credit: Imago and talkSPORT

Max Wilkins

Thu 18 September 2025 17:10, UK

West Ham are eyeing replacement options for Graham Potter.

Potter is coming under increased scrutiny at West Ham after a hugely disappointing start to the season at the London Stadium.

This has seen the English head coach face the full force of supporters’ annoyance, especially after West Ham fell to a 3-0 defeat against Tottenham.

As a result, it is little surprise that the also under pressure West Ham chairman David Sullivan is assessing his options in East London.

With that being said, the initial candidates to replace Potter haven’t gone down well with Simon Jordan, ahead of a potential change in the E20 dugout.

Slaven Bilic could now replace Graham Potter

There is no getting away from the fact that a change could prove to be necessary for the Hammers in the coming days or weeks.

West Ham are awaiting a clash against Crystal Palace, something which could prove to be the final curtain for Potter’s spell with the Irons.

Another poor performance and result is unlikely to go down well, especially as the threat of relegation grows bigger after every defeat.

This has seen Alex Crook report via talkSPORT on 18 September that Bilic has emerged as a contender to replace the Englishman at the London Stadium.

He said: “I think Graham Potter is firmly under pressure moving into this game against Crystal Palace. I think we’re in the territory now where Graham Potter really needs to start picking up results. Potter’s record of six wins in 24 games isn’t good enough to keep any manager in a job.

“The name I’m hearing as a possible successor, in other step back to the future for West Ham and David Sullivan, is Slaven Bilic. I think that would be the type of appointment that West Ham fans would get on board with.”

Despite what the reporter may believe, it is safe to say that Jordan has a completely different viewpoint on this potential appointment.

• Read more: Sean Dyche has also emerged as a managerial target for West Ham

Simon Jordan slams Slaven Bilic links at West Ham

There is likely to be some positivity surrounding the return of the Croatian, largely due to his prior links to the claret and blue outfit.

His last spell coincided with the departure from the Boleyn Ground, with the ex-West Brom boss taking charge of the 3-2 win against Manchester United on the final game at the ground.

Regardless of this, Jordan has been left questioning why supporters would want Bilic back after his previous spell ended after a poor run of form, something which he hasn’t improved upon ever since.

He said: “Why was Bilic fired the first time around? Why would West Ham fans embrace it? I imagine he was fired because there was a change in perspective and the board weren’t comfortable with what he was doing.

“What is it about Bilic? What has he done since leaving West Ham? It’s interesting to see what he’s done. If you look at his performance after West Ham, he’s gone to Saudi Arabia with a 30 per cent win record and a 40 per cent win record with a West Brom side that was expected to get promoted.

“He’s got a 31 per cent win record somewhere else, a 38 per cent record somewhere else and a 36 per cent record somewhere else. These are hardly high-level returns for a manager.”

It is fair to say that this is far from ideal and casts some much-needed light on the issues that this appointment could bring, outside of the nostalgia.

Now, it will be interesting to see what decision Sullivan and Co. make when it comes to Bilic in the race to replace Potter, potentially.

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