Graham Potter is fighting to save his job at West Ham United after the club's board held talks with Nuno Espírito Santo about replacing him, according to sources. The discussions took place before last weekend's defeat to Crystal Palace, exposing the dysfunction that has long characterised David Sullivan's leadership.
While Nuno may be too expensive, former West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is waiting in the wings and being backed by those close to Sullivan. Bilic, who led West Ham to seventh place in 2016, has been out of work since leaving Al-Fateh in August 2024 and is considering his backroom staff for a potential interim role until the end of the season.
Potter has won just six of his 25 games in charge and the team have lost four of their first five league matches this season. He acknowledged the need for time, saying: 'Whenever you do something meaningful and important it takes some time.' But with no clear strategy from the board, his position appears increasingly precarious.
The international break offers a chance for a reset, but talk of appointing an interim manager with 33 games remaining highlights the lack of long-term planning. Protests against Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady are expected to grow if West Ham fail to improve at Everton on Monday and Arsenal the following Saturday.
Ironically, it is David Moyes – the manager West Ham moved on from at the end of last season – who has been the outlier under Sullivan. Moyes understood how to work the chairman, building a resilient side. Potter, by contrast, underestimated the urgency of the task, believing he had time to implement a progressive style.
