West Ham United will consider appointing former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil if they sack current head coach Graham Potter, according to reports.
The Hammers have lost three of their opening four Premier League matches this season and currently sit 18th, carrying over their awful form from last season.
Potter is under serious pressure to turn things around and the London club’s hierarchy are reportedly considering a change in the dugout.
Nuno Espirito Santo makes the most sense as a replacement for Potter after he was sacked by Nottingham Forest last week, but knowing West Ham, they’ll go for someone completely unexpected and/or underwhelming.
READ: Will West Ham make sensible Nuno decision or go batsh*t again?
While O’Neil has shown promise as a Premier League manager, he certainly would fall into the underwhelming bracket.
The former Wolves boss is among the favourites for the job should Potter get sacked, with Nuno, Brendan Rodgers and Gareth Southgate above him in the odds.
O’Neil played 56 times for West Ham during his playing career, registering three goals and seven assists, which could help his case if appointed.
As a manager, O’Neil’s first job was with Bournemouth, replacing Scott Parker in November 2022 after an impressive 12-game spell as caretaker.
The Cherries were among the favourites to go down but the 42-year-old steered them to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League.
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That wasn’t enough to keep his job, though, as Bournemouth decided to relieve him of his duties and appoint Andoni Iraola, who has done a spectacular job on the south coast.
Wolves appointed O’Neil days before the 2023/24 campaign kicked off and his only full season at Molineux was a success, guiding the club to a 14th-place finish that didn’t do their campaign justice as they only won one of their last 10 matches.
O’Neil was sacked in December 2023 with Wolves sat 19th in the Premier League with nine points from their opening 16 games.
He’s been out of work since then but could return if West Ham dismiss Potter.
This is according to Independent Sport, where it’s claimed that O’Neil is ‘considered an option’ should the club begin searching for a new manager.
O’Neil is a particularly appealing option, given his success under difficult circumstances at Wolves and Bournemouth, though his performances as a manager have often dipped when adversity is less present.
At the London Stadium right now, adversity is in no short supply, which could make the 42-year-old well-placed to steady the ship in east London.
It’s stated that O’Neil’s work at Molineux and the Vitality Stadium ‘is highly respected in Premier League circles’. The report states:
Gary O’Neil is one of the managers West Ham United are considering should they decide to dispense with Graham Potter.
O’Neil is a favourite for the Hammers due to his work at Bournemouth and Wolves that is highly respected in Premier League circles.
It has been noted how he was able to manage different difficulties at both clubs.
And that is viewed as particularly relevant since the 42-year-old is considered a good fit for the potential systems the current shape of the squad can play.
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