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Sky Sports journalist suggests surprise candidate for West Ham job as Lopetegui pressure gets heavier

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West Ham suffered a demolishing defeat to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in their first Premier League game since the international break.

The Hammers have endured a tough start to the season after an exciting summer transfer window had fans hoping for a return to European football come the end of the 24/25 Premier League season.

So far this season we have managed just two wins from the first eight games and faced a 4-1 thrashing away at Spurs this weekend, which has sparked speculation over the future of Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui.

While sacking the manager this early in the season can feel premature, there is enough time to bring someone in with a clean slate and some fresh ideas which can kick the team on and ignite hope again.

One man who has recently been tipped as a good fit for the Irons is former Lazio and Olympique Marseille boss, Igor Tudor, who was linked to the club as a potential David Moyes replacement.

Sky Sports journalist Dougie Critchley suggested the Croatian manager on X after the game, stating: “I’d love to see Roger Schmidt get a job in the Premier League.

“If you want someone more stylistically similar to Moyes/Lopetegui… I rate Igor Tudor highly”

Is Tudor the right man?

Igor Tudor

Tudor is currently a free agent manager after a short stint in the Serie A with Italian giants Lazio. The 46-year-old resigned from his position at the club after finishing in seventh place and qualifying for the Europa League.

He also has pedigree in other leagues in Euope after finsihing third in Ligue 1 with Marseille, missing out on the top spot to Paris Saint Germain, which is no blemish on a managerial record.

These accomplishments will certainly intrigue Hammers fans, but would his style work with the players in East London?

Tudor is mostly known for his stint at Hellas Verona where he played a 3-4-2-1, utilisng wing-backs, a double pivot midfield, two number tens and a lone striker.

This could translate well to this West Ham squad, a back three of Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos will bring some stability at the back with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson on the wings.

A double pivot of Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez can set up as a defensive duo to allow the likes of Mohammeed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta, and Jarrod Bowen to attack at will and become a fluid front three which will cause any defense issues.

While there are no concrete links to Tudor at the time of writing, seeing the boys play in this style excites me. It may seem doom and gloom now, but there are options for the team. We just have to stay positive.

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