Former Hammers shotstopper David James has spoken of his hopes and fears for the new manager ahead of this upcoming season. In an interview for Blowing Bubbles, the former England keeper, says Julen Lopetegui cannot compare managing Wolves to West Ham but has confidence he will do well in east London.
‘I hope Lopetegui is the right man, when you look at different clubs around the Premier League and there is some really exciting football,’ he explained. ‘Wolves weren’t that exciting to watch when Lopetegui was there, but the circumstances dictated that they didn’t have to play that.
‘Wolves are a very different club to West Ham. When you join West Ham, you are not just joining a football club in London, you’re joining an institution almost. He will have to respect that, and I am sure that he will. It will be a challenge and hopefully he is up for the challenge. He’s a new manager, with new ideas, but I’m sure there will be moments where it doesn’t go quite right.’
He added: ‘People will undoubtedly express their views at those points, but that’s part of being at West Ham. If you’re strong enough to deal with that, then the fans will love you and they will be right behind you when you do start achieving. I’m confident Lopetegui will do well, but it will be a challenge.’
As for former Wolves defender and new West Ham singing, Max Kilman, James has urged him to understand what West Ham is all about. He continued: ‘It’s very common for new managers to bring in former players to new clubs, I think West Ham will get a solidity from Kilman. It’s just a case of how long before the expectation starts to weigh on him.
‘West Ham fans have an expectation to be finishing in the Europa League spots, and challenging for the Champions League spots, I just hope Kilman comes in and understands what the club is all about. I’m sure he will have to very quickly. West Ham need to be up there challenging for European places, so having an experienced player like Kilman – who has a pre-existing relationship with the manager – will hopefully get West Ham there.’
David James was speaking with Genting Casino. Discover more at gentingcasino.com
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