West Ham show off united front as Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten hit all the right notes
Julen Lopetegui has plenty on his to-do list as he begins pre-season with West Ham on Wednesday - and a coffee with David Moyes is one he is hoping to tick off.
The Spaniard wants to pick the brains of his predecessor, which suggests he is looking for evolution and not revolution after being chosen to replace Moyes at the London Stadium.
Lopetegui has expressed a desire to play attacking football, much to the delight of West Ham fans, but he is too pragmatic to be wedded to such an approach.
The 57-year-old has been around the block enough in his career to know that results matter most and building off the good work Moyes has done feels like a wise decision.
(Steven Paston/PA Wire)
“We believe in a style whereby we have the initiative to be the aggressive team with the ball, and that is what we’ll try to do,” said Lopetegui.
“But we have to understand there are a lot of different parts to a match. For me, the style has to help you to win. That’s the first step.
“I like attacking football, but I also like counter-attacking football, and we can’t rule out playing in any way to win a game.”
West Ham were linked with a string of coaches when it became clear Moyes was leaving this summer, and former goalkeeper Lopetegui feels like a safe pair of hands.
He hit all the right notes during his unveiling on Monday, exuding a level of authority and calmness that made it easy to see why Real Madrid and Spain hired him previously.
Hammers fans will have been pleased to hear Lopetegui speak about his desire to promote academy players, while he would have endeared himself to them further by referring to West Ham as “the London club”.
I remember coming to play West Ham [in 2022] and sayynh I’d like to come back here as the team’s coach
Julen Lopetegui
Lopetegui dismissed fears about pressure from supporters, particularly over the style of play, and instead stressed how such a big fanbase must be viewed as a positive.
“I remember coming to play West Ham when I was in charge at Sevilla [in 2022], and suffering in the environment,” he said. “I remember saying then that I’d like to come back here as the team’s coach because I thought it was a very special atmosphere.
“Now that has happened, and I want to take advantage of those strengths and help take the club to the next step.”
Sat alongside Lopetegui for his unveiling was West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten, and the pair’s relationship will be key moving forward.
There was tension between Moyes and Steidten throughout last season, culminating with the technical director being asked to stay away from the first team during the managerial search that ultimately resulted in Lopetegui being hired.
Lopetegui and Steidten, in contrast, put on a united front, cracking jokes and seeming at ease in each other’s company.
“We talk a lot, more than with our families,” said Lopetegui. “Tim and me, we want the same. It’s to help the club win matches.”
Lopetegui is experienced at working in such a setup and that is just as well because Steidten is predicting a “busy summer” for West Ham.
The Hammers want to sign a new centre-back, right-back and forward, with Steidten confirming on Monday they do not need to sell to buy.
The future of Lucas Paqueta is up in the air after the Brazilian was charged with breaching betting regulations, but Lopetegui was quick to throw his support behind the midfielder.
“We are his family in England, we are going to take care of him a lot,” he said. “We are waiting and looking forward to seeing him on the pitch playing with us.
“It is important to say that because we know he and his family are suffering a lot. We are looking forward to him being here with us.”
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