West Ham risk further fan anger over next manager decision as cheaper option could be taken

West Ham United have endured a challenging start to the new Premier League season and the belief is that patience is running thin for head coach Graham Potter at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have won just one game in six in all competitions, losing the other five and conceding 16 goals. It has not been good enough for a club of West Ham’s size and fans are demanding change.

That may ultimately end up being in the managerial hot-seat, where Potter is finding himself under increased pressure after a difficult nine months in the job which have yielded just six wins.

Several names have come to the fore as potential candidates to take over from Potter at the Hammers. Largest shareholder David Sullivan knows this could be a crucial appointment for West Ham’s Premier League safety, with a strong fan reaction anticipated as he considers the right man for the job.

West Ham could appoint Slaven Bilic due to ‘financial demands’

According to reports by The Guardian, West Ham are seriously considering bringing former manager Slaven Bilic back to the club to replace Potter, amidst ‘concerns’ over the ‘financial demands’ of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Bilic managed the Hammers from 2015 until 2017 and led the club to a seventh-placed finish in his first season, their highest finish in 14 years, having also represented the club as a player. But his coaching career has hardly hit new heights since then, as Bilic has managed West Bromwich Albion, Watford and clubs in Saudi Arabia and China.

Sullivan is ‘widely expected’ to sack Potter soon but may be patient and give the former Chelsea manager until the next international break. Should Bilic arrive at the club, he is expected to invite former players Mark Noble and James Collins to be a part of his coaching staff.

It is believed that Bilic is a cheaper option, capable of ‘galvanising’ the club until the end of the season. Nuno is believed to be prepared to wait for another job should his financial demands not be met, while former Hammers player Gary O’Neil is also a name in consideration and is reportedly ‘interested’ in the job.

Bilic appointment could cause further West Ham fan backlash

West Ham fans are at odds with Sullivan and the ownership as it stands, with 3,000 fans demonstrating against the board ahead of their most recent match with Crystal Palace. Appointing Bilic because the club were not prepared to pay Nuno’s demands to secure the club’s safety could be the final straw which tips fans over the edge.

The ownership’s reported belief that Bilic could be a ‘galvanising force’ is naive at best, as attention will turn right back to the board with increased anger if results do not improve. The idea that they could be prepared to put the club’s Premier League status at risk to save some money on an appointment could be a step too far for many who have been disillusioned with Sullivan and the ownership for some time.

The appointment of Bilic could pay off and the club survive comfortably and then get someone new in next summer. But Nuno is a far more secure bet to steer the Hammers away from relegation troubles after his recent success with Nottingham Forest. This feels like a mighty risk to take.