "Every football fan wants this Pep [Guardiola] brand of football.
"It's not realistic - they have the parting of the ways. I understand that but I just think it could've been handled better.
"He could have been shown more respect."
Listen to the whole episode on BBC Sounds
The New York Times' Rory Smith believes Julen Lopetegui's pending appointment at West Ham is questionable despite his "impressive" CV.
The Spaniard has agreed a deal to become West Ham manager, and speaking on the Monday Night Club Smith said he thinks Lopetegui is not "actually that far off David Moyes" in terms of playing style.
Listen to the whole episode of the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesDavid Moyes has missed out on selling West Ham fans "a vision" during his time as manager, says New York Times journalist Rory Smith.
Moyes will leave the Hammers at the end of the season with BBC Sport's Guillem Balague reporting that former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui has agreed a deal to replace him.
"I think Moyes is a fantastic manager but I think the big thing he has missed out on at West Ham is you have to sell fans on something," Smith told the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"If you're in charge of West Ham or any club outside the top six you're not going to win ultimately.
"West Ham have won 13 Premier League games this season which is about standard. But you can't say to the fans, like he did in February, 'another guy might excite them more but the guy sitting here wins more' because you're not winning most of your games.
"That works in charge of Manchester City, it doesn't work if you're in charge of West Ham.
"You have to sell fans on a vision of something, there has to be an idea that you're working towards. I think Moyes has that but he doesn't sell it very well."
Moyes ended the Hammers' 43 year wait for a major trophy by winning the Europa Conference League in 2023, and Smith argues the man set to replace him may also struggle to convince fans of his project.
"Maybe Lopetegui is a bridging manager that starts building towards that style a little bit, that would make sense," he added.
"If I was a West Ham fan I'd find the appointment slightly underwhelming. He does have an impressive CV but if you burrow down into it there are slightly more question marks.
"He had the biggest ever budget in the history of FC Porto and won nothing, he was in charge of Real Madrid - for two months. He did do really well at Sevilla but we have seen a lot of managers do really well there because of their transfer structure.
"He does not like expansive football, that's not his brand. He's not actually that far off David Moyes. I'm not sure that fans want Guardiola-style football. I think fans want to be sold a story they can support because they're not going to finish first."
West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur are the frontrunners to sign Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney, 28, this summer, with both teams planning to offer around £50m. (Football Transfers), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Even though the club still has not announced it, it is expected that David Moyes will leave West Ham this summer.
It is unfortunate his tenure is ending under a cloud of toxicity, though, because what he has achieved since replacing Manuel Pellegrini in December 2019 will go down as heroic in years to come.
We all know the story - how Moyes returned for his second spell with the club just outside the bottom three on goal difference and within four years has West Ham as regular top-six contenders, seasoned European contenders and - unbelievably - European champions (of some sort).
It is such an outstanding change in fortune for West Ham that it is little wonder fans are now feeling restless and frustrated at the way in which this season is ending, and the 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday may have pushed even the most loyal Moyes fans over the edge.
The fact is that fans are upset and frustrated, not only because of the style of play or the failure to build a big enough squad to compete on all fronts, but also because this season started with so much promise and is ending with barely any fight left from the manager and players.
We spent two weeks at the top of the Premier League in August and September and ended 2023 with wins over Arsenal and Manchester United to sit comfortably in sixth place going into the second half of the campaign. So, to build on that with just three league wins post-Christmas and end up with a likely ninth-placed finish is bitterly disappointing.
But fans must acknowledge what has come before and give Moyes the perfect send-off in his last home game against Luton on Saturday. The fact we are all upset with a ninth-placed finish is testament to the job he has done. He has raised the bar and he has raised our expectations, but he will leave with the highest win percentage of any manager in the club's entire history - currently 45% - and has given us fans so many unexpected and priceless memories in the process.
He deserves respect and appreciation for that, even if it is clear he should not continue as manager.
James Jones can be found at We Are West Ham, external
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.
Paul asked: Am I the only one who thinks West Ham have been punching above for a few seasons now? Looking at teams and squads above, in and around, I would say overall they are doing well. I understand the gripe from fans with the style of play, but, results-wise, I think ninth is about right with the quality of squads above them. David Moyes is a goner, but I can't see the next man doing that much better, if at all. Seems playing more exciting football would be better than good results for some West Ham fans.
Phil answered: I agree with much of that, Paul. I do think David Moyes has done a very good job at West Ham United and brought them a European trophy and yet I do not think he gets the credit he deserves.
I do think the time has come for change because it all seems pretty joyless for everyone at West Ham and things do sometimes run their course.
You make a good point, though. I'll be very interested to see if the manager who replaces Moyes (Julen Lopetgui) does any better than him. And if playing more attractive football but finishing lower in the Premier League makes their fans any happier.
I do think the time has come for Moyes to leave West Ham, but hopefully people will not forget what he achieved for them. He can be proud of his work there.
