Nigel Reo-Coker says out of work boss would’ve taken West Ham to next level. Former Hammers captain Nigel Reo-Coker says an out of work boss would’ve taken West Ham to the next level.
West Ham are about to appoint a former Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla manager as their new boss.
But you wouldn’t know it from the media reaction to West Ham’s big decision over David Moyes’ successor.
It is fair to say reaction among Hammers fans to the imminent arrival of Julen Lopetegui has been mixed.
In the wider football press, assessment – on the whole – has been scathing. Much of that has been put down to the fact Moyes has many friends in the media.
So criticism of West Ham’s owners was somewhat inevitable whenever they decided to go in a different direction.
David Sullivan’s mind was finally made up on Moyes after West Ham suffered their latest in a series of heavy defeats in the 5-0 drubbing at Chelsea two weeks ago.
Ironically not one but two former Chelsea managers were said to be on West Ham’s shortlist of candidates to replace Moyes.
Mounting list of Lopetegui doubters
Those being Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Back in February a journalist claimed to have been told the four names on West Ham’s shortlist to replace Moyes. And Potter was said to be chief among them.
Speculation intensified that Potter could be the man West Ham were planning to bring in when he turned down the Ajax job recently. Many believed Potter was waiting for the West Ham job as serious doubts emerged over Moyes’ future.
Lopetegui ‘won Sullivan over’ in interview, though, as exclusively revealed to Hammers News by Graeme Bailey.
Now the Spaniard is set to be named West Ham’s 18th permanent manager in 129 years next week. Very few, beyond Lopetegui’s compatriot Guillem Balague, feel the owners are making the right call.
Now a former Hammers captain has added his name to the list.
Reo-Coker says Potter would’ve taken West Ham to next level
Nigel Reo-Coker says out of work boss Potter would’ve taken West Ham to next level. But he says Lopetegui won’t.
Reo-Coker feels his old club are missing a trick not giving Potter the job and have made the ‘wrong hire’ in Lopetegui.
“I think for me, again, if you want to look at anything else, one of my other clubs, West Ham getting Lopetegui in, I personally don’t feel that’s the right fit for the club,” Reo-Coker said on 5 Live Sport’s Friday Football Social.
“I don’t feel that’s the right hire, especially how they treated David Moyes.
“I felt for me their next step should have been, for me, the old Brighton manager, Graham Potter, I felt should have been the next hire at West Ham United.
“I felt that’s the manager that takes them to the next level. Lopetegui for me is not the right hire there.”
New West Ham boss has it all to prove, Reo-Coker is not alone in raising serious doubts about Lopetegui.
Stan Collymore told West Ham yesterday there are far better options out there and labelled the incoming Hammers boss a ‘disgrace’.
Club legend Julian Dicks has voiced grave concern over the Lopetegui appointment.
Paul Merson has stated the Spaniard could be at West Ham for 25 years and not achieve what Moyes has.
Now Troy Deeney has made a shocking 10-game prediction about Lopetegui.
