West Ham must steer clear of uninspiring manager who has won 75/128 games – opinion

West Ham United have endured an egregious start to the season, losing four of their first eight Premier League games, with the latest defeat a 4-1 humbling at the hands of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

News filtering out from the club sources say the Hammers plan to keep faith with Julen Lopetegui, but that hasn’t stopped rumours that he could be dismissed if this abysmal run continues.

Reports from Sky Germany have linked the Hammers with a move for former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic to replace Lopetegui.

The 41-year-old has several factors going his way as a candidate. He knows the club, having enjoyed a stint with the Irons as assistant manager under Slaven Bilic.

Also, Terzic won the DFB-Pokal in his first stint and took BVB to the Champions League final last season against all odds. He has a respectable victory ratio as a manager, winning 75 of his 128 matches (59%). He has lost 29 and drawn 24.

However, looking beyond the gloss of last season’s Champions League run, his second stint at the club was forgettable, and the Hammers must steer clear.

Der BVB were wildly inconsistent and uninspiring under his leadership. In his first season back at the Signal Iduna Park, they failed to win the Bundesliga title on the final day despite heading into the game atop the log.

His team had slithered to the final lap because of Bayern’s inconsistency, and even then, they still couldn’t see it through.

He should have been fired then, and many questioned why he wasn’t. The belief around the club was that his excellent relationship with the hierarchy kept him around.

Terzic’s 2023/24 BVB side has been praised for their Champions League exploits, but their performance in the domestic league was one to forget. In another season, the Bundesliga heavyweights would have missed out on UCL football, but Germany clinching five slots allowed them to sneak in.

Terzic’s team had no clear identity, with laboured patterns of play. He had started as an attacking coach, but his tactics slowly morphed into a more defensive set-up with the backline struggling to carry the weight of their offensive intent. Even in their defensive shell, they were quite vulnerable.

Terzic had a reputation as being an overpampered mule for the unambitious BVB board, and West Ham do not need such around this team.

The Hammers need a manager with a clear identity for this squad to follow. A coach capable of structuring this defence into a unit, not one who prioritises stacking men behind the ball to eliminate space.

While Terzic’s Champions League success might be tempting, West Ham would be wise to consider the potential pitfalls of appointing him.

The club needs a manager with a proven track record of success in the league, a clear tactical philosophy, and the ability to inspire a team to achieve its full potential – Terzic ticks none of those boxes.