Former West Ham Mick Brown scout has talked about the hiring process that took place of Julen Lopetegui.
The Spaniard has been through a tough time already at the club, with many believing his time in the role is finished after just 11 Premier League games.
The club had its concerns about the appointment, making sure the name of the new manager was a “big name” to replace David Moyes after his second stint at the club ended last season.
According to the Football Insider, Brown said the club overlooked Lopetegui’s previous club problems, as the club had already decided he was the man to take over from David Moyes.
“There were a few concerns about how he’d left his former clubs,” Brown told Football Insider.
His impressive CV was the telling factor, giving the Hammers board the green light to go ahead with the appointment.
“After they sacked Moyes, they were desperate to find a quick fix and an impressive name.
“But they wanted someone who knew the Premier League regardless of the circumstances in which he left his last job here, so they just ignored their concerns,” said Brown.
The club had its doubts about Lopetegui’s previous exits from most recently Wolves, after his spells at Spain and Real Madrid.
“These issues, no doubt, came up during the process of hiring him.
“Rational thinking would tell you that you should avoid someone who might cause you problems.
“But the name seems to be everything for the owners. He was the manager of Real Madrid and he’s a big name, so that played a big part in the decision.
Talking to Football Insider, Brown said the club was regretting their decision to let previous manager David Moyes go after an abysmal start to the 2024/25 Premier League season under Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham fans are a tough bunch to please at the best of times with the faithful building up the pressure on Lopetegui after just 11 games this season, sitting in 14th after a 0-0 stalemate draw against Everton at the London Stadium yesterday.
Written by Henry Lee