Julen Lopetegui’s future: West Ham ready to keep faith in manager for Wolves match

Under pressure Julen Lopetegui is ready to take charge of West Ham for their crucial Premier League match with Wolves on Monday.

West Ham senior figures have debated Lopetegui’s future as Hammers manager after Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Leicester City.

However, multiple sources have confirmed that the club board has decided to allow Lopetegui to remain in place for now.

BBC Sport reported on Wednesday that a decision regarding his immediate future would be made before the weekend.

Club sources admitted that defeat to Leicester and home defeat to Arsenal had eroded the optimism generated by the win at Newcastle on 25 November and many fans wanted change.

However, the Wolves squad has decided to keep faith in the former Real Madrid manager for the trip to Spain, with manager Gary O’Neill under immense pressure after Wednesday’s defeat at Everton.

Some attention has been paid to the fact that Lopetegui’s team played well for long periods at Leicester but failed to take their chances – they had 31 shots – and also conceded goals too easily.

Former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter has been linked with West Ham as a possible replacement.

After Wolves, West Ham will play Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton, before taking on Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester City.