Manager returns home after two 'meetings' with West Ham chiefs
West Ham are said to have held meetings with the man who could be their next manager.
One of West Ham’s reported prime candidates for their still occupied manager role has returned home after reported interviews with club officials. Graham Potter’s job is looking very unsecure at this stage after a torrid start to the season that has seen West Ham lose five of their first six games across all competitions.
The Iron have been well below par again after a sloppy season of last, half of which Potter was responsible for. Last season, the rhetoric was that Potter had not been given chance to put his own stamp on his squad, but after the summer, that excuse can no longer be validated.
There certainly are questions over the strength of the West Ham squad, but Potter hasn’t been able to get anything close to a consistent tune out of his men, putting aside the one good win at Nottingham Forest.
For now, Potter has managed to keep his job, but going into an away clash with Everton and a home fixture with Arsenal, it looks likely the Englishman’s days at the London Stadium are numbered.
Meanwhile, there are reports that West Ham are interviewing candidates, or at least specifically recently sacked Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo. Claret and Hugh have reported that Santo has had an interview with Karren Brady in Essex and then another with David Sullivan at his home. Santo is also reported to have met with his agent in London during his trip to the capital.
The same report shows a picture of Santo returning to Nottingham train station with his luggage on Thursday night. Whether he is coming back from London or not, speculation will continue to swirl as pressure grows more intensely on Potter.
Santo will be seen as an attractive option for West Ham, given the Portuguese boss took Forest from being a struggling bottom half team to one that qualified for Europe. Santo’s sides have typically been hard to beat in the Premier League, and the most attractive part is that he is available without any compensation money given he is out of work.
Being defensively resolute may be a priority for West Ham after attempting to go in a more expansive direction with Potter and paying the price for it. The Hammers have conceded 13 goals in five games, and it would be wise to look for a manager with a track record of fixing defensive issues.
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