Simon Jordan has taken a swipe at West Ham United and Julen Lopetegui after the Spaniard was linked with the Irons job – dubbing it a “marriage made in heaven”, before slating the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss for spouting “tripe”.
Current West Ham boss David Moyes is walking a tightrope in terms of his current managerial tenure at the London Stadium, despite leading the club to the Europa Conference League title last season and recording three consecutive continental pushes – including sixth and seventh-placed finishes in 2020/21 and 2021/22. Fans have grown with unrest at some of the club’s recent performances, and that has led to managerial shouts from elsewhere including Ruben Amorim, Michael Carrick and Lopetegui.
Having done a superb job at Wolves last season before leaving the club amid financial issues, Lopetegui is still without a club, and links back to the Premier League have surfaced. But if he does get the job, talkSPORT pundit Jordan believes it will be a match made in heaven with the Spaniard possessing a “tripe trap” as the former Crystal Palace chairman came raining down on him.
Jordan: West Ham and Lopetegui “Marriage Made”
Talking on his radio show on Thursday, Jordan wasn’t afraid to vocalise his thoughts on the former Real Madrid boss, stating:
“They deserve one another [West Ham and Lopetegui]. There’s a marriage made in heaven. Lopetegui, give me a break. Have you listened to some of the tripe that comes out of his trap?”
Lopetegui’s spell at Molineux ended on a sour note after the club had fallen into a poor financial situation. And, just days before the campaign started, he left Wolves, which saw them bring in Gary O’Neil – who has done a stellar job at leading them to a mid-table finish amid fears of relegation at the start of the campaign.
Julen Lopetegui: Manager Appointment Latest
The Spaniard still lives in the United Kingdom
According to Sky Sports, Lopetegui still lives in Wolverhampton and he has taken a sabbatical from football, which has seen him travel and down the United Kingdom to take in some culture – alongside watching matches in different stadiums.
However, he has also stated that he wishes to stay in the UK with a return to the Premier League on his mind. He said: “I have to be ready. When you accept a challenge, it’s not just about the players and the way you want to play. I think you have to understand where you are, what’s the culture of the club and the history too.”
And, having described taking Wolves from the bottom of the Premier League to safety as the “greatest achievement in his managerial career”, taking over the Irons throne will be a different challenge altogether with the club all but nailed on for a top-half finish.
He added: “Yes it’s true I said that, because Wolves was a very different challenge in my life as a coach – you remember, we were at the bottom with five points, it was a very bad situation.
That’s why it was hard challenge as a coach – it was a different country, different league, different languages – a lot of things, so it was a big challenge for me, that’s why we’re happy to achieve this aim with three or four matches to go.”
West Ham could very easily qualify for European football once again under Moyes. Sitting just two points behind seventh-placed Newcastle, a win for Manchester City in the FA Cup final or a top-seven finish for Manchester United will mean that seventh place in the Premier League will enable a European run – however, the Irons will have to turn their recent poor form around if they are to do so.
