Sitting down with journalist Sid Lowe of The Guardian, former West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui discussed his time at the Club and his emotions regarding his sacking last month.

Julen Lopetegui was appointed as West Ham’s head coach last summer, but his arrival did not inspire many Hammers fans. This was because they had hoped the Club would try and show some ambition when appointing a new manager rather than opting for the less expensive option of poaching someone out of work.

The Hammers spent big last summer following Lopetegui’s arrival. Former technical director Tim Steidten oversaw a summer spending spree of around £175 million. While many supporters and people outside the Club felt the Hammers had an excellent transfer window, question marks have remained over a number of these signings throughout the campaign.

Steidten was banned from the training ground under Lopetegui’s predecessor, David Moyes. The same happened under Lopetegui, with suggestions of a falling out between the 58-year-old and the German behind the scenes. Interestingly, when asked about Steidten in his interview with The Guardian, the ex Hammers boss said: “I prefer not to talk about the Tim subject. That’s the past, internal issues.”

Lopetegui went on to say: “You ask specifically about that person, I prefer not to answer.” When Lowe makes the suggestion that perhaps Steidten’s recent sacking may indicate a lesson learned by West Ham, Lopetegui responds: “As John Toshack used to say: No comment.”

For many, Lopetegui’s six-month spell at West Ham, which spanned 20 Premier League games, did not produce enough positive performances and there were several heavy defeats. These defeats include five conceded against Liverpool and Arsenal, four against Manchester City and Tottenham, and three against Leicester, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

West Ham’s defensive vulnerability was a major frustration for supporters, especially considering the Hammers conceded 74 goals in the Premier League last season. David Moyes was often criticised for his style of play. Many were hoping to see more attacking and dynamic football after Moyes’ departure. Under Lopetegui, West Ham arguably struggled to establish an identity, leaving supporters largely unimpressed by the football they saw under the Spaniard.

On top of this, there were various reports suggesting that the former Sevilla and Real Madrid manager fell out with Mohammed Kudus and summer signing Jean Clair Todibo during his reign.

Despite all the criticisms of Lopetegui, in his conversation with Sid Lowe, the 58-year-old held his hands up to certain shortcomings but also pointed to statistics and positives that he felt emerged under his leadership. “We were No 2 when we left: high intensity sprints, distance covered, acceleration. We wanted more possession, beginning a process towards something new while avoiding any danger of relegation.”

Discussing what he saw as the positive performances in his time at the Club, Lopetegui said: “We had good games in ‘our league’: Bournemouth, Brighton, Wolves, Southampton… the only loss was Leicester, when we had 34 shots. At Man City we created more chances than anyone in nine years. At Newcastle I saw something closer to what we wanted. Against Bournemouth we pressed high, created chances.”

Lopetegui is right in his assessment of the Bournemouth and Newcastle games, and there were positives in the Manchester City performance. However City were in a very poor run of form at the time, winning just three of their last 15 in all competitions before facing West Ham, and the Hammers were still comfortably beaten 4-1. Many supporters would also disagree with Lopetegui’s view on the Wolves and Southampton games. Despite winning 1-0 away at St Mary’s on Boxing Day, the Hammers performance against Southampton was less than convincing given they were playing a side bottom of the league.

Towards the end of his reign, many Hammers fans had lost faith in Lopetegui, lacking confidence that he could turn things around or oversee a strong end to the season. That being said, even supporters who wanted Lopetegui sacked were appalled with how the Club handled his eventual dismissal. In his last days at the Club, he was essentially left in limbo, still leading three training sessions despite pretty much knowing his fate was sealed.

Practically every media report suggested the Club would sack the Spaniard and appoint Graham Potter as his successor. Many were surprised by how long it took the Club to follow through with the decision. When a decision was eventually made on January 8th, Lopetegui wasn’t even called in for a face to face meeting: “There’s a phone call, Karren Brady and David Sullivan telling me the decision. And that’s it, no more.” said Lopetegui.

Naturally, Lopetegui did not agree with the Club’s decision, believing he still had plenty more to offer West Ham: “Sacking isn’t normal, unless you’re in relegation. In week 18 we had 23 points. There was time to do many things. Many things. You think: ‘Hey, our work’s not done.’ Adding: “We left with pain, and anger, frustration. But Jose Antonio Camacho used to say: ‘You’re not a coach until you’ve been sacked twice.’ That’s football.”

West Ham’s hierarchy could not have handled Lopetegui’s sacking much worse , but the 58-year-old deserves credit for maintaining professionalism in a difficult set of circumstances. Although his dismissal could have been handled much better, the decision was ultimately supported by the fan base. With Graham Potter having been in charge for six weeks, the focus now shifts to ending the campaign strongly, building towards next season, and looking to the future under the former Chelsea & Brighton boss.