West Ham sporting director Mark Noble has pushed another name to the hierarchy, as chairman David Sullivan and co weigh up potential replacements for under-fire boss Graham Potter.
West Ham players back Graham Potter amid mounting pressure
After a disastrous start to 2025/2026, with West Ham losing four of their five opening Premier League games whilst conceding more goals than any other side in the top flight, time is seriously running out for Potter.
They didn’t fare much better last season, either, and Potter has won just six of his 25 total games in charge since taking over from Julen Lopetegui in January.
The Hammers have arguably regressed under Potter, with the tactician recording a worse win percentage (26.1) than Lopetegui and West Ham’s second lowest in Premier League history — bar Avram Grant.
9. Sam Allardyce
30.7%
10. Julen Lopetegui
30%
11. Gianfranco Zola
27.8%
12 Graham Potter
26.1%
13. Avram Grant
18.9%
via StatMuse
Their poor 2025 form has culminated in a reported stay of execution for the 50-year-old.
According to ExWHUemployee, depending on their result against Everton this weekend, Potter could be sacked after the Arsenal game to give any new manager the best possible chance of a good start at home to Brentford on October 20 — just after the next international break.
West Ham have a host of candidates under consideration to replace Potter, including Nuno Espírito Santo, Slaven Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Scott Parker, Marco Silva and Sean Dyche.
However, despite his uncertain future, multiple reliable media sources, like Sky Sports and The Telegraph, are reporting that Potter has significant backing behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.
Senior West Ham players have apparently told friends that Potter is the right man for the job (The Telegraph), but even with this show of support, it’ll count for very little if results continue on this downward spiral.
Irons shareholders are increasingly concerned by the prospect of relegation (Claret & Hugh), with Daniel Křetínský and other members of the boardroom, like Noble, all involved in the managerial re-hire process.
Mark Noble has pushed West Ham to consider Michael Carrick
The abundance of former players linked with the West Ham hot seat is growing larger, as Noble has now pushed Michael Carrick’s name during internal discussions.
The ex-Hammer and Man United legend is a free agent after leaving his most recent job at Middlesbrough, and was briefly caretaker manager at Old Trafford before Ralf Rangnick stepped in.
Journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to Hammers News, has now claimed that Carrick is being internally discussed at West Ham after Noble’s recommendation.
“West Ham are exploring options from Slaven Bilic and Nuno, but others too,” Bailey explained.
“Plenty of names are being put to the club’s hierarchy and Scott Parker is one of those. He is a player with history at West Ham and they do respect the work he has done in recent years as a manager. He can’t be totally discounted.
“But there are others.
“I understand Mark Noble likes Parker, but has also pushed the cases of the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick.”
Carrick attracted praise from ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand as a “class act”, but does that make him the right choice to take Potter’s mantle?
West Ham must avoid Michael Carrick as managerial target
The 44-year-old took charge of 136 Boro matches before leaving in June, averaging 1.57 points per game and missing out on the Championship play-offs last season by just four points.
Boro also just missed out on a play-off place the season before that, and by the exact same number of points.
Carrick did guide them to the 22/23 play-off semi-finals, only to go out to Coventry City, losing 1-0 on aggregate.
His stint at the Riverside Stadium showed signs of promise, but it was very much a ‘close but no cigar’ era for the club. Since Carrick’s departure, Boro find themselves top of the second tier table and unbeaten, as they look to finally seal a place back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
The jury is out on whether Carrick has done enough to earn the West Ham job, and Nuno comes as a far more appealing alternative, even if there are certain roadblocks that Sullivan and the board need to navigate.