West Ham must consider former Porto manager to replace Lopetegui | OneFootball

West Ham United suffered a hapless 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest over the weekend. The Hammers have been beaten in five of their ten league matches this season, collecting just 11 points after ten games.

The Irons sit in 14th place in the table heading into a must-win game at home against Everton this weekend. However, even if the team manages a meagre win over the Toffees as they did against Manchester United, the front office should be considering a new manager to replace Julen Lopetegui.

There are not many available managers that fit West Ham’s profile and squad right now, but one name that the club must consider keenly is former FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao.

Not only does he stand out as a title-winning manager, but his ability to coach a watertight defence will appeal to the board of a team that shipped 74 league goals last term. The Irons have conceded the third most goals in the league this season.

Conceicao left his position as Porto’s head coach nine days after winning the Portuguese Cup. The 49-year-old spent seven seasons as their head coach, with the final victory over Sporting CP being his 11th trophy.

Across his seven seasons in charge, he won three league titles, four Portuguese Cups, one Portuguese League Cup and three Portuguese Super Cups – only Jorge Jesus (12) has racked up more trophies in Portuguese football. He left with a remarkable record of 2.29 points per game, better than Ruben Amorim’s 2.28.

When he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in the summer of 2017, they had lost the last four league titles to Benfica. He put a stop to that in his first season.

He made the Porto backline fearsome. They conceded just 18 goals all season in his first campaign – the best defensive record in the league. His teams generally do not give up much at the back. The 29 they let in during the 2020/21 season is the most they conceded during his tenure.

Conceicao’s Porto was a mean and rugged side that caused problems even for bigger counterparts in European competitions. They are aggressive and physically dogged in every phase. His unfancied 4-4-2 formation is a grounded system he has refined to a tee.

With West Ham’s defensive frailties persisting and their attacking output lacking, it’s clear that a new manager is required to revitalise the squad.

The former Inter Milan and Lazio manager had interest from Olympique Marseille and Barcelona last summer, and Rennes are courting him now as they look to dismiss Julien Stephan.

The Hammers must act swiftly to secure a manager capable of turning their fortunes around. With the season still young, there’s time for a new manager to implement their philosophy and salvage a decent finish. Conceicao could be the catalyst West Ham need to climb the Premier League table.