Mark Noble once called West Ham next manager candidate ‘fantastic’ and a ‘real character’
Graham Potter’s role as West Ham manager has come under increased scrutiny after their dull 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace at the London Stadium.
Potter’s position at West Ham is under significant threat after a torried start to the season, which sees them lying in 19th place after five games.
The 50-year-old was appointed as West Ham boss in January 2025 and is only averaging 0.92 points per match, the lowest amount he has acquired in his career.
Potter sees his side face two away trips to Everton and Arsenal in their next two fixtures, which will be crucial in determining the outcome of his future in East London.
A potential Potter replacement has been praised by legend Mark Noble
David Sullivan is reportedly looking at alternative managers at West Ham to stem the bleeding from the poor early season form the Hammers are showing.
Sean Dyche and Kieran McKenna have been linked with West Ham, with the former out of work and the latter perhaps tempted by stepping up from Championship side Ipswich Town.
Slaven Bilic has been tipped with a return to West Ham, and is reportedly already shaping up a backroom team for the role at the London Stadium.
After becoming West Ham manager in 2015, former captain Mark Noble was left impressed by Bilic after an interview with the club’s official website following a friendly against Peterborough United.
He said in July 2015: “Slaven is an approachable man and he has made it clear that we can approach him.
“He’s been fantastic up until now but it’s still pre-season so it’s not normally well into the season that you see the real character of the manager.”
- Bilic managed West Ham from July 2015 to November 2017
- He managed 109 matches, winning 42, drawing 30 and losing 37
- The Croatian guided them to a 7th-place finish in 2015/16 with a points tally of 62
Having also played for the Hammers between 1995-97, he has created an image as a known figure around the club and Noble’s previous words will surely be loved by the club’s supporters.
Slaven Bilic would not be an ideal candidate as manager
Bilic had a fantastic first season with West Ham, with many components aiding the feel-good factor that were present at the time.
On top of a seventh-place finish, they also progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, and found a star in Dimitri Payet, who shone the brightest for the Irons during Bilic’s first season.
There was also the added buzz of West Ham’s move to the London Stadium, a buzz that has not managed to stand the test of time.
Should Bilic find himself back in the dugout in East London, he will find it much different compared to his first spell.
He will be left with a crop of players who he has not selected himself, and would not have the bedding-in period that he did in 2015.
Another stat to note is that the 57-year-old has not managed over 70 games for any of the five clubs he has managed since leaving West Ham.
Bilic could provide a short-term boost but he would not offer a lot in the long term.
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