New Hammers head coach Julen Lopetegui has brought in a strict new rule at West Ham and has impressed the players.
Julen Lopetegui is in no mood to tread water at West Ham.
When he faced the media for the first time as Hammers boss last week, Lopetegui made his fierce ambition clear.
The Spaniard delighted fans by declaring he wants to ‘make a big noise’ with West Ham.
Hammers supporters have been very impressed by what they’ve heard so far from the ex Real Madrid manager.
Lopetegui was far from first choice to take over from David Moyes in the eyes of many West Ham fans.
Much to the exasperation of his compatriot Guillem Balague who pleaded with supporters and the media to wake up to the fact Lopetegui is one of the best managers in Europe.
Hammers majority owner David Sullivan is a huge fan of Lopetegui and was seriously impressed by him during the interview process.
Fans have noted Lopetegui’s clear aura in footage from the club’s first week of training under him.
“He’s a pro” were the words from Sullivan when describing Lopetegui to Hammers News recently.
Lopetegui impressing Hammers chief and players
The Spaniard suffered some negative press before his appointment by West Ham as a result of his decision to walk out on Wolves on the eve of last season.
That was because the club continually shifted the goalposts regarding transfer spending and ambition.
Hammers supporters have actually taken comfort in the fact he is a man of principle and substance. They feel West Ham have hired someone who is not going to be a board ‘yes man’ while also demanding investment in the team.
The proof will be in the pudding as they say.
Lopetegui must find a way to combine the substance West Ham had for the most part under Moyes with the style the Scot self-admittedly failed to implement.
One thing the new boss is already implementing is discipline and hard work.
Lopetegui has brought in a strict new rule at West Ham and has impressed players so far.
Lopetegui brings in strict new rule at West Ham
Footage has showed West Ham’s players being seriously put to the test in the early days of pre-season.
Lopetegui has a clear dominant aura and seems to already have the respect of senior stars.
West Ham insider Sean Whetstone has revealed Lopetegui is already putting his marker down on the way the team will operate on matchdays to promote team spirit, togetherness and be more environmentally friendly.
He and technical director Tim Steidten want the first team to travel by coach to most games in the coming season.
That’s after learning some West Ham players were getting private cars to matches under Moyes.
“Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui want West Ham players to travel mostly by team coach this coming season,” Whetstone said.
“Out will go UK flights and individual travel by players in cars. The new policy will help reduce the teams carbon footprint but also bring the squad closer together travelling to and from games as a group.”
Two senior players have been very impressed by Lopetegui after just one week training under him and his staff.
So much so both Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings have publicly hailed their new manager.
Cresswell says Lopetegui has already made it abundantly clear he’s not here to mess around.
Duo say Lopetegui is making his intentions clear
“It’s been brilliant (since Lopetegui came in),” Cresswell told the club’s website.
“It’s an exciting time for everyone and one we are all looking forward to. Every manager I’ve worked under, which is now five at West Ham, comes with different ideas, their own philosophy and way of doing things, not just on the pitch but off it also. That includes behind the scenes stuff such as the standards, being on time and all the other little things that come with that.
“He (Lopetegui) has certainly put in place how he wants to work already and I’m sure when we will have a bigger meeting when everyone is back and go through it all again.
“I think if you dive into everything the manager wants and give it everything you’ve got, then you’ll do fine. We are all professionals, so you’ve got to attack it with a positive mindset.”
Ings concurred with Cresswell’s assessment, noting how impressed he’s been already with West Ham’s new head coach.
“It’s been great (working under Lopetegui and his coaching staff),” Ings said in his own club interview.
“You can see from day one that they are wanting to implement all of their stuff on the training pitch and it’s not just a case of getting your trainers on and going running. There is a lot of ball work and we’ve started tactical work already, so it has been a really good start and I think everyone is really excited for what lies ahead.
“I’ve really enjoyed the style he has implemented so far, but it is only early days and there is still a lot of time working together to come, but what I’ve seen so far has been fantastic and I think everyone thinks the same. It is a new learning curve for all of us and one we are looking forward to.”
It seems there could be some exciting times ahead for West Ham under Lopetegui as he aims to build on the excellent foundations laid by Moyes.
