Carlton Cole was left stunned during a live talkSPORT discussion after Jason Cundy made a bold prediction about West Ham United’s future. The shock came on the back of West Ham’s disastrous 5-0 defeat to Liverpool, which has added fuel to ongoing speculation about manager Julen Lopetegui’s future at the club.
West Ham find themselves sitting 13th in the Premier League, eight points clear of the relegation zone, ahead of a crucial clash with Manchester City on Saturday, January 4. Despite this relative safety, talkSPORT’s Jason Cundy shocked listeners when he boldly stated on the Drive show [31 December, 4:10pm] that “West Ham could go down” this season.
Carlton Cole, who was co-hosting, was visibly taken aback by the comment, responding with a surprised “What?” as he struggled to process the stark prediction about his former club’s future.
West Ham United in relegation danger?
In a word: No. However, the mere fact that they’re even part of the conversation speaks volumes about how their season has unfolded so far. Despite being relatively safe for now, the club’s form has been far from reassuring, leaving lingering concerns over their long-term stability under Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui was brought in to build on David Moyes’ foundation, with the goal of challenging for a European spot, at the very least. While that ambition is still within reach, the reality is a nine-point gap to sixth place, currently held by Manchester City, leaves West Ham with a significant uphill battle if they are to meet those lofty expectations this season.
The truth is, West Ham are currently a million miles away from the top six, as their problems were brutally exposed in the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool, where no player really covered themselves in glory. The performance highlighted the significant gap between them and the elite teams, and it’s clear that serious changes are needed if they are to revive their European aspirations this season.
Should West Ham lose to Manchester City, as many expect, and Ipswich secure a second successive victory, the gap between the Hammers and the bottom three will shrink to just five points. That would be uncomfortably close to the relegation zone, and it could prompt David Sullivan and the West Ham board to make the difficult decision to part ways with manager Julen Lopetegui.