West Ham’s appointment of Julen Lopetegui appears to be a smart move. This is a coach with Premier League experience but someone who is keen to show what he can achieve with greater resources. At West Ham he finds a club that is ready to take a new path.
David Moyes did well in his second spell in charge, leading the team to a European Cup. But there is a desire for a more progressive style of play and Lopetegui’s record, particularly in Spain, suggests he can deliver that.
His short time with Wolves means he is a known quantity, and while this appears to have worked against him in the eyes of some fans, it should not be the case. His success in changing things there demonstrated his motivational skills and adaptability.
Rescue operation at Wolves
Gary O’Neil has rightly won plaudits for leading Wolves to mid-table in a season where relegation was seen as a risk, but when Lopetegui took charge that risk was more than just speculation – it was Reality. Bottom at Christmas and five points for safety reasons.
Lopetegui took over a group of players who hadn’t won away from home all season. He changed that in his very first game as manager and scored eight more wins to turn the season around, eventually finishing ahead of Moyes’ West Ham in the table.
Seven of those victories came without conceding a goal as he strengthened his defense. The magnitude of this achievement is best illustrated by the fact that Lopetegui boasts the highest win percentage of any Wolves manager in Premier League history.
The style of football was considered pragmatic, but Lopetegui pointed out the dire circumstances upon his arrival. “In the middle of the storm,” as he put it. It was not a vanity project aimed at improving his reputation in England; Livelihoods were at stake.
The decision to leave Wolves has obviously affected how his time there is viewed by fans, but Lopetegui sees it differently. He would argue that he didn’t leave because of a lack of trust in the team, but that it was simply a trust issue with the owners.
Playing style at Sevilla
Although he has stated that keeping Wolves up to speed was his biggest challenge, his preferred style of play on the pitch was better reflected in his three years at Sevilla. A Europa League and three top-four finishes in a row show that it worked.
During his last full season with Sevilla, they were second in La Liga at the end of February – nine points ahead of Barcelona and Atlético Madrid – before injuries took their toll. They still finished that season with the best defensive record in the competition.
He became the first coach to lead Sevilla to the Champions League three seasons in a row. He achieved this by making them a much more fluid passing team. The emphasis on possession increased and this change can be seen in the statistics.
He took a team that had just 52 percent possession the season before his arrival and increased that to an average of nearly 60 percent Sevilla in the following three seasons, in which only Real Madrid and Barcelona had more possession.
So the suggestion that his football isn’t different enough from Moyes’ is somewhat surprising. At Porto, for example, he was actually criticized for implementing a possession game that was perceived to be too complicated – too Spanish – for the Portuguese taste.
Ideas influenced by Cruyff
This is a coach steeped in the style of play that saw Spain dominate world football. He led the U19 and U21 teams to European titles, the latter winning with Thiago Alcantara in midfield. It was easy for him to adopt this approach. He had learned that in Barcelona.
A former Real Madrid goalkeeper, he was brought to Barca by Johan Cruyff in 1994. It was a pivotal moment in Lopetegui’s career because it changed his thinking. When he spoke to him in his office last year, he explained the influence Cruyff had on him.
“Johan was different,” Lopetegui said Sky Sports. “He made me think about why I do things as a goalkeeper and what solutions we were trying to find. He got me thinking about the answers in the game. Until that moment I didn’t think, I just played.”
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Julen Lopetegui spoke to Sky Sports in December about his hopes of returning
West Ham are getting a lot more than just a former Wolves manager here. This is a man who went undefeated in his two years as Spain manager, a record he achieved despite having to play away games against England, Italy, Germany, France and Belgium during that time.
He prefers a higher defensive line in a 4-3-3 formation, with the full-backs providing the necessary width and creative players operating in the interior. The prospect of working with Mohammed Kudus, among others, is already exciting.
A coach who is still willing to learn
At 57, Lopetegui still wants to learn.
“The coach’s work never stops,” he said Sky Sports. “Tomorrow you will definitely learn something new about your work. That’s one of the exciting things about this job, because there’s new information to learn every day. That’s what makes it so interesting.”
His English has improved as he remained in the country until January before returning to be closer to his family in Spain. Interestingly, in addition to holding seminars with young coaches, he has even met with the PGMOL to stay abreast of legislative changes in the game.
A return to football is long overdue. Monchi, his sporting director at Sevilla who now works at Aston Villa, is famously amazed that it took so long for a club to move for him. West Ham is the beneficiary. Expect Lopetegui to bring the change fans are craving.
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