Former West Ham manager Alan Pardew was “hurting” after the 5-2 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday afternoon, however, he expects the Hammers to stay up this season. 

Speaking on talkSPORT on Sunday, the 63-year-old put the result and the Hammers season into question. He said: “It was hurting to hear that scoreline. And that stadium, I know what they’re like, West Ham fans, that has not gone down well.

“I think this season has been a real catalogue of, ‘What have we got here?’, ‘What sort of team are we?’. And I think that question mark still hangs over him.”

West Ham fans haven’t been impressed with Julen Lopetegui’s short stint in East London so far, there has failed to be a real vision so far this season with changes in players and formation in almost every match so far. The Hammers are arguably one of the most disorganised teams in the league, however, Pardew believes they have enough talent to stay up.

“They’re just outside that six-team portfolio I put together of teams I think are going to get relegated.” Pardew said. “I got West Ham just out of that because I think they’ve got far too much quality in their group. But the manager, for whatever reason, can’t seem to get consistency out of them.”

Julen Lopetegui is the favourite to be the second manager to lose his job this season after Erik ten Hag was let go by Manchester United last month. Starting tonight against Leicester, the Hammers have a run of winnable matches with Wolves, Bournemouth and Brighton all coming up before Christmas, followed by a trip to Southampton on Boxing Day.

If Lopetegui’s side is unable to pick up at least seven points in those five matches, he could be in danger, no wins in the next two could also see the end of the Spaniard as West Ham United boss. The team still have more than enough time to turn their season a round under a new manager, but it remains to be seen who that would be if Lopetegui was to lose his job this month.