It's been a miserable start to the season for West Ham United.
Graham Potter's side would have been happy with an opening day fixture against one of the newly promoted sides, but instead of being eased into the Premier League campaign with an easy win, they were trounced 3-0.
Things have only gotten worse since, with heavy home defeats to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and a 3-2 loss in the League Cup against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter looks dejected
In all, Potter's position now looks untenable and, as a result, the club have been linked with a host of potential replacements, including one who was in the league last season.
The coaches linked with West Ham
As a result of West Ham's diabolical form this season, the club have been linked with a host of potential Potter replacements in recent weeks.
One coach who'd surely do a much better job than the Englishman is recently fired Nuno Espírito Santo, who might have struggled in North London, but did a brilliant job with Nottingham Forest, leading them back into European football for the first time in several generations.
On the other side of the coin is Frank Lampard, who might be doing a good enough job with Coventry City this season, but was never convincing during his time with Chelsea or Everton in the Premier League, getting sacked from both clubs.
Frank Lampard manager record
However, there is now a third manager in the mix, someone who would still be an upgrade on Potter, and an exciting one at that: Kieran McKenna.
Yes, according to a recent report from Hammer News, the Ipswich Town boss is now in the mix to replace the Irons manager.
kieran-mckenna-ipswich-town
In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that a source has told them that the Northern Irishman would take the job if offered.
It might be seen as a risk by some, but McKenna performed well last season, and there is every chance he will end up being an upgrade on Potter.
Why McKenna would be an upgrade on Potter
Well, first and foremost, McKenna has a better record at his current side than Potter, and it is not even close.
kieran mckenna
For example, despite battling relegation all of last season with a squad that still had plenty of League One-level players in it, the "sensational" Ipswich boss, as John Barnes dubbed him, has an impressive record of 83 wins, 48 losses, and 48 draws with the Tractor Boys, which comes out to an average of 1.66 points per game.
In stark contrast, the Irons boss has won just six games since taking the job in January, losing 13 and drawing the other five, which comes out to a paltry average of 0.96 points per game.
McKenna vs Potter (Current Jobs)
Manager
Games
Wins
Draws
Losses
Points per Game
All Stats via Sofascore
In fact, the only team in which he has had a points per game average of more than 1.50 is Ostersunds, as he averaged 1.45 with Swansea City, 1.28 with Brighton & Hove Albion and just 1.42 with Chelsea, who won the Champions League just a year before he was appointed.
Another big tick in the Coa-born coaches' favour is that he has a real proven track record of dragging a team out of the depths and pushing them to success in the English game.
Ipswich Town's Conor Chaplin shakes hands with manager Kieran McKenna after the match
When he took charge of the Suffolk side, they were languishing down in the third tier, and within a few years, he led them on successive promotions back to the Premier League for the first time in over two decades.
Potter might have helped to stabilise Brighton, but the Seagulls have actually enjoyed greater success since he left in September 2022.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter after the match
Ultimately, while there is some element of risk in hiring McKenna, he appears to be a better manager than Potter, both statistically and in terms of project building.