Moyes’ West Ham fate could be sealed in next four games
Manager under pressure to turn around slump in form Potter linked with taking over nearly year after Chelsea exit
David Moyes is facing a run of games that could determine his future as West Ham United manager before the end of the season.
And former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter is expected to feature high on a list of candidates to replace Moyes.
West Ham have already delayed talks over a new contract for Moyes following a dismal run of seven games without a victory this year.
The Scot’s fate could be decided before the end of the campaign, should West Ham suffer more demoralising results in the next few games. West Ham travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and defeat at the City Ground would pile pressure on Moyes ahead of fixtures against Brentford, Everton and Burnley.
Moyes will be expected to turn around West Ham’s form and results over those games, three of which are against relegation battlers. Failure to do so would almost certainly lead to his departure.
It is unclear whether West Ham would consider sacking Moyes before the end of the season if the current situation does not improve, or just work towards making the change at the end of the campaign.
Deciding Moyes’s fate before the summer would mark an extraordinary turnaround, given that West Ham were considering handing him a new contract following the December victories over Manchester United and Arsenal. But West Ham’s defeats in the reverse games against those teams, conceding nine goals in the process, has dramatically changed the mood in and around the club.
Thousands of supporters flooded out of the London Stadium before half-time during the 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal on Sunday and Moyes will face more calls for his exit if West Ham were to lose to Forest. They are in the last 16 of the Europa League and it may be felt that Moyes deserves to see out that competition and the rest of the season, even if Premier League results and performances remain underwhelming.
Given complaints over his pragmatic style, West Ham fans would most likely back a move to make Potter his successor, despite the 48-year-old’s dismissal by Chelsea last year. Potter has been out of work for nearly 12 months. During spells at Brighton, Swansea and Ostersunds, however, he developed a reputation as a coach whose teams over-perform playing attractive football.
His time at Chelsea, during which he led the team into the quarterfinals of the Champions League, has been given context by the club’s continual struggles since his departure last April. Potter has also been linked to AC Milan by Italian media and has been mentioned as a contender to take over at Ajax. Chelsea beat Milan twice in the Champions League under Potter.
Other out-of-work managers who may appeal to West Ham are Julen Lopetegui, who has also been linked to AC Milan, Steve Cooper and Oliver Glasner. The latter has been strongly linked with Crystal Palace and the south London club are likely to approach Glasner, who is a free agent after leaving Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of last season, if they sack Roy Hodgson.
Should West Ham decide to replace Moyes, then technical director Tim Steidten would lead the process to appoint his successor.