West Ham boss Lopetegui wants fans to judge him after 38 matches – ‘We’ll talk in May’

Head coach Julen Lopetegui wants sceptical West Ham fans to judge him at the end of 2024/25 after a poor start in east London.

Lopetegui replaced David Moyes this summer but has led the Hammers to an underwhelming start to the season.

They have lost their first three home matches for the first time in the club’s history and suffered a 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool on Wednesday.

It is a poor return on a summer spending spree of £120million on nine new signings, but Lopetegui insists he is not feeling the heat.

“The coach’s job is always like this,” said the Spaniard. “But it’s no matter. The more important pressure that I feel is to be ready for the next match.

“We have experience about this and we are thinking how to improve the team, to be able to play better and develop our skills to win matches. This is our work and this is the high pressure I can feel every day as a coach.

“I think the Premier League has 38 matches and we’ll talk in May.”

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West Ham face a trip to Brentford on Saturday before a visit from Ipswich, two matches which they should be looking at to kick-start their campaign.

“It’s always important to get a win, always – above all when you lost the last two matches as we did,” added Lopetegui.

“For us, that’s why it’s always important and the Brentford match is going to be like this – important, three points against a very good team.

“Always one win increases your confidence, increase a lot of good things for you and we work for that.

“We knew that we were going to have a lot of work and a lot of problems. All of this is our work and we have to find a way to improve the team and win matches.”

Meanwhile, League Two newcomers Bromley have signed former Arsenal, West Ham and England defender Carl Jenkinson.

The 32-year-old has returned to England after a spell with Australian side Newcastle Jets.

Jenkinson began his career at nearby Charlton, where he worked with Bromley boss Andy Woodman.

He joined the Gunners in 2011 and stayed for eight years, and has also had spells with West Ham, Birmingham and Nottingham Forest.

Jenkinson’s solitary England cap came in November 2012, as a substitute against Sweden.

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