Graham Potter is already under scrutiny at West Ham after heading into the summer off the back of a dismal record from his six months in charge but he is not helping himself.
West Ham United won just five of the 19 matches they played since Graham Potter was appointed in January.
That is a worse record than his predecessor Julen Lopetegui and the worst win ratio since the hapless Avram Grant took the Hammers down.
Some feel Potter was lucky to still be in the job to oversee what is the single most important transfer window West Ham have had in years.
There is certainly a case for that argument.
Because if David Sullivan had got his way Potter would have signed a six-month deal which would have been reviewed at the end of the season with a decision made on whether to extend or go their separate ways.
Potter’s actions questioned as West Ham face defining window
Sullivan did that previously with David Moyes before letting him go and bringing in Manuel Pellegrini.
It is highly likely Potter would have been let go in a similar situation given the dismal record.
Hammers fans have already made it clear to Potter how they feel, regularly booing his side off.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
But West Ham supporters have also given the 50-year-old grace having taken over mid-season.
The Hammers faithful accept Potter needs this window to bring his own players in, ship others out and reshape the team in his image.
That will bring its own pressures when next season starts and West Ham will need to hit the ground running as the honeymoon period is over.
There are very real concerns the Hammers could be battling relegation next season.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
The Premier League is expected to be at its most competitive level in years after two successive seasons where the promoted clubs went straight back down.
Paul Merson believes West Ham could be relegated next term.
With money tight, West Ham can’t even necessarily spend their way out of trouble.
The Hammers must sell to buy and attack the market in a different way to perform one of the most crucial rebuilds for decades.
So it is understandable that there are big question marks over Potter’s actions as West Ham face a defining window.
After West Ham’s season-ending win over Ipswich, Potter made a bold West Ham transfer claim.
The manager stated head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay has been ‘very busy’ lining up targets.
Potter also said it is going to be an ‘interesting and exciting’ summer window.
But it is something else he revealed which has been prompting some angry reactions from frustrated supporters as West Ham’s rivals get busy in the transfer market.
Potter said in an ideal world he wants players signed as early as possible.
But in the same breath the manager revealed his post season plans involved going away on holiday with his family.
Now that is perfectly normal for a manager or player after a long, stressful season.
But that isn’t the case for Potter.
The elephant in the room at West Ham right now is the big question – does Potter really need another break having only just returned to football after 20 months – yes TWENTY – out of the game, fully paid.
Potter recently revealed he spent much of his time out of the game refreshing and enjoying family time and holidays following his sacking by Chelsea.
Of course the man is entitled to a break. He is a human being.
But after nearly two years off, Potter’s time at West Ham has seen him and the team have plenty of breaks since he took over in January.
There has been no jeopardy in West Ham’s season under Potter and no real pressure given the club was never realistically in danger of being relegated.
There were two weeks without a game on three occasions since Potter took over.
And he has taken a very different approach to Lopetegui, granting his squad time off.
Along with Man United, West Ham are arguably the club most in need of major surgery this summer.
Yet as the Red Devils and a host of other clubs get business done early, Potter is – by his own admission – on a family holiday.
The Hammers boss did say he would be ‘working but just from a different place’ – so we should not assume he is laid out sunning himself without a care in the world about West Ham.
That won’t be the case of course.
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
West Ham bosses should be working harder than ever
But given how bad the decline has been at West Ham in the last 18 months – with just 15 wins from 57 Premier League matches – it is imperative the club is working night and day to shift players and make quality additions.
Of course it is easier for big clubs with plenty of money to get players in early.
But that’s even more reason why West Ham need to be working harder, longer and smarter than their rivals to try and turn things around.
Look at Liverpool boss Arne Slot.
The man has just won the Premier League in his first season at Anfield.
But it has been revealed by David Ornstein that Slot ditched any holiday plans to fly to the south of France last week for talks with Rayan Cherki – honouring a meeting scheduled before his move for Florian Wirtz chase accelerated.
Updates from Ampika Pickston – the reality TV star fiancee of West Ham majority owner David Sullivan – show the pair are enjoying holidaying on a yacht.
Sullivan is heading up transfers after reprising his role as the club’s de facto director of football.
He has been heavily criticised by fans for taking a holiday with so much work to be done in this most crucial of windows.
So why should Potter be immune from the same criticism?
Fans will have no sympathy if West Ham left behind by rivals
In the modern world of phones and laptops, we’re always connected wherever we are.
But given what is at stake, West Ham fans are perfectly within their rights to hope and expect Potter, Macaulay and Sullivan to be in a war room plotting how they can turn the team and club around.
Of course the window is just a few days old.
It is all well and good pointing to the fact the window is less than a week old. And that it is three months long this summer due to the FIFA Club World Cup.
However, July, and the start of pre-season, will be on us before we know it.
And fans don’t want to be hearing excuses that Potter did not have his new signings together in pre-season when the Premier League gets back underway.
Patience is already thin.
Moyes was renowned for being the hardest working man in the building at West Ham. The first to arrive and last to leave as he strained every sinew to bring success to east London.
Taking a holiday after a 20-month break from football just feels like a very questionable decision from Potter.
There will be little sympathy if West Ham struggle to make this window count.