West Ham’s much-needed yet underwhelming 2-1 victory over Wolves on Monday night didn’t do a lot to alleviate the pressure on Julen Lopetegui’s shoulders.
It was well documented that a defeat to Gary O’Neil’s side would’ve likely been curtains for the Spaniard in east London but, despite winning yet another ‘must-win’ game to save his job, the club are still believed to be considering a change if things don’t continue to improve.
With a difficult trip to in-form Bournemouth on Monday, reports are still swirling about who the Hammers might turn to if a defeat on the south Coast forces David Sullivan into action.
A number of names continue to be linked with Lopetegui’s position. Over the past couple of months, the likes of Edin Terzic, Graham Potter, Kasper Hjulmand and Sebastian Hoeness have all been spoken of as potential managerial targets for the club.
And it was earlier this week that it emerged that David Moyes was indeed open to returning for a third spell should Sullivan decide that the grass just isn’t greener without the Scot.
One name, though, that has some fans excited is former Porto boss Sergio Conceicao, who left the Portuguese giants last summer after seven years in charge. The 50-year-old one 11 trophies during his time there, including three Primeira Ligas and four Portuguese Cups.
The serial winner left the club with a 72.3% win ratio and, under his management, Porto averaged 2.14 goals-per-game and conceded just 0.83 goals-per-game. Of the 379 games he took charge of, he tasted defeat just 52 times.
He would no doubt arrive with serious pedigree and a lot of expectation that he would be able to deliver what Lopetegui has so far failed to do this season.
Many would believe it almost impossible for West Ham to attract a manager with such an impressive managerial record, but the bookies are slightly optimistic that he could be the man to replace Lopetegui if or when the time comes.
That is likely boosted by journalist Rudy Galetti recently claiming that, amid Premier League interest from Everton, Wolves and the Hammers, the Portuguese is slight leaning towards east London as his preferred destination.
But he is by no means the clear favourite in the eyes of the bookies, according to Odds Checker.
It is actually Graham Potter who is the odds-on favourite, with MailOnline’s Sami Mokbel claiming the Hammers were ready to turn to the former Brighton and Chelsea boss this week if Lopetegui failed to beat Wolves.
Graham Potter West Ham odds Despite the Hammers coming away with a victory in that game, it’s believed Potter is still the number one choice in the London Stadium boardroom.
The second favourite is former Denmark boss Hjulmand, while Edin Terzic is favoured ever so slightly in the markets over Conceicao.
Here are the top 10 managers in the Next West Ham Manager Odds market…
Graham Potter – 2/5
Kasper Hjulmand – 7/2
Edin Terzic – 5/1
Sergio Conceicao – 6/1
Michael Carrick – 16/1
Jose Mourinho – 25/1
Massimiliano Allegri – 25/1
Maurizio Sarri – 25/1
Sebastian Hoeness – 25/1
Will Still – 33/1