West Ham Online

25% win percentage 

Clueless today

Who would have thought Mourinho would be the answer, but here we are. It would end the same way it has ended for him at every other club, but he’d be the only manager prepared to expose the charlatans running the club for what they truly are. He’d also inject a bit of passion, something that on the whole has been missing for years. In all honesty, every other candidate would be rinse and repeat. 

It's that bad, I would take BFS right now.

We can't keep getting spannered by 3 goals or more every fucking game, Potter has lost the plot, that's if he even had a plot in the first fucking place?

This is one of the worst top-flight West Ham squads I've ever seen. We've been relegated with better. So it's a precarious position, as we all know.

Given that we have this group through to at least January - and probably beyond for 99% of the squad, in IMHO there are only a few available managers capable of keeping this lot up. And, let's face it, Sullivan is simply not going to headhunt a manager who is under contract - he has never done that in all of his time in football.

Mourinho is one of the only options and, for me, is the no-brainer choice if we want to remain a Premier League team next season. You could take a riskier punt with a couple of others who might get the structure and approach right - Carrick or Terzic, perhaps.

But Sullivan does not have the bollocks to employ Mourinho, who would see in five minutes how badly run the place is.  I really don't see any of the usual suspects (beyond Mourinho) being capable - including Nuno (who has failed more often than succeeded). Dyche is a decent fella, but he's also an admission that you could well spend next season in the Championship.

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 11:52

goose wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 11:08 I've completely lost interest in the manager situation, it's all so predictable and obvious.
The board will talk about how they back managers, while also leaking that Potter has 3 games to save his job. The process will constantly be on loop as he manages to save his job with a win against the worst teams in the league.

eventually they will sack him but at that point the season is beyond repair. he will be replaced with another shit cսnt who nobody wants.

This is 100% Sullivan's M.O.

goose wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 11:08 I've completely lost interest in the manager situation, it's all so predictable and obvious.
The board will talk about how they back managers, while also leaking that Potter has 3 games to save his job. The process will constantly be on loop as he manages to save his job with a win against the worst teams in the league.

eventually they will sack him but at that point the season is beyond repair. he will be replaced with another shit cսnt who nobody wants.

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 10:49

threesixty wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 09:57 Nuno at Wolves wasn’t a low block counter attacking manager at all. He was all flair and passing like a mini Barca from what I remember. 




 

LOL. Nuno's Wolves were all about the counter attack, with players like Adama Traore bombing down the flanks. They had more fast breaks than any team in the league when he was there. Nothing like Barca in any way, shape or form.

  

We even conceded 3 losing against Wolves in the Cup at the 1st time of asking (same as we did against Villa in the FA Cup) and they're rock bottom of the League losing all their League games so far, scoring just 2 goals having also conceded the most, bar us of course.

How is this hopeless cսnt still here..

I've completely lost interest in the manager situation, it's all so predictable and obvious.
The board will talk about how they back managers, while also leaking that Potter has 3 games to save his job. The process will constantly be on loop as he manages to save his job with a win against the worst teams in the league.

eventually they will sack him but at that point the season is beyond repair. he will be replaced with another shit cսnt who nobody wants.

True Scorch, the bar is very low. To me Irvine and Potts look a better option in centre mid to JWP and Soucek.  Soucek would be a great impact sub or perhaps even try him as a false 9 at least he can compete aerially. Wekl his control and distribution probably majes it a no go but one that would be intersting to see. Got to be better than sacrificimg Paqueta in midfield. 
 

boleyn8420 wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 10:46 This twat of a manager has had 2 transfer windows and starts the new season with 2 more home defeats conceding 8 fucking goals in the process. All he had to do on Saturday was start the 11 that ended the game against Forest. That's all. But no, his usual please sack me fucking line up and low and behold another defeat. Lets not blame the sending off, we started with no striker, AT HOME. 

Another threesixty classic.

threesixty wrote: ↑15 Sep 2025, 09:57 Nuno at Wolves wasn’t a low block counter attacking manager at all. He was all flair and passing like a mini Barca from what I remember. 

