West Ham United’s technical director, Tim Steidten, has distanced himself from the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as manager, Hammers News can exclusively reveal.
As the club navigates the early stages of the Premier League season, tensions are already running high, with Lopetegui facing intense scrutiny just five games into his tenure.
The summer transfer window saw West Ham invest £155 million in nine new signings, an outlay that was meant to signal a new era under a fresh managerial regime.
However, rather than generating positive momentum, the opening weeks of the season have been marked by discontent, poor performances, and questions about the direction of the team under Lopetegui’s leadership.
Hammers News has learned that West Ham’s hierarchy is far from impressed with the early returns. Their concerns are centred around both the team’s results and performances, as well as the ongoing issue surrounding the pursuit of Jean-Clair Todibo, which has added to the frustration.
The majority of West Ham supporters recognise that the new-look squad, along with a new head coach, would likely need time to gel.
Nevertheless, the swift success that rival clubs have found under their new managers has only heightened the pressure on Lopetegui to deliver immediate results.
The Spaniard’s time in east London has begun poorly, with just two wins, three defeats, and a draw across all competitions.
The 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday was a particularly bitter pill to swallow. The result marked the first time in the club’s 129-year history that West Ham have lost their opening three home league matches in a season.
Lopetegui’s tactical decisions and team selections have baffled supporters, with his substitutions during the Chelsea match met with jeers from the crowd. As the team was booed off the pitch, thousands of disillusioned fans left the London Stadium well before the final whistle.
Julen Lopetegui’s reign at West Ham has started on shaky ground, and there are several reasons why he finds himself under such immediate pressure.
For one, Lopetegui has not been afforded much of a honeymoon period, particularly in the eyes of the media. The club’s parting with David Moyes was met with widespread criticism, and all eyes have been on West Ham to see if the managerial change would bring about a new dawn.
Further complicating matters is the club’s strong summer recruitment drive. On paper, West Ham’s signings should have given the team a competitive edge.
Yet, the reality on the pitch has been far from encouraging, and many are now questioning whether Lopetegui was the right man for the job in the first place.
Crucially, Lopetegui was not the club’s first choice during the managerial search over the summer. West Ham had initially pursued Sporting CP’s young and highly-rated manager, Ruben Amorim.
The prospect of Amorim’s appointment had ignited excitement among the Hammers faithful, but after talks failed and Amorim opted to stay in Lisbon, the club eventually turned to Lopetegui following a failed approach from AC Milan.
In fact, some West Ham fans had reservations from the outset about Lopetegui’s appointment. A small group even went as far as to imitate Milan’s ultras, launching an online petition against his hiring. But it turns out they were not the only ones who harboured doubts.
According to Hammers News, Tim Steidten, the club’s technical director, had expressed his reservations about bringing Lopetegui on board.
In an exclusive interview with the outlet, journalist Graeme Bailey revealed that Steidten refused to put his name to the Lopetegui appointment, even though he was involved in finalising the deal.
The German had hoped to bring in a different style of manager—someone who, in his view, would be better suited to the squad and the direction West Ham needed to head in.
“I understand that Tim Steidten helped finalise the deal for Lopetegui but it was NOT his call to bring him in, far from it,” Bailey told Hammers News.
“Steidten wanted to bring in a manager that he thought would suit the squad going forward, someone different to David Moyes and indeed Lopetegui.
“However, David Sullivan was won over by Lopetegui after they met back in April, and that was the deciding factor. Sullivan was warned by Steidten, and others within the club’s hierarchy, about the issues that could arise from appointing him.”
Despite the early struggles, Sullivan remains confident that Lopetegui can turn things around.
“Unfortunately for West Ham things are not playing out as David Sullivan hoped, but he does believe that Lopetegui can and will come good,” Bailey added.
Hammers News understands from separate sources that the club’s relationship with agent Will Salthouse was also instrumental in bringing Lopetegui to West Ham.
As the club battles to regain form, the Spaniard will need to address the growing concerns from within the boardroom, the fanbase, and the dressing room to prove that he can steer the club in the right direction.
The next few matches will be crucial for Lopetegui’s future, as West Ham’s owners will be closely monitoring his ability to inspire a turnaround in fortunes.