West Ham ‘sound out former Champions League final manager’ as Julen Lopetegui ‘has TWO matches to save his job’
JULEN LOPETEGUI is not “listening or reading” about any sack speculation amid reports he has TWO matches to save his West Ham job.
The Hammers are understood to have already sounded out Edin Terzic, who guided Borussia Dortmund to last season’s Champions League final before leaving the Bundesliga giants.
And it’s claimed that should Lopetegui fail to get decent results away to Newcastle on Monday and then at home to Arsenal next Saturday, he will be shown the exit door.
Typically, the West Ham hierarchy do not make mid-season firing but the club are 14th in the Premier League with only three wins from 11 matches.
Terzic, a former Hammers’ assistant under Slaven Bilic, is regarded as a frontrunner should the Spaniard be replaced.
He won the German Cup in his first spell in charge of Dortmund when he was interim chief.
Terzic then returned to take the permanent position but quit in June this year after finishing fifth.
TalkSPORT say West Ham Director of football Tim Steidten is a firm admirer of Terzic and that contact has already been made.
It was put to Lopetegui, 58, that his time could soon be over in East London.
But he responded: “The only thing I’m focused on is to be able to go to Newcastle in a tough match against a very good team.
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“We have to be ready to improve and to overcome the kinds of difficulties that we are going to have as a team.
“The rest of the things, believe me this is football, it’s up to you. I’m not focused on this.
“I’m not listening or reading. I’m focused on working in my daily work to be able to understand what things can happen to be a better team.
“The rest of the things are out of my control.
“We put all our focus on the things that we can control to be able to work better, with a high demanding, knowing that the players need to do better.
“Knowing that the season arrives in May, not November. So, let’s see what happens in two, three months.”
Lopetegui – who is without the suspended Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus – said he “talks every week” with chairman and largest shareholder David Sullivan.
He added: “Our life is to live under pressure. Our work is like this. That is why we choose this world.
“The more important thing is that we are working very hard to be able to improve a lot.
“The players have a big commitment to do this. I’m sure that we are going to achieve our levels.
“It’s true that we are not happy with the position that we are in but it’s true that we have a lot of time to change this.
“We have done good things, but not enough things and we have to do more good things. We have to be able to achieve the best level of all the players.
“We have to increase the level of all the team. I’m sure that all the players are involved in this improvement.”