Julen Lopetegui's position in the West Ham United dugout is basically untenable. He's still in a job at the moment but it's hard to envisage a world where the Spaniard turns things around and leads the Londoners toward prosperity.
It's a cruel time of year, and Lopetegui is certainly feeling the harsh winter bite in the English capital. The fact is that the Hammers are blessed with some of the Premier League's finest property, but things aren't going to plan and the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss is teetering on the precipice of unemployment.
West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui
Having been defeated by newly-promoted Leicester City in midweek, Lopetegui seemingly has the forthcoming fixture against Wolves to prove himself worthy of the badge, but even so, there's a sense that the decision not to fire him this week is little more than a stay of execution.
Indeed, as per The Telegraph, talks are already underway for Graham Potter, who might be willing to step in until the end of the season.
Graham Potter's at the top of the list
Potter's been doing the rounds recently, appearing in various pundit-related capacities in a tacit acknowledgement that he is looking to reemerge on the managerial scene.
Graham Potter as Chelsea manager
The 49-year-old was sacked by Chelsea after only six months in April 2023, and though he failed to effectively inculcate his philosophy, Stamford Bridge was in a rut, with deep fissures running beyond issues relating only to the person in the dugout.
He's got an impressive track record, that blemish aside. Potter likes to enforce a dynamic tactical approach, having self-branded his teams as "tactically flexible, attacking (and) possession-based."
Would he be a success at the London Stadium? It's hard to imagine he'd do any worse than Lopetegui currently is. After years of solidity and success under David Moyes, West Ham supporters are understandably disgruntled with the current results, not least because the squad carries a quality that should see them pushing for a place at the highest level of the Premier League.
With talkSPORT reporting that he has a preference for taking over West Ham (struggling Wolves are also interested), this could be a deal that's there for the taking, though whether technical director Tim Steidten opts to make the appointment is unclear at this stage.
Graham Potter managerial record
After all, he's not the only candidate, and perhaps not even the best fit.
Why West Ham should appoint Edin Terzic
He's been here before. Edin Terzic left his post with Borussia Dortmund last season, having valiantly led the Yellow Wall to the final stage of the Champions League, though they were defeated by Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic
Having previously served as Slaven Bilic's assistant in east London, Terzic would be returning to West Ham having already forged a connection of sorts.
German outlet BILD even report that the 42-year-old has been offered the job, albeit iterating that he has reservations.
Former Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said earlier this year that Terzic achieved "incredible" things with the club, failing to clinch silverware but coming so close and producing some electric football too.
edin-terzic-borussia-dortmund-bundesliga
Terzic's interpersonal skills and energetic tactical implementation suggest that he could be the perfect man for the job, succeeding Lopetegui and finally giving rise to a maintained purple patch that will return West Ham to European contention.
While he likes to maintain a degree of control in matches, Terzic enforces a slick counter-attacking system that could play into West Ham's existing strengths while reshaping it into something new and exciting.
He could also be the perfect man to solve the Irons' woes at centre-forward, for he actually employed the struggling Niclas Fullkrug at number nine in Germany before the hulking German international signed for the Premier League side in a deal worth £27m this summer.
Fullkrug did manage to chalk his name on the scoresheet for the first time against Leicester, providing Lopetegui with a consolation goal after West Ham held three and faced the jaws of defeat.
Those jaws still clamped around the visitors, but at least the 31-year-old has now established a platform from which he can jump forward.
It's crucial that the Hammers manage to get their talisman firing, but he might just need a managerial switch to propel him - and his team - into the ascendency, and Terzic could be the perfect manager to do it.
Niclas Fullkrug - Club Record (past five seasons)
Season
2024/25
2023/24
2023/24
2022/23
2021/22
2020/21
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can likely ascertain from the table just above, the heavyset forward has enjoyed his most productive campaign at Dortmund, under the loving wing of Terzic.
His countryman's fast-paced system might seem to run counter to his focal target role, but actually, Fullkrug is capable of holding play and linking up with his more agile teammates - at West Ham, this could reference to Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville.
FFC in-text wider BVB
As per FBref, indeed, he ranked among the top 5% of Bundesliga centre-forwards across the 2023/24 campaign and thus has the capacity to do great things at West Ham.
He's no spring chicken though, and Lopetegui's brand is hardly working well. The club cannot afford to waste the quality of the talent at their disposal. Fullkrug is an exciting player with the potential to become an effective leading man, but Lopetegui needs to go for this to happen.
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
Follow Followed
Follow with Notifications Follow Unfollow
Manager Focus FFC
Manager Focus
Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.
While Potter would certainly feel that he could get the best out of the number nine, Terzic has worked with him before, earmarked him for transfer in fact and brought him to Dortmund. It's the move that needs to be made.
Lopetegui-West-Ham-Bowen Related
Last chance saloon: West Ham want Lopetegui upgrade who's perfect for Bowen
Julen Lopetegui could find himself without a job should West Ham United lose to Wolves on Monday.