 

This twat of a manager has had 2 transfer windows and starts the new season with 2 more home defeats conceding 8 fucking goals in the process. All he had to do on Saturday was start the 11 that ended the game against Forest. That's all. But no, his usual please sack me fucking line up and low and behold another defeat. Lets not blame the sending off, we started with no striker, AT HOME. Sack the useless twat now. Honestly it was such a simple choice to make for the starting line-up on Saturday. cսnt. And I had to have Sunday lunch at a gib family gathering for a 50th birthday and of course lining up were 3 smug Spurs relatives (loosely speaking). Lovely fucking day, to cap a wonderful weekend a 2 hour journey back took 4. 

Yeah its true Jean Luc that I “assumed” they would want the club to have a successful football team as a priority. It clearly isnt as its takes second place to increasing the value of the shareholders wealth or asset.  But thats eseentially what the protests are about. The fans want success on the pitch or at least progression.  I would still ask for theit stratrgy or long term plans. The 10 point thing they issued to dupe us into the stadium move was a fag packet attempt 10 years ago. It was obviously not backed up with a proper plan.  But thats why from a fans perspective they are not “fit for purpose”.  The football regulators legislation or rules to come in start to challenge owners and their duties to the fans. No wonder Brady was standing up in the unelected club called the House of Lords and vehemently against it.  

Hamners Utd and/or FAB need to ask for the long term plan or strategy though just to call Brady and Sullivan out.  A business shoukd have one. Theres might only be financials but that will be good ammo for the protests.

On Nuno, I coukd be wrong but I recall his Wolves teams sat deep in a low nlock and look to counter before expanding their approach around the 70 min mark in his 2 successful 7th or 6th place finishes? It was season 3 or 4 when he tried to move to higher possession style at Wolves that it unravelled ?  At Spurs he was hounded out because his low possession game was in the words of Spurs fans “ a hard watch and not successful enough” but I could be wrong? 

I broadly agree with what you're saying Sir Alf, but I'm not sure about all that business plan stuff. Sullivan and Brady probably think that they're doing a fucking great job on the business side of things. The value of the club has gone up massively since they bought it. They might not have done much to improve things on the pitch or for the fans, but similar to Sullivan's property portfolio, sometimes you can leave a house pretty much as it is, only suffering minor maintenance costs, and the value will go up of its own accord. If/when Sullivan sells up he'll have made a whopping massive profit on his investment and that's pretty much the beginning and end of what matters to him business wise.

Nuno at Wolves wasn’t a low block counter attacking manager at all. He was all flair and passing like a mini Barca from what I remember. I think Nuno is a pragmatist and it just depends on the players he has available. Given what we have he might decide that trying to keep possession with slow midfielders isn’t the best way to stabilise the club and get results. Ultimately, we need stability before flair. And I hate that boring football stuff as much as anyone else but getting tanked 3 nil plus all the time just can’t happen. It’s mad. 

 I had to explain to my Liverpool supporting mate why West Ham fans are so annoyed. I sent him the Deloitte table of top 20 clubs. He couldn’t believe we were the 17th club in world football! We are in the top 6/7 spenders and revenue generators in the PL. None of it makes sense. It’s like the management are deliberately trying to be bad. The “Brewsters Millions “ of football.


 

Good shout Jean-Luc but this is Sullivan and he will get guidance from Salthhouse and his sons. Not too young ( over 50 ) , Premiership experience and out of work. Because we have no strategy or plan or infrastructure to support the strategy, the manager brought in will likely have a different tactical philosophy yet again rendering many of the squad and recent purchases as “not suitable”.  

BROAD TACTICAL APPROACHES
Zola - controlled possession based
BFS - low possession, counter attack and set pieces
Bilic - controlled possession based
Moyes - low possession, counter attack and set pieces
Pellegrini - controlled possession based
MoyesMk2 - low possession,counter attack & set pieces
Lopetegui - controlled possession based
Potter - controlled possession based
Nuno - low possession,counter attack & set pieces

Loppy to Potter was perhaps the only time we employed a manager with a philosophy that was broadly similar?  But that was just chance since Loppy was a Salthouse client and available.

