West Ham are planning for the ‘surprise’ return of a manager they sacked in 2017 if they part ways with Graham Potter soon, according to Ben Jacobs.
The Hammers have had a poor start to the season. Indeed, they are 18th in the Premier League, with one win and three losses from four games.
Their poor run has extended from the back end of last season, when they finished 14th. Since Potter took charge of the side, no Premier League outfit has a worse record than West Ham.
As such, there is currently speculation that he could be given his marching orders so that the Hammers can recover.
According to insider Jacobs, Slaven Bilic is a contender to make a ‘surprise return’ to West Ham if Potter is sacked.
Owner David Sullivan reportedly favours turning to the familiar former boss. However, he has also discussed out of work pair Nuno Espirito Santo and Sean Dyche.
Bilic managed 109 West Ham matches between 2015 and 2017 – more than any other side in his managerial career.
He was sacked in late 2017 to be replaced by David Moyes. Bilic has only surpassed his 1.43 points per game with the Hammers in two roles since he was pushed out by the club.
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With Championship side West Brom, he achieved 1.52 points per game, before heading to Chinese Super League team Beijing Guoan, where he picked up 1.5 points per game.
He most recently had a less successful spell with Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh – the second Saudi side he has managed in his career.
Given he’s not been an overly successful manager since leaving West Ham, there might not be a great reception for his return.
In any case, the likelihood of Potter being replaced by somebody seems to be growing.
We have speculated on who might be the next manager of West Ham when that happens. Given the Bilic shout seems to left-field after a long time away and little success, he did not even make the list of 10.
Dyche was also not on the list, however we feel Nuno is the standout candidate after his harsh sacking by Nottingham Forest, and the Hammers should certainly take interest in him.
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