Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes West Ham may consider sacking Julen Lopetegui during the international break if the Hammers don’t win this weekend.

Lopetegui’s team take on Ipswich at home and, writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson said that even a draw may not save the Spaniard:

“If West Ham fail to win this game, Julen Lopetegui will come under so much pressure – international breaks are known for club owners panicking and several managers often getting sacked.”

“Failure to beat this newly-promoted Ipswich could also result in the fans turning their back on the manager.”

Lopetegui does not have supporters on side

While it seems somewhat absurd from the outside looking in that a manager could be sacked after just 7 games, especially after spending £120m on new signings, it must be pointed out that fans have not been won over. Many of the decisions he has made so far have not gone down well

If Lopetegui wants time to turn things around, he really needs the supporters’ backing, otherwise, the board may be forced into making a decision.

Why are West Ham struggling?

There are a combination of factors in play. Signing 10+ players in one summer meant it was never going to be easy for the new manager. Getting the squad to gel, whilst also trying to implement a new philosophy is tough.

On top of that, many of the new recruits don’t have a lot of experience playing in the Premier League, and it will take longer for some to adapt than others.

That is why Lopetegui needed to hit the ground running with some good results so he could paper over the cracks while the foundations were put in place. Unfortunately, the fixture list was not kind. Starting with home matches against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea meant there was no room for any early teething problems. All of these issues could cost him his job.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here