September 26 – Premier League West Ham United have sacked yet another manager. Graham Potter has been replaced by Nuno Espírito Santo after a few weeks on the sidelines after getting bounced out of Nottingham Forest.
Potter arrived in East London last January with a reputation for progressive football, but the reality was far less glamorous. Six wins from 25 matches, 14 defeats, and a team that looks lost both with and without the ball.
This season has started in the same fashion as last season ended, with a series of losses and 13 goals conceded, the worst defensive record in the Premier League. For all the talk of patience and process, Potter’s reign will be remembered by a dressing room and fanbase that never bought into his ideas.
So, Nuno is next for the toxic atmosphere of London Stadium, after signing a three-year deal and begins his tenure on Monday night against Everton. His résumé has highs and lows. At Wolves, he was hailed as a visionary, guiding the club to Europe and bringing in a wave of Portuguese talent. But at Tottenham, his reputation took a hit, where he lasted just 17 games before Daniel Levy hit the ejector button.
More recently, he achieved European qualification with Nottingham Forest, only to be ruthlessly axed by Evangelos Marinakis before the paint had even dried on the penalty spot.
Can Nuno really be the man to steady the ship, or another man in West Ham’s revolving door? His sides are known for defensive discipline and structure, qualities this leaky Hammers backline desperately needs. However, the Hammers faithful want expansive, entertaining football that is the DNA of the club.
For Potter, this latest dismissal will sting. Having led Brighton to the top half of the Premier League, he has twice been found wanting at the sharp end of the Premier League with Chelsea and now West Ham.
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