Graham Potter takes West Ham training as board remain undecided over future of Hammers head coach
West Ham boss Graham Potter is under real pressure to keep his job at the London Stadium; West Ham lost to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday and are now winless in eight home top-flight games; ex-Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo favourite to replace Potter
Saturday 27 September 2025 10:49, UK
West Ham head coach Graham Potter took training as usual on Monday with the club's board still to decide whether to replace the Englishman at the London Stadium.
The pressure has been building on Potter after a difficult start to the season. The Hammers sit 19th after just one league win so far this campaign, but Potter is continuing to work as normal at West Ham as he looks to turn around the club's fortunes.
There is an acceptance results have not been good enough at the London Stadium so far this season and that there are underlying issues at the club which will take time and patience to resolve, but Potter is committed to turning things around.
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There is also an understanding that the underlying issues at West Ham cannot be fixed in nine months or just one transfer window.
If West Ham do replace Potter now, the new head coach's first two games would be tough-looking away trips at Everton and Arsenal.
Therefore, one consideration is that a change - if required - should be made during the international break following those games.
West Ham are believed to be considering Nuno Espirito Santo and two other unnamed managers as potential replacements for Potter should he leave the club.
Nuno would be the most expensive option if West Ham do decide to make a change. He has the luxury of being able to wait for other jobs to become available after being let go by Nottingham Forest.
Former Hammers manager Slaven Bilic is also available and willing to return - even if it means signing a short-term contract until the end of the season - but is not believed to be on the three-man shortlist.
Bilic would be an attractive option because of his connection with West Ham fans and his willingness to accept a short-term deal. However, he would be a risk because he has not managed in the Premier League since he was sacked by West Brom almost five years ago
Bilic managed West Ham from June 2015 to November 2017, when he was replaced by David Moyes after West Ham dropped into the relegation zone. Bilic led the side to seventh- and 11th-placed finishes in the Premier League in his two full seasons in charge.
His last job in England was at Watford from September 2022 to March 2023. Bilic spent last season managing Al Fateh in the Saudi Pro League.
'The stats make grim reading for Potter'
Analysis by Sky Sports' Pete Smith:
Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui in January, but West Ham have gone backwards since then.
The former Brighton and Chelsea boss struggled to deliver consistent performances in the second half of last season as West Ham limped to a 14th-placed finish - the spot Lopetegui had left them in. They are now 19th and any hope of a boost from a pre-season with Potter and a squad overhaul this summer has already vanished.
The stats make grim reading for Potter. There have been just six wins in his 23 Premier League games - and only three in the last 16. In fact, Potter now has a worse win percentage than Lopetegui - and only marginally better than Avram Grant's record low for a West Ham boss in the Premier League.
A winless run stretching to eight games at the London Stadium has increased the ire among the match-going Hammers fans, who have not seen their side be victorious in a game at home since late February, while the style of play under Potter has frustrated them, too.
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Potter's West Ham is a team which allows the opposition more passes before intervening than any other side in the top flight - and then ranks third bottom for direct attacks up the pitch when they have it. It is certainly not edge-of-your-seat stuff.
The real action happens when West Ham have to defend crosses or corners and their vulnerability in these situations raises questions about training-ground work done by Potter and his coaching staff to prepare for those moments.
When Potter was asked on Saturday if he is still the right man to lead West Ham, his reply was an adamant "of course". The majority in the stands do not have the same conviction, with Hammers fans joining in with the away supporters chanting 'sacked in the morning' at the under-fire Hammers boss on Saturday.
West Ham's next six fixtures
- Everton (a) Sept 29, Premier League, 8pm - live on Sky Sports
- Arsenal (a) Oct 4, Premier League, 3pm
- Brentford (h) Oct 20, Premier League, 8pm - live on Sky Sports
- Leeds United (a) Oct 24, Premier League, 8pm - live on Sky Sports
- Newcastle United (a) Nov 2, Premier League, 2pm - live on Sky Sports
- Burnley (h) Nov 8, Premier League, 3pm
