Things keep getting worse and worse for West Ham United.
Following sizable fan protests outside the London Stadium on Saturday, Graham Potter led his side out against Crystal Palace, desperate for a win.
Unfortunately, the Englishman oversaw yet another disappointing loss at home, and while the club may indicate a willingness to support him, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is relieved of his duties.
One of the names touted to replace him over the last week has been Slaven Bilic, although another coach, someone appreciated by José Mourinho, is also reportedly in the picture, and would be a far better hire.
West Ham hunt for Potter replacements
Given the way West Ham have started the season, it’s hardly a surprise to see them linked with a host of potential Potter replacements.
Manager Focus
Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.
One such replacement who was heavily linked with the job a couple of weeks ago was Frank Lampard, although despite his decent start to the campaign with Coventry City in the Championship, we can’t imagine many fans would be too pleased with his appointment.
Another name that has come up a lot lately is the aforementioned Bilic, whose last job saw him take charge of Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Fateh between July 2023 and August 2024.
However, there is a far better candidate currently being linked with the club, someone who could make a world of difference this season and beyond.
At least that is according to a recent report from the Telegraph, which claims West Ham are interested in Nuno Espírito Santo.
In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the East Londoners have already sounded out the former Nottingham Forest head coach about the job.
It could prove challenging to convince the Portuguese coach to take the role before the end of the season, but West Ham should do everything possible to persuade him, as he’d be a significant upgrade on Potter and Bilic.
Why Nuno would be an upgrade on Bilic
Now, there is every chance that Bilic would come in and do a good job for West Ham.
After all, while not widely successful, his first stint with the club was far better in terms of results and style of play than Potter is managing at the moment.
However, with that said, we still reckon Nuno would be the far better hire, and there are a couple of reasons why.
Al-Fateh
07/23
08/24
Watford
09/22
03/23
Beijing Guoan
01/21
01/22
West Brom
07/19
12/20
Al-Ittihad
10/18
02/19
Firstly, he has not had much joy in management over the last five years or so, getting fired from his job in the Saudi Pro League for underachieving, being fired by Watford before that and then, before that, he spent an underwhelming year managing Beijing Guoan.
In other words, it has been quite some time since he has succeeded in a job, much less one in a high-quality league.
Nuno, on the other hand, was appointed manager of Forest when they were staring down the barrel of relegation back to the Championship.
Yet, within a season and a half, the “incredible” manager, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Sam Obaseki, had led the Tricky Trees into Europe.
The second reason the São Tomé-born tactician would be a better hire than Bilic is that he’s proven himself with two teams in the Premier League.
He may have struggled with Tottenham Hotspur, but the 51-year-old manager, who Mourinho described as “fantastic,” led Wolverhampton Wanderers up from the second-tier and into the Europa League within a relatively short space of time.
Therefore, while Bilic could work out, Nuno has a more impressive recent track record to fall back on, as well as evidence of him dramatically improving two teams in the Premier League.
