This season is going the way West Ham United fans hoped it would be in the summer.
Instead of leaving their lacklustre form behind last year and making strides in the Premier League, they look worse than they have in a long time.
Graham Potter oversaw five losses from six games before the club officially decided to part ways with the former Chelsea and Brighton head coach on Saturday morning.
So, it’s good news that the Hammers are being linked with a manager who could not only turn things around, but also get the likes of Jarrod Bowen firing.
West Ham's search to replace Graham Potter
West Ham have been linked with a host of potential Potter replacements in recent weeks, with one of the most consistent being Frank Lampard.
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The Englishman didn’t impress with Chelsea or Everton, but so far, he seems to be doing a good job with Coventry City in the Championship.
On the other hand, Slaven Bilic is currently out of work, but there remains a certain romanticism around the reports linking him with a return to the club.
However, there is another, far more impressive manager being linked with the Hammers, someone who could make Bowen even more unplayable.
At least that is according to a recent report from Claret & Hugh, which claims West Ham are still interested in Nuno Espírito Santo.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Portuguese coach is now the leading candidate to replace Potter.
Nuno would be an exciting appointment for West Ham, and based on his previous work, someone who could help make Bowen even better.
Why Nuno should replace Potter
Before getting into the other reasons Nuno would be an excellent hire for West Ham, why do we think he’d be able to get even more out of Bowen?
Simply put, on top of adding defensive solidity to Nottingham Forest, the Portuguese coach also helped make several of their attackers more dangerous.
For example, in the 22/23 season, when he spent time with Newcastle United and then Forest, Chris Wood scored just four goals in 29 games.
Then, the following season, in which Nuno joined halfway through, the tally increased to 15 goals and one assist in 35 games, which was then improved upon last year with a total of 23 goal involvements in 40 games.
There was also an improvement in Anthony Elanga’s numbers, with him producing 14 goal involvements in 39 games during the 2023/24 season and then 18 in 43 games the following year.
Games
35
39
Goals
15
5
Assists
1
9
Goal Involvements per Game
0.45
0.35
Games
40
43
Goals
20
6
Assists
3
12
Goal Involvements per Game
0.57
0.41
So, just imagine what the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss would be able to do with the West Ham star, who is a better player than both.
Finally, in addition to improving players, the “incredible” manager, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Sam Obaseki, has a proven track record of taking clubs that people predict for relegation into European football.
So there is no reason he couldn’t do that for a third time with the East Londoners.
Ultimately, while some may have their doubts about Nuno, he’s a Premier League-proven manager and one that could help supercharge the Hammers’ best attackers after the club decided to part ways with Potter.