Graham Potter future: West Ham shortlist reveals ‘favourite’ to replace beleaguered incumbent

Three names have reportedly been listed as possible replacements for Graham Potter at West Ham United.

The Englishman has endured a miserable time since becoming Hammers' head coach in January, losing 14 of his 25 matches in charge of the London club.

This season’s results have been significantly disappointing, with Potter overseeing four Premier League defeats from five gameweeks.

West Ham have conceded three goals or more in all but one of those losses, and the omens are not favourable for the under-fire Englishman as potential replacements emerge.

Three ex-Premier League managers linked with West Ham job

According to Football Insider, Nuno Espirito Santo, Gary O’Neil and former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic are on the Hammers’ three-man shortlist if Potter is dismissed.

The report, however, states that Nottingham Forest’s former head coach is the London club’s preferred candidate under the right circumstances.

“West Ham are speaking to candidates to replace Potter, so the writing is on the wall for him long-term,” Football Insider’s Pete O'Rourke said on the Inside Track Podcast.

“Nuno, obviously, I think right now is the favourite for the role having left Nottingham Forest earlier this season, but the finances involved will come into their thinking.

“If that’s too expensive a deal to do, they have got other options, Gary O’Neil is the second choice, the former Wolves and Bournemouth manager is interested in the role at West Ham.

“Then you’ve got Slaven Bilic, who is out of work after leaving the Saudi Pro League not too long ago and as a former West Ham player and manager would be very interested in the job.”

If West Ham were to appoint the former Forest boss, they would be getting someone with nearly 200 Premier League matches managed under his belt.

The Portuguese manager has won 72 of his 184 English top-flight matches, drawn 45 and lost 67, resulting in a respectable 39.1% win rate.

With the exception of the Tottenham Hotspur job, Espirito Santo’s knack for getting teams to punch above their weight makes the 51-year-old an attractive candidate.

This was evident in the ex-goalkeeper guiding both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Forest to European football, though the Tricky Trees sacked him before the club’s first Europa League match.