With just 2 wins in their last 7 games and after back-to-back losses against Arsenal (5-2 on Saturday 30th November) and Leicester (3-1 on Tuesday 3rd December), it seems that the West Ham board have convened a meeting to discuss the future of Julen Lopetegui with the fans having clearly lost faith in him. Having only replaced their manager in the Summer (previously David Moyes), Lopetegui has failed to impress with just 4 wins in 14 Premier League games, leaving the Hammers languishing in 14th place, just 6 points above the relegation zone. While several sites are quietly queuing up the next West Ham manager odds, it’s also worth mentioning that the ‘next Premier League manager to go’ odds have Julen as clear favourite at 1-2 and narrowing.
Speaking to the traders at BetVictor today, a statement was made saying ‘The Spaniard is enduring a tough baptism of fire to life in London and the Hammers are now descending quickly towards the relegation drop zone. He has shortened from 13-8 into 1-2 to be the next PL manager to go whilst The Irons are 8-1 from 12-1 to be playing Championship football in 2025.’ So on that note, let’s review the top 3 potential candidates being touted as the next potential West Ham manager, at the time of writing.
According to BetVictor, in third place is Graham Potter, the former Chelsea manager, who at odds of 8/1, will see a £10 bet pay out £90 if correct. While his win rate was between 30 and 40 percent at both Brighton and Chelsea, his ability to turnaround a failing side with the Seagulls could be a positive here. In second is Edin Terzic, with odds of 5/1, meaning the same £10 wager would pay £60. The former head coach of Borussia Dortmund with a solid 60%+ win rate over several years with the club, left by his own request in June after losing the Champions League Final against Real Madrid, and despite having never managed in the Premier League, could be a great appointment for the struggling Irons. Finally, in first place, is Sergio Conceicao with odds of 4/1, so a £10 bet would return £50. Having recently left a 7-year stint at Porto, with a huge 70%+ win ratio after 379 games in charge, his lack of English managerial experience could be a challenge, just like Terzic, but his stats would more than likely woo a fan base so heavily demoralised by recent performances.
While no decision has clearly been made yet by the board, their next game on the 9th December at home to Wolves, followed by their following one on the 16th December away to Bournemouth, could both prove crunch matches, not just for Lopetegui if he manages to keep his job, but also for the club who could quickly find themselves entering the Christmas period in the relegation zone unless things improve. Stay tuned for updates and more on the next West Ham manager odds as we learn more.