If its Nuno then another rebuild until he fails or fans hate the football style.  No wonder we cannot get achieve success thru planning ( Moyes 2 seasons and cup win were a happy accident ) .  Millions wasted on players as we flip flop between football styles.   In successful businesses you set out a 5 or 10 year plan, defining where you want to get and “how” to get there. This includes getting in experienced staff (DOF, Recruitment/scouting analytics etc) to create multi year plans to implement / execute the strategy. It includes shorter term objectives ( eg top half finish versus Europe ) supporting infrastruture that includes not only the aforementioned staff but also training facilities and developing young players in the academy.  The strategy also features the idea of a “balanced scorecard” considering entertainment value ( football style required), finances incl ticket prices, fans ( stadium/matchday experience),  recruitment strategy (eg buy young, sell % of players for profit to fund future player investment etc), process improvement required.

Im an old git who retired years ago but this is basic business sense and in countless books written on the subject. Sullivan made his money via porn but really via property which was over the last 40 years a pretty surefire way to increase wealth. West Ham has taken his wealth to a new level but he and Brady should be asked for a copy of their strategy, long term business plan. I wonder if one exists?  A fag packet, beer mat or just a financial plan I would guess?  

The problem is Sullivan. A new manager is needed to save us from relegation but forget about beimg successful as s football team under our megalomaniac owner
 

Of the currently unemployed managers, I reckon the best option would be Marco Rose. He has a pretty decent record in Austria and Germany, mostly managing bigger teams like Dortmund and RB Leipzig but also getting mid table teams like Monchengladbach into the Champions League. More than that though, he plays the style of football that would get the fans on their feet for a change, similar to his mentor Jurgen Klopp. In his own words:

"We want to be very active working against the ball when we lose possession, lots of sprinting. We want to win the ball high up the pitch and have a short path to goal. And when we have the ball ourselves, we want to play well; we don't want to punt high balls up the pitch, but be quick and dynamic getting forward."

What about taking a leaf out of Brentford's book and promoting the set piece coach? Just imagine what we could achieve.

Jose Mourinho is the far best option!



Get it done!

If you look at the dole queue, a few will be on gardening leave and getting paid a wedge - like potter was - or thinking fuck it, I'll take a season off - so that probably counts Nuno out . Then theres those who know what they're getting into with west hams owners and also think fuck that - Dyche, Cooper, Southgate, Mourinho.  Parker won't leave Burnley .

The best bet is a lower league or European manager looking to break into the premier league. Keep west ham up, or go down fighting and put themselves in the shop window for next season.

I honestly can't see anyone wanting the job.



 

Can’t imagine any manager in a job thinking leaving to work with Sullivan is a step up 
Only possibles are those in the dole queue bored of daytime tv

Yes, I was thinking about why Sullivan refuses to pay for a manager and hates agent fees. It could all come down to cash flow and the way Sullivan runs the club, on the “never never”.  Transfers are amortized over 5 years its like paying on HP or on a credit card as West Ham have no ready xash its all loans. Any cash goes on interest payments and transfer installments etc etc

A manager bought out of a contract? Does that need to be paid in one upfront lump? Same with agent fees? No spreading the payments although using borrowed money means we are spreading payment I suppose.  But Sullivan has always pretended to be virtuous. Signallimg that he refuses to pay for a manager proudly as if he is some moral crusader. Same with agent fees.  

An ambition set of owners would have a goal defined, a long term plan to be executed over multiple years on how we will achieve it. It will include building the organisation infrastructure, training facilities, stadium etc and a clearly defined scouting and supporting recruitment plan.   Nothing of the sort can exist its just reactive each season and no joined up thinking. An experienced DOF with a proven track record will need to take over and create a strategy. Hence the Hammers Utd and FAB demands make sense. If he wont or cant sell up then step aside.  But his ego and need for his family to have something to do with their lives means they will hang around like a bad smell with a deathgrip on our club.  

I suspect it's more the case of the club not actually having (access to) the readies to pay Potter off and then buy out the contract of a replacement.

Sullivan's astute business management denies him such flexibility as the club only ever holds enough cash to cover it's expected day-to-day expenses.

More than that though, there's been not a sniff in the media of any manager publicly expressing an interest in managing West Ham. Wonder why that is 

gpike wrote: ↑14 Sep 2025, 14:58 I like Scotty Parker but won't happen. It will be Nuno if we are lucky as he is by far the best of the currently unemployed managers that Sullivan wound consider