Grieving Lopetegui's Hammers mission

Looking at video clips of Julen Lopetegui being brought to tears during his time at Sevilla when his father, Jose, rang a radio station he was appearing on to express his devotion to his son, it is hard not to feel sympathy for the former Real Madrid and Spain coach.

Lopetegui is suffering the heartbreak only someone who has lost a parent truly understands. Even at the age of 94, his dad was a link to his childhood, a constant for all his life, a supporter through good times and bad, and now he is no longer there.

It is the brutal reality that being a football manager is unlikely many other professions. You can take compassionate leave but your team does not stop playing. The pressure for results remains, so the outcome can affect situations, for good and bad.

This is where Lopetegui is now - heartbroken at the loss of one of the people he cares most about, knowing that person has taken immense pride at what he has achieved - but knowing if West Ham lose against Brighton on Saturday, his job security will reduce.

Football, it is claimed, is the most important of things that are not important. For Lopetegui, that is not quite right. For him at the moment, it is probably the least important of all the things that are important.