West Ham United manager Graham Potter could be sacked by the Hammers very shortly, on one condition, with a potential timeline shared by one media source.
Graham Potter under growing pressure in east London
This time last year, David Moyes' replacement, Julen Lopetegui, was in a very similar situation to Potter as critics and supporters alike called for the Spaniard to be axed following a poor start to 2024/2025.
Now, his successor, Potter, is facing the same pressure. Under the former Chelsea boss, West Ham have recorded their second-worst win percentage since the Premier League's inception, with Avram Grant's relegated side from 2010/2011 coming as the only Hammers team to fare worse.
Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League Win percentage
9. Sam Allardyce 30.7%
10. Julen Lopetegui 30%
11. Gianfranco Zola 27.8%
12, Graham Potter 27.3%
13. Avram Grant 18.9%
via StatMuse
The east Londoners have also leaked goals left, right and centre — conceding more than any other top-flight outfit thus far — with Potter's West Ham also looking extremely vulnerable when it comes to set pieces.
Potter did give himself some breathing room with an impressive 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest, which turned out to be Nuno Espírito Santo's final game in charge, and the Portuguese is now being linked to the West Ham job after leaving the City Ground.
As well as Nuno, ex-West Ham player Frank Lampard has been mentioned as a candidate to replace Potter, with other reports suggesting Ipswich's Kieran McKenna was in attendance at the London Stadium during their 3-0 derby defeat to Spurs.
However, any hope of a blockbuster move for big-name serial winner José Mourinho is being quashed by the special one's imminent move to Benfica, so if West Ham are to sack Potter, they'll need to decide quickly and avoid the other best-possible free agents being snapped up by other clubs.
Taking that into account, West Ham chair David Sullivan is apparently keen to avoid another Lopetegui-style saga, amid a major concern he has behind-the-scenes.
When West Ham could sack Graham Potter and it may be imminent
That is according to Hammers News, who shared an update on Potter's future via one of their sources.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter before the match
West Ham United manager Graham Potter before the match
The informant, as quoted by HN, reveals that West Ham could sack Potter if they lose to Crystal Palace this weekend.
"We know he has Saturday’s game,” the source said.
“I am told Sullivan is very concerned by the fans’ reaction at the moment. It is more toxic than he ever had under David Moyes and Lopetegui. Defeat and that’s it for Potter.
“But I am told it won’t be a rollercoaster like both the previous managers, saving themselves with the odd win.”
The 50-year-old's unceremonious departure would bring his stock down even further after he was sacked by Chelsea, with Potter's stellar days growing Brighton into an established Premier League side far behind the tactician.
It would be hard to envisage Potter getting another immediate big job if he's given a P45 after Saturday, but as we've seen with ex-West Ham hero Moyes, you can always bounce back in the long-term.
“You look at Graham, or Arsene Wenger who went to Asia. [Jose] Mourinho has been in different places. Fergie started with small clubs in Scotland. Patrick Vieira managed over here [at New York City FC] and went to France," Wayne Rooney told The Times in 2022.
“Everyone has a different pathway, but they all did what they did to educate themselves and better themselves. Sometimes as a manager you just take the job that’s there, and work your way from there.”