‘Our life’ - West Ham issue official battle cry before Newcastle United clash
Julen Lopetegui has insisted he is ignoring the noise regarding his West Ham United future.
The Hammers parted company with David Moyes over the summer and appointed the former Real Madrid and Spain manager. West Ham backed Lopetegui with £120million worth of talent in the transfer market but they sit 14th - and three points above the drop zone - after 11 games.
Newcastle United have lost just one of their last 11 meeting against West Ham - and have a chance to put further pressure on the London outfit tonight. Eddie Howe’s men host the Hammers and are gaining momentum following a stuttering start.
Three wins on the bounce across all competitions have reignited Newcastle’s season. Another triumph would lift the Magpies up to sixth - and ramp up the negativity around Lopetegui.
NewcastleWorld: Essential is our weekly newsletter, delivering the city’s best bits to you inbox - sign up here
The Spaniard is the joint-favourite with bookmakers to be the next Premier League manager to face the axe. Speaking ahead of tonight’s "difficult" clash, Lopetegui issued a battle cry to his West Ham players - vowing to fight on while ignoring the outside noise.
“Our life is to live under pressure, that's why we choose this kind of work,” he said. “The more important thing is that we are working very hard to improve. The players are very committed, and we are all not happy with the position we're in.
“But there's still time, and we have to get there step-by-step. We have to do more and achieve the best level for every player. We have to increase the level of all the team, and that's what we're trying to do.
“I don't listen or read about what is said, I prefer to work hard. We put all of our focus on what we can control, and that's working hard and trying to improve. The season ends in May, so let's see how we're doing then rather than in November.
“The only thing I'm focused on now is going to Newcastle on Monday, and trying to get a good result in a tough game. It's going to be a difficult game, in a difficult environment, and we will be playing one of the more complex teams. We have to be ready to be able to compete with them.”