Premier League: West Ham Sack Graham Potter, Appoint Nuno Espirito Santo As Manager

London: West Ham sacked Graham Potter on Saturday after only nine months in charge, with former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo appointed to take over the troubled Premier League club. Potter's exit was widely expected after the Hammers slumped to second bottom of the table ahead of Monday's trip to Everton. Nuno would face his first battle against David Moyes' men. Potter had managed just three points from West Ham's five league matches this season, while they also crashed out of the League Cup against Wolves. The former Chelsea and Brighton manager only took the reins at the London Stadium in January, with last season's disappointing 14th place finish putting pressure on him to hit the ground running this season. Last weekend's home defeat against Crystal Palace proved the final straw. Potter, who lost five of West Ham's six games this season, was relieved of his duties less than 24 hours after holding his usual pre-match press conference on Friday.

'Results Were Not Good Enough'

"Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations," West Ham said in a statement. "The board of directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team's position in the Premier League as soon as possible. In a statement released soon after his dismissal, Potter hinted he felt he deserved more time. "I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham United Football Club, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in East London," he said. However, he acknowledged that the results have just not been good enough.

"Thank you to the board for offering me the opportunity to manage the team during the past eight months. It was an honour and a privilege to manage such a historic club, which holds such strong values for footballing traditions and passion for the game," he added.

Despite Potter's substantial spending on eight new signings in the summer transfer window, West Ham made a woeful start to the season. A 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest last month provided some respite, but West Ham went down by the same score to Tottenham after the international break before the Palace loss heralded the end of his dismal spell in charge, who lasted less than seven months before being axed as Chelsea boss in 2023, admitted the Palace loss was a "tough moment" as he and his team were booed off at the final whistle. The 50-year-old's struggles made him a viral trend on social media, with people using AI technology to swap his face on to other celebrities, including Barbie, Donald Trump and the Chuckle Brothers. "I'd like to thank all the staff at the club who made me feel so welcome, the playing squad and their continued efforts during my time - and lastly the fans, who have been so supportive during what has been a difficult journey at times," Potter said.

Nuno Takes Charge

After taking charge, Nuno said he was“very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United.” He added that his objective is to work hard to get the best out of the team and ensure they remain as competitive as possible.“The work has already started, and I am looking forward to the challenge ahead,” he said.

Nuno was sacked by Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis three weeks ago after the pair fell out over the club's transfer policy. Nuno earned praise for lifting Forest into European competition for the first time in 30 years last season via a seventh-place finish in the Premier League. He also impressed at Wolves, helping establish them in the top-flight before leaving for a turbulent 17-match spell at Tottenham that ended in the sack. Potter won only six of his 25 West Ham matches after replacing Julen Lopetegui, who lasted just 22 matches after taking over from David Moyes, who is now in charge of Everton.

(With inputs from AFP)

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