Graham Potter’s reign at West Ham has been anything but smooth sailing.
Since taking over in February, he’s averaged less than a point per game. Performance wise, it’s been slightly better than Julen Lopetegui’s disaster stint, sure, but still nowhere near the stability of the David Moyes era.
Fast forward to the new campaign and things are already spiralling: three defeats from three, 11 goals conceded, only three scored, and an embarrassing EFL Cup exit. The mood at the London Stadium is bleak, and faith in Potter is draining fast.
But in true West Ham fashion, there may be a typically wild, blockbuster solution on the horizon.
Mourinho Tipped for West Ham
Jose Mourinho. (REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)
Jose Mourinho. (REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)
Yes, you read that right — the “Special One” himself, José Mourinho, is being linked with the West Ham hot seat.
Fresh off the back of being sacked by Fenerbahçe after failing to qualify for the Champions League, the iconic manager has already been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Potter. And the timing couldn’t be more intriguing.
It was previously reported that Mourinho would have been open to managing West Ham when he was linked with the job following Lopetegui’s sacking, and he’s made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League.
TalkSPORT’s Alan Brazil has now gone one step further, insisting the move could be very real.
He said: “Jose, right away, his agent will be like, ‘Let me talk to clubs in England, don’t worry about that.’ Jose is Jose, and he’s not scared of any job. West Ham, would he go to West Ham? He’s going to go somewhere, Jose, he loves it.”
The thought of Mourinho patrolling the London Stadium touchline might sound like fantasy, but given the club’s current mess, is it really that far-fetched? Stranger things have happened — and if Potter can’t turn it around quickly, the board might just be tempted to roll the dice on football’s most famous managerial mercenary.