West Ham’s decision to part ways with Graham Potter just before their match against Everton is now clearer, with a formal announcement on his replacement expected soon.
Potter conducted his usual pre-match press conference ahead of West Ham’s trip to Goodison Park, but it was clear this one felt a bit different.
Potter has often been criticised for coming across as robotic and repetitive in his media appearances, rarely straying from the same lines week after week. This time though, he seemed noticeably more upbeat and animated than usual.
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But that shift didn’t seem to be enough for West Ham’s hierarchy. The club had already started looking at other options before the Everton game. The final straw appeared to be the 2-0 loss to Fulham, which left Potter facing increasing scrutiny.
The timing of Potter’s exit caught many off guard, especially given how close it was to a Premier League fixture. While fan pressure played a part, there were also internal concerns about growing tensions within the squad.
There were suggestions that certain players had grown frustrated under Potter’s leadership. Complaints ranged from tactical decisions and style of play to training methods and player management.
West Ham’s decision to Sack Potter explained
During his final press conference, Potter, who had been mocked online through a growing face swap trend on social media, appeared uneasy and at times struggled to get his points across.
After just six wins in 25 matches over nine months, there’s little evidence he could have turned things around in east London.
The Hammers are now seen by many as genuine relegation candidates, with some even calling them certainties to go down.
The club said that performances since the middle of last season haven’t met expectations and that a change was needed to help improve their position in the Premier League as soon as possible.
David Sullivan, Daniel Kretinsky, Karren Brady and the board said they felt a change was necessary to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.
The club confirmed that all of Potter’s staff will be leaving with him. Head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay is also expected to depart soon.
West Ham have also stated that the process of appointing Potter’s replacement has begun. Not that they needed to make it clear publicly though.
Nuno closing in on West Ham job after Potter exit
That would have given a new manager over a week to get ready for the trip to Goodison Park. But it then emerged that the club might hold off until after the Everton match, or possibly even wait until the international break in October.
The clearest indication that change was coming appeared when journalist Alan Nixon provided an update early in the week. Nixon had been the first to link Nuno with West Ham following their 3-0 loss to Spurs, and his latest report suggested that Espirito Santo was indeed moving closer to stepping into the role.
So why did West Ham decide to make their move just two days before facing Everton? The answer seems tied to Potter’s comments leading up to the match. During his press conference and a Sky Sports interview, he shifted some of the blame towards the board, which didn’t go down well internally.
He hinted that he wasn’t responsible for West Ham’s struggles, a stance that felt unusual for him given how much speculation there had been about his future.
Many fans might actually agree with him. There are still protests against ownership going on this season and they don’t seem likely to stop soon.
The board felt his remarks were too much of a departure from what was needed at this point and made things worse by breaking away from his earlier focus on unity within the club.
That issue now falls onto someone else’s shoulders — specifically Nuno Espirito Santo’s if everything goes as expected and he is named as West Ham’s new manager.