Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says he “doesn’t know what West Ham is” after the club’s difficult start to the season under Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham are 14th in the Premier League with just 11 points from their first 10 games.
Sutton says Lopetegui, who succeeded David Moyes at the end of last season, could be under “great pressure” if results do not improve soon.
“This season West Ham are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, you don’t know what they are and that’s the problem,” Sutton told Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It seems like he’s a little stuck. He’s in the wrong movie.”
After claiming what looked like a victory against Manchester United the previous week, West Ham suffered a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, their fifth defeat of the season.
The club’s only other league wins this season came against Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace.
“It takes time, but you don’t really know what it is and you’ve spent a fortune,” Sutton added.
Moyes, who led West Ham to the Europa Conference League title in 2023, also said Lopetegui should be given more time.
“I’ve had some defeats where we lost a lot at different times, which happens to all managers,” Moyes told the BBC’s football Daily podcast.
“But I just think the coach should be given a chance, a little time to fix things. Sometimes players need to perform too, they need to step up and show what they are.”
West Ham have tough tests against Newcastle and Arsenal this month, while Everton would overtake Lopetegui’s team with a win on Saturday.
“David Moyes had a style of football, whether you agreed with him or not. West Ham wanted a more progressive style of football, but at least you knew what David Moyes’ teams were and they were counter-attacking,” Sutton said.
New York Times football journalist Rory Smith said that West Ham fans would better understand West Ham’s poor results if the club played a more exciting style of football under Lopetegui.
“They may realize they have a worse version of what they had before, with all the parts they didn’t like about Moyes,” Smith added.
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