West Ham United manager David Moyes is out of contract at the end of the season and while talks had been slated, the club's dramatic slump in form has halted discussions.
Still eighth-placed in the Premier League, the Hammers aren't doing too badly, but victory in any competition has not been achieved since December and concerns over the Scotsman's reserved style of play have caused certain segments of the support to voice their dissent.
On Monday night, the Irons host Brentford in the league and anything other than victory might be detrimental. A list of successors already appear to have been mapped up by chairman David Sullivan and co.
West Ham's manager shortlist
West Ham offer an enticing project for aspiring gaffers looking to make their mark on the continent, and should Moyes be in his final stage as boss in east London, the Inews newspaper has compiled a list of candidates.
Hopes West Ham can now persuade "creative" 4-2-3-1 manager to replace Moyes
He’s a surprise contender.
ByEmilio Galantini
While former Premier League bosses Julen Lopetegui and Steve Cooper are on the radar and would appeal, the standout is undoubtedly Graham Potter, who has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea last April.
Graham Potter's style of play
Potter rose to prominence for his work with Brighton & Hove Albion, taking the reins following the Seagulls' success in establishing themself as a Premier League contender and stamping in some elite possession-based play.
Described as an "unbelievable" fit for the job by pundit Darren Bent – who did also urge caution against a premature dismissal of the man who gleaned the Europa Conference League last year – Potter would rewrite the script at West Ham, his stylistic set-up diametrically opposed to Moyes' counter-attacking team.
Typically implementing a 3-4-2-1 formation, the 47-year-old makes good use of the pitch's width to control the flow, with fluidity in attacking transition and overlapping wingers crucial for the squad's success.
“I want a tactically flexible, possession-based team,” he once said to The Athletic. “Players who are brave, who aren’t afraid to make mistakes, who can get on the ball and show courage and really try to enjoy their football.”
West Ham are rooted in their ways right now and that would require something of an overhaul, but if Moyes were to go then changing track might be the more prudent move, rather than just seeking to hollowly emulate his style.
Perhaps that would instigate a bedding-in period; possibly it would take some time to work, resulting in a supposed regression, but that is only natural and Potter proved with Brighton that time and resources will enable his project to succeed.
Matches
Stat
Won
2
Drawn
5
Lost
0
PPG
1.57
Moreover, Potter is undefeated across seven contests with Moyes, signifying that his style might be the key to succeeding the one-time Everton and Manchester United boss.
So who would benefit from Potter's prospective appointment? Lucas Paqueta would find his creativity magnified, channelled into something more offensively cohesive, while Mohammed Kudus' pace and potency down the flanks would thrive, unshackled in a sense.
But perhaps the biggest beneficiary would be Jarrod Bowen, whose blend of goalscoring ability and dynamism would elevate an already impressive skill set and success in the Premier League.
Perfect for Jarrod Bowen
Bowen signed for West Ham from Hull City in a £20m plus deal in January 2020 (one month after the start of Moyes' tenure), having caught the eye in the Championship and posted 16 goals and nine assists before transferring to the capital.
Integral for the Hammers throughout the years, the England international has scored 54 goals and supplied 36 assists across 189 fixtures, leading Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to praise him for his "unbelievable" efforts.
Scoring the winning goal as Moyes' men defeated Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League last June, Bowen will likely go down as a modern legend at London Stadium.
Principally a right winger, Bowen has been fielded at centre-forward across multiple outings this season as West Ham struggle against a lack of options up front, and given that he has clinched 14 goals across all competitions – with 11 coming in the Premier League – he might just find his effectiveness in attacking sequences taken to a new level under Potter's stewardship.
Left-footed, he is perfect to slot into that overlapping style that Potter would strive to braid into the club's ideology, while also combative and inventive enough to succeed.
The many-faceted ace is also one of the most hard-working and committed players in the business, ranking among the top 14% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 2% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, to highlight this point.
Such traits will hardly work against him, should Potter arrive this year, and given Bowen's performances over the past several years, there's no reason to believe that he wouldn't flourish, despite having to stylistically transform after spending the entirety of his time at West Ham under Moyes.
Potter's pedigree as a manager has been blotched by his stint at Chelsea, and while he did flatter to deceive, the conditions were tough at Stamford Bridge and it might not have been the most auspicious path to have taken, all things considered.
Nonetheless, West Ham might be the perfect project for him to resume his managerial career with, and while the Irons would require a major tactical reshift, he could make it work, bringing out the best qualities in stars such as Bowen.
