During a tour of Athletic Bilbao’s headquarters earlier this year, I asked a member of the club’s staff why so many managers have emerged from Spain’s Basque region. The answer? ‘They are obsessed with football.’
Julen Lopetegui, who grew up a short drive from the hometowns of fellow Premier League bosses Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola, is clearly no different.
Quiet moments over a cup of coffee are usually enjoyed his office at West Ham’s Rush Green training ground, where the leftovers of his birthday cake are still on the side, given his schedule since moving to London in July. There has been little time to explore the sights and sounds of the capital.
Lopetegui has been tasked with overhauling West Ham’s style of play, so it is perhaps no surprise he has spent so much time on the training pitch.
It is in fact hard to take him off it. As the rain lashed down in Jacksonville, Florida, ahead of an open training session during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, players sheltered in the tunnel while their manager did keepie uppies in the centre circle.
West Ham's new manager Julen Lopetegui is obsessed with football and demands a lot from his players
Lopetegui's staff have admitted it is hard to get him off the training pitch
Likewise, when there were doubts over whether their friendly with Wolves would go ahead due to a torrential downpour, Lopetegui was desperate to play - only forced off the pitch by the ‘code blue’ weather warning that had been put in place.
While the Spaniard felt the US tour proved to be too long, it gave him time to make some important and bold decisions. Kurt Zouma was club captain when the team headed across the pond. By the time they returned, the defender had been deemed surplus to requirements and Jarrod Bowen handed the armband.
Lopetegui may come across as laid back in his media duties, but when it comes to football he is nothing short of intense. There is rarely a second of a game where he stands still. At Selhurst Park he had to be politely pushed back into his technical area by the fourth official after he had strayed halfway down the touchline to shout instructions to goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
The perceived cautious approach, ‘Moyes ball’ as it became known to some supporters, under his predecessor has been ripped up in favour of a pressing and possession-based system. But it has not gone unnoticed that West Ham had more of the ball in their opening day defeat against Aston Villa, but less in victories over Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. He admits there is still some fine tuning to be had.
‘We have improved in many things but we have to improve more, with and without the ball,’ Lopetegui says.
‘The most important thing is we have the commitment of the players. They are working very hard and this is the first step to be able to build this kind of team that we want to imagine and create.’
Lopetegui, who left Wolves three days before the start of last season, has admitted he has a point to prove at West Ham.
Lopetegui, a big fan of rock band Iron Maiden, is trying to get his heavy metal style of play across to his players
Lopetegui has been tasked with developing West Ham's playing style since replacing David Moyes in the dugout
Lopetegui also has very different squad to Moyes following a busy summer transfer window, while Jarrod Bowen has now taken the captain's armband
Not everybody was convinced he was the right appointment in the summer, but the reception he received from supporters after the victory at Palace suggested he is beginning to win people over.
‘It’s key to be able to create a connection between our fans and us, it’s very important. But for that you have to offer them the things they want to see and what they love. When they create an energy, it’s going to help us a lot in the bad moments.
‘But at the same time we have to help them too and offer the best version of ourselves in every match. We need to improve in every match, knowing the difficulties we are going to have, but with this demand from them it will only help.’
Like many coaches in the Premier League, Lopetegui has been itching for the transfer window to shut and has been vocal on the difficulties of managing games while incomings and departures are still possible - previously calling the situation ‘crazy’.
Some may wonder whether the closure of the window will see technical director Tim Steidten retreat more into the background. Steidten has led on transfers and has been at the forefront of West Ham’s summer spending spree. His control of that area was something Lopetegui accepted when he took on the job.
Unlike David Moyes, Lopetegui is understood to have a good relationship with Steidten. It is unlikely Moyes would have allowed Steidten to venture on to the pitch at Selhurst Park to hug and high-five players, as he did last weekend.
It is also probable that he would have taken issue with Steidten’s presence on the training pitch during the club’s pre-season tour. While he was not directly involved in sessions or in any way interfering, spending most of his time with his phone glued to his ear, places like the training pitch and changing rooms are traditionally seen as the manager’s space.
Lopetegui’s official title is ‘head coach’ and he has perhaps had to accept Steidten will be an ever-present figure around Rush Green and the London Stadium. But as Moyes said in one of his last press conferences, everyone has their boundaries. Time will tell whether Lopetegui’s could be crossed.
One area Steidten does not have control over is team selection. Despite having eight new signings to choose from, Lopetegui has been consistent in his belief that they need to earn their spot in the starting XI.
Of the new arrivals, only Max Kilman, who Lopetegui made captain at Wolves, has started all three games, Guido Rodriguez has played both league matches while the likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysensio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo had to wait until the Carabao Cup for their first starts.
Max Kilman is the only new signing to start all three matches for West Ham this season
Lopetegui has taken his time with his use of other new signings, including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who impressed in the Carabao Cup
Lopetegui is not known for his caution, and will likely throw his new signings in soon as he looks to begin a new era of success at West Ham
Kilman and Wan-Bissaka have been the pick of the new boys so far, with Lopetegui acknowledging their adaptation has been helped by their experience in the Premier League.
Wan-Bissaka has particularly impressed Lopetegui with his attacking ability - something he was regularly criticised for during his time at Manchester United.
‘I don’t know what happened in Manchester United, for me, this does not matter.
‘The most important thing is what happens here. I have seen a player with a big commitment, a good player both physically and technically, who is ready to help us. He’s ready to play in different positions. We are happy with his work and he is going to be an important player for us.’
Lopetegui celebrated his 58th birthday by beating Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup but said his favourite present came from Iron Maiden bassist and West Ham fan Steve Harris, who gave him a special poster earlier this week. His love for heavy metal is perhaps an explanation for his animation on the touchline.
The greatest gift Lopetegui could give West Ham fans would be an instant return to Europe. ‘That can only happen in June,’ he says with a smile. By that time, he may even have ventured out of east London.