West Ham travel to Everton on Monday, but Graham Potter will not get the chance to use the trip to Goodison Park as a shot at redemption after he and his coaching staff were let go on Saturday.
The managers who West Ham are considering to replace Graham Potter
Nuno Espírito Santo, Slaven Bilic, Scott Parker, Marco Silva, Sean Dyche, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick have all been mentioned as managerial candidates for the potential West Ham job recently.
Potter, who had overseen four defeats from five Premier League games at West Ham this season, conceding more goals than any other top-flight side, has seen time run out. Reports had hinted at a stay of execution for the 50-year-old until the Arsenal match, but David Sullivan and the West Ham board have decided to call time on his reign.
It’s been just over nine months since Potter took over from Julen Lopetegui in the dugout, with the former Chelsea and Brighton boss recording one of West Ham’s worst Premier League win percentages in that time — behind only Avram Grant — who relegated the east Londoners in 2011.
9. Sam Allardyce
30.7%
10. Julen Lopetegui
30%
11. Gianfranco Zola
27.8%
12 Graham Potter
26.1%
13. Avram Grant
18.9%
via StatMuse
According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, while Nuno is demanding a long-term contract with reported big wages, the Portuguese is believed to be in pole position for the job. Other top contenders include Bilic, who is already planning his coaching staff in the event he’s appointed (ExWHUemployee), and now, Gary O’Neil.
The latter is a free agent after leaving Wolves last season and has a connection with West Ham already, having made 56 appearances for them as a player. O’Neil does have his credentials too, despite being sacked by his last club.
His work at Molineux and Bournemouth is “highly respected” in Premier League circles, according to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, given O’Neil worked wonders at times with limited resources and helped to save the Cherries from what looked like a near-certain relegation in 2022/2023.
Gary O'Neil keen to replace Graham Potter as West Ham hold manager talks
Now, as per journalist Pete O’Rourke, O’Neil is believed to be keen on joining West Ham as the club hold talks with managerial candidates behind-the-scenes.
O’Rourke highlights that Nuno remains the favourite, but says O’Neil is actually Sullivan and the board’s second choice behind the ex-Nottingham Forest hero.
“West Ham are speaking to candidates to replace Potter, so the writing is on the wall for him long-term,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.
“Nuno, obviously, I think right now is the favourite for the role having left Nottingham Forest earlier this season, but the finances involved will come into their thinking.
“If that’s too expensive a deal to do, they have got other options, Gary O’Neil is the second choice, the former Wolves and Bournemouth manager is interested in the role at West Ham.”
The 42-year-old may not ‘wow’ supporters as a favoured candidate, though there is reason to believe he could steady the ship, at least on a short-term contract until the end of the season.
Gary O'Neil's credentials for the West Ham job
After taking over from Scott Parker at Bournemouth in 2022, O’Neil won 10 of his 34 league games in charge that season, guiding them to a 15th-placed finish.
Parker was shown his P45 following a 9-0 loss to Liverpool, which still stands as the joint-biggest defeat in Premier League history, but O’Neil managed to go unbeaten over his first six games in charge of Bournemouth thereafter.
As a result of his impressive start, the tactician was awarded a one-and-a-half year contract during the World Cup break, and steered the south coast side comfortably clear of relegation.
O’Neil also impressed in his first season at Wolves, guiding them to an FA Cup quarter-final and 14th-placed finish under very challenging circumstances, with the Old Gold selling a host of key players and bringing in few quality options to replace them.
However, O’Neil seriously struggled to build upon that in his second year and was sacked midway through 24/25 after a defeat to Ipswich.
With a drop to the Championship staring West Ham in the face right now, O’Neil could be an adept solution to steady the ship, but only on an interim basis.
