West Ham welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the London Stadium in a game that’s very much last chance saloon for Julen Lopetegui.
If West Ham don’t beat Wolves in their crunch Premier League clash, Julen Lopetegui will be sacked.
The Hammers have made it clear to the Spaniard that he must win his next four games to stay in the job.
West Ham fans have been calling for Lopetegui’s head since the 3-1 defeat at Leicester.
The 58-year-old has been given one last chance against the wishes of fans.
Players have been revolting behind the scenes too with five Hammers stars demanding to leave if Lopetegui stays.
Michail Antonio’s terrible car crash has dampened noise around the dressing room unrest for now.
Vocal support from Hammers fans for their stricken striker will mean the atmosphere should be noisy for the must-win game.
West Ham have a special plan for Antonio during the Wolves game.
There can be no more excuses for Lopetegui.
It’s win or bust for him and Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who will also be sacked if his side lose in east London.
There is the very real prospect this could be Lopetegui’s last West Ham team selection.
He must break the habit of his tenure by getting it right.
Lopetegui makes two West Ham changes for last chance Wolves
The manager’s tactics and team selections have been heavily criticised all season.
Get it wrong against Wolves and it will be curtains.
We predict Lopetegui makes two West Ham changes for the last chance Wolves clash but a late third is on the cards.
Antonio’s absence will not change the side for Wolves given the Hammers striker was actually dropped for the defeat at Leicester.
Danny Ings came in for that game but put in a woeful display on his big chance.
As a result Lopetegui faces what could be his biggest single decision yet at the club.
He must choose whether to give Ings another chance from the start, risk starting Niclas Fullkrug or play either Jarrod Bowen or Mohammed Kudus as a striker.
Many Hammers fans have been calling for Kudus to be used up front – or certainly more centrally – all season.
The star boy has played there before and has made it clear he wants to play in the middle, not out of position on the left.
Lopetegui doesn’t seem to fancy Crysencio Summerville for some reason.
What he decides to do up front will dictate whether the Dutchman comes back in too.
Late third Hammers change on cards over striker call
At the back the official line is that Jean-Clair Todibo may miss the game with a stomach/groin issue.
But the world and its wife now knows all about the major bust-up between the Frenchman and Lopetegui which allegedly saw punches thrown.
Todibo is expected to miss the game so Konstantinos Mavropanos will continue in his place.
The first change will see Vladimir Coufal drop out for Emerson Palmieri.
The Brazilian-born Italian left-back was left out of the Leicester defeat.
But he will come back in with Aaron Wan-Bissaka switching back over to the right.
Change two will see Lucas Paqueta come back in from the start having also been dropped at Leicester.
Samba boys in, Coufal and Alvarez out
He will replace the painfully slow and immobile Edson Alvarez.
The manager is agonising over that all-important decision up top, though.
That will dictate whether he makes a third change and word is he’s making a late call – something he’s been known for since taking over at West Ham.
The feeling is Ings will start with Fullkrug not up to full match speed yet after three months out.
But Kudus or Bowen could well play up top with Summerville coming in on the left.
Whatever Lopetegui decides, he knows it must work. Or else the axe will fall.
Predicted West Ham starting XI for Wolves if Lopetegui makes two changes:
Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Soucek, Soler, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen, Ings.
Predicted West Ham starting XI for Wolves if Lopetegui makes three changes:
Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Soucek, Soler, Paqueta, Summerville, Kudus, Bowen.
