Julen Lopetegui clinging to his job as West Ham hold emergency board meeting with three manager replacements in frame

JULEN LOPETEGUI is clinging on to his job as West Ham’s board prepare to meet to discuss his future.

The Hammers’ woeful defeat to struggling Leicester on Tuesday night could be the final nail in Loeptegui’s coffin, with a number of the club’s hierarchy keen to make a change.

Edin Terzic, a former coach at the club, Graham Potter and ex-Porto manager Sergio Conceicao are all being considered as replacements.

West Ham’s usually patient board are expected to hold talks on Wednesday to discuss whether or not to make a change.

The club are currently 14th, six points clear of the drop, but have made no clear progress since David Moyes was replaced in the summer and almost £130million was spent on new players.

Frustrated fans turned on Lopetegui at the King Power Stadium, chanting “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at the former Wolves manager.

Potter, who has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April last year, was on punditry duty with Amazon Prime and said he is “open to everything” when it comes to a new role.

The former Brighton boss recently turned down Leicester City but is understood to be open to taking over at the London Stadium if approached.

While Lopetegui must shoulder some of the blame for West Ham’s poor start, captain Jarrod Bowen insists the squad must take responsibility too.

He said: “There’s pressure on the players as well.

“We’re the ones who have to go out there and perform, and we haven’t done that to the level that we know we’re capable of.

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“We need to turn it around as we’re all in it together as a group. It’s down to us to go out there and perform and do better than what we’re doing.”

West Ham replaced Moyes, who won the Europa Conference League during his second spell in charge, with a view to improving the style of play.

But the Hammers remain woeful in defence having conceded 27 goals this season and there has been little sign of a new style being implemented.

The former Spain and Real Madrid manager has remained insistent that he should be judged at the end of the season, but a majority of fans have made their mind up already – as have some figures within the club.

A final call, however, will rest with chairman and largest shareholder, David Sullivan.

Lopetegui was close to the sack before the Hammers’ game at Newcastle last month.

An impressive 2-0 victory bought him more time.

But a shambolic 5-2 defeat to Arsenal and a 3-1 humbling at relegation favourites Leicester has piled the pressure back on.

It marked the seventh time in 16 games in all competitions that West Ham have conceded three or more goals this term.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk