Evening Standard
·16 July 2024
Julen Lopetegu pleased with West Ham progress after first pre-season game in charge
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Evening Standard
·16 July 2024
New era has dawned for Hammers
West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui was pleased with his team’s progress during his first match in charge.
The Spaniard signed a two-year deal to replace David Moyes in May and oversaw a 2-2 draw with Hungarian champions Ferencvaros in Austria on Monday.
Danny Ings and Nayef Aguerd scored second-half goals in a late comeback for the Hammers, who were able to hand new signings Luis Guilherme, Max Kilman and Wes Foderingham debuts.
Lopetegui was pleased about taking the next step in their preparations for the new campaign as the club bid for an improvement on a difficult final season under Moyes.
West Ham travel to National League side Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday before flying out to the United States for games against Wolves and Crystal Palace.
“It has been a week of hard work,” he said.
“Today was the first test we have had [on the pitch] – it’s hard, and a good thing for us, because we are playing against a team who are starting their Champions League campaign next week, so they have been working for a month.
“It was a very hard test, and this allows us to put one step more, to increase our rhythm, our work and our ideas, knowing of course that we are playing with a lot of Academy players too.
“It’s a good thing for them to have the experience with us, and now we have to continue working.
“We rest for one day and then we work at our training ground in London before we go to the USA.”
Kilman, whose signing sporting director Tim Steidten hailed as a “serious” statement of intent, was delighted to get up and running.
“I loved it," he said. "Obviously it’s my first game with West Ham, with the boys doing my best, and I enjoyed it.
"We’ve been here in Austria for a week and the manager has been working us really hard. We’re getting into it, getting used to the new way we want to play and it’s new to everyone.
"It’s tough [work], but we’ve really enjoyed it and slowly we’re going to progress."
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