Chasms to the common-sense option – why Nuno replaced Potter at West Ham

You couldn’t help but feel guilty about the hiring of Graham Potter as West Ham’s head coach in January, even if it had been done without any prior prior experience.

Chairman David Sullivan initially favored to offer Potter a one-year, one-year, contract that would run until the end of the season.

West Ham reportedly considered a longer deal with a break clause, which could have been activated last summer, when that was rejected.

There were snives with former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and former Paris St-Germain manager Christophe Galtier even when the move for Potter was in its early stages.

Although it appeared unambiguous, Potter was eventually chosen to replace Julen Lopetegui.

Nine months later, those initial cracks have developed into permanent chasms.

With a forgettable record of six victories out of 25 matches, Potter has been fired.

To put that in perspective, Lopetegui won more victories than his successor despite having only 22 games in charge.

Potter’s possession-based approach promised a return to West Ham’s tradition of passing, forward-thinking football, which is a damning indictment.

Instead, fans grew weary of disappointment.

The final straw came last weekend when Crystal Palace lost at home, a game that took place amid protests from supporters against the board and ownership.

Nuno Espirito Santo and the club were among the contenders for the role in the match, according to BBC Sport after the game.

The man in charge often finds things impossible once that occurs.

It makes sense to choose Nuno.

Although it may annoy fans, West Ham are not that bad going down.

Nuno’s pragmatic approach is indistinguishable from Potter’s and Hammers fans’ ideals for their team.

However, West Ham currently needs to address this.

Nuno has a wealth of experience keeping his teams in the top flight, having done it with Wolves and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

The 51-year-old’s appointment process began before the game against Palace, according to sources close to the situation.

The Hammers were interested in finding out whether he would be willing to start working again soon after losing his job at City Ground primarily on an exploratory basis.

He confessed that he was open to it at first, which was encouraging.

Other people were also present. Former Hammers player and manager Slaven Bilic was also taken into consideration.

Bilic would have been a romantic encounter, and it goes without saying that he would have jumped at the chance to travel to East London.

James Collins, the club’s former defender, and Mark Noble, the club’s sporting director, would have been in line for a coaching position.

It is interesting to speculate that Bilic would have agreed to the position on a contract that would have pre-dated the season, making him attractive to Sullivan, who is believed to have preferred a temporary position.

The mind was made sharper by Palace’s defeat. It was only a matter of when and not ifotter’s reign was effectively over.

Nuno was the topic of discussion at the start of this week. According to sources, Sullivan continued to make appointments until the summer, offering a “huge bonus” should the newcomer keep them in the Premier League, at least at that point.

However, “Why would Nuno consent to that,” a knowledgeable source told BBC Sport.

His stock is high. He elevated Forest from a club that was in danger of delegation to one that is currently playing in Europe this year.

Effectively, West Ham chose him because of his work at the City Ground.

Talks with Nuno have been ongoing since the start of the week, in spite of Bilic’s obvious ease of appointment.

When West Ham’s players gathered at the club’s Essex training facility on Saturday morning, Potter informed them of his imminent departure.

The squad is said to have had a shock factor. Every player had hoped that Potter would have a second chance to save his job after attending Friday’s media conference to discuss Monday’s trip to Everton.

Despite disappointing results, Potter managed to keep the support of some senior players.

There were others who weren’t as enamored with the former Chelsea head coach’s style. At least one player who sought a move away from West Ham during the summer season cited Potter’s continued presence as a contributing factor.

It’s not unusual for a manager to have his team support on a regular basis.

Potter might wonder if the conditions for his success were ever there when he considers his time at West Ham.

He did, to some extent, be. Shortly after Potter’s appointment, the club named Kyle Macaulay as head of recruitment. Macaulay and Potter have a long-standing relationship, and they are almost certain to end it soon.

West Ham is ultimately West Ham, though.

The manager will rarely have the knowledge of transfers he needs in terms of hiring.

Despite his and the club’s board’s recent shift to a more modern executive model, Sullivan frequently leads that side of things. Tim Steidten’s appointment as the club’s first technical director in 2023 appeared to indicate that Sullivan was willing to give up at least some of his authority.

Additionally, numerous sources claim Jack, Sullivan’s son, is a club director, who is becoming more influential in the background and wants to have more influence going forward.

Sullivan appeared to be letting down in his mid-’70s.

However, the internal restructuring’s failure to go according to plan is not unheard of.

When Sullivan took over, “West Ham were in better shape,” according to one source.

Of course, a large portion of the fanbase may disagree with that assertion.

They are at the center of a perceived lack of progress, according to Sullivan and the board.

However, it is important to keep in mind that West Ham finished in the sixth, seventh, and 14th place during the three seasons prior to Steidten’s appointment as manager in 2023.

You can see why West Ham supporters are eager to achieve that level of success despite the current angst.