Tribal Football

Lopetegui defends West Ham spell

Paul Vegas
Lopetegui defends West Ham spell
Lopetegui defends West Ham spellAction Plus
Julen Lopetegui has defended his spell with West Ham United.

The Spaniard was hired in the summer to replace David Moyes, but lasted barely six months.

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“The first half of last season was really good but in the second, West Ham’s form, the trend, was practically relegation," Lopetegui told The Guardian. "The data showed the worst team physically.

"We were No 2 when we left: high-intensity sprints, distance covered, acceleration. We wanted more possession, beginning a process towards something new while avoiding any danger of relegation. We could have been ninth rather than 13th but were roughly where we should be.

"We had good games in ‘our league’: Bournemouth, Brighton, Wolves, Southampton … the only loss was Leicester, when we had 34 shots. At Man City we created more chances than anyone in nine years. At Newcastle I saw something closer to what we wanted. Against Bournemouth we pressed high, created chances.”