Julen Lopetegui apologized to West Ham supporters after their 5-0 defeat to Liverpool at the London Stadium.
The Spaniard has come under pressure in recent times after a difficult start to his tenure, although he redeemed some of that with a four-match unbeaten streak.
However, the Hammers' revival came to a shuddering halt against the Premier League leaders, who eased to a comfortable victory.
With West Ham trailing 3-0 at half-time, boos rang through the London Stadium as the players left the field.
Things did not improve for the hosts after the break, with Lopetegui empathizing with the fans' frustration as he vowed to be back.
The Hammers also failed to score a single shot on target in a Premier League match for the first time since May 2021 (against Everton).
Defeat at the London Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Pa8FUL2LgV
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 29, 2024
West Ham have now conceded more goals in the Premier League than any other side in 2024, with 79 goals conceded in a single calendar year since 1967 (85).
They are in 13th place after 19 games and could drop one place further if Manchester United beat Newcastle United on Monday.
“It was definitely a bad day for us,” Lopetegui told Sky Sports. “The fans are always right and we understand them.
“We try to do our best every day, to become a better team. We have to do better at home in these kinds of games.
“We have played very well in the last four games. Today is a bad day and we have to recover.
“Today is a day to say sorry to the fans, and to work hard tomorrow and look ahead.”
“I think we played against one of the best teams today [in the Premier League]' he added on West Ham's official website. 'We are especially disappointed for our fans.
“I think you can lose, but you have to do a lot of things better [than we did today]. These types of teams demand a lot from you, and we did not meet those demands.”
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