Premier League: West Ham coach Porter s life hangs on the line

When Graham Porter stood by the sideline of the London Stadium on Saturday and witnessed the team losing 1-2 to Crystal Palace, his coaching career fell to the bottom again. And this time, West Ham fans used deafening slogans to express their complete disappointment with the coach.

"You don't understand football at all!" "You will be fryed tomorrow!" - These harsh shouts echoed throughout the court. This is the first time that home fans have collectively turned against each other since Porter coached West Ham. The fuse was his decision to replace midfielder Mattus Fernandez and replace Songgutu Magasa in the 78th minute, but his dissatisfaction had already accumulated throughout the game. During the half-time break, the team fell behind 0-1, and the players and coaching staff were booed by fans in unison; after the final whistle, more people chose to leave the court early to protest.

Although Porter is expected to lead the team in the Premier League game away against Everton next week, his position at the club is in jeopardy. According to multiple sources, West Ham senior executives are looking for potential successors urgently, and it is only a matter of time before the coach changes.

Why is Porter under great pressure?

's results are bleak and rare in history. Since taking over Lopetegui in January this year, Porter has won only six of his 25 games. In West Ham's Premier League history, only Afram Grant has a lower winning rate.

Vice Chairman Karen Brady strongly advocated signing Porter, who also signed a two-and-a-half-year contract without the terms of the termination. However, this appointment has now proven to be a failure. Despite only five rounds of the season, West Ham is deeply trapped in the relegation zone.

Currently, the team ranks 19th in the league with 1 win, 4 losses and 3 points. The defensive end is full of loopholes: 13 goals were conceded in 5 games, of which 7 were from corner kick offensives - this data ranks first in the Premier League. In the last game against Crystal Palace, Mattha headed the ball in a corner kick melee, and West Ham conceded only 8 corner kicks throughout the season last season.

What is even more worrying is that the team lacks a clear tactical style. Goalkeeper Hermanson, who was introduced from Leicester City for £20 million in the summer, has started consecutively against Sunderland, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, but was abandoned in a key battle against Crystal Palace. Central defender Todibo also gradually lost his position. Freddy Porter, a youth training young player who performed well in the preseason, only played 45 minutes in the league this season. When asked after the game whether he still received support from the board, Porter responded: "I have no reason to think I am not supported, but I understand the current environment and achievements. We are in a difficult situation and need to do better, and we are not doing it at the moment. We have to be united and find solutions." But the reality is that he may not have enough time to find the answer. After Everton, West Ham will challenge Arsenal away and then usher in an international match day - this is an excellent window for changing coaches.

Who could succeed Potter?

Nuno Espirito Santo

The former Nottingham Forest coach has had multiple rounds of contact with the West Ham board of directors. Although he was fired this month by Forest for a conflict with sports director Edu, his coaching ability is widely recognized: he led the team to the highest ranking in 30 years (7th) last season and entered the FA Cup semi-finals. A photo of him eating at a restaurant near West Ham boss David Sullivan's residence circulated on social media, adding to the credibility of the rumor of changing coaches.

Slaven Bilic

, the meritorious coach who coached West Ham from 2015 to 2017, has also contacted the club's senior management. He led the team to 7th in his first season and is still loved by fans. He has been unemployed at home since leaving Saudi club Alfeha in August 2024.

Gary O'Neal

Another former West Ham player, but no direct contact yet. The 42-year-old coach has been unemployed since being fired by Wolves in December, but if he has the chance, he will likely be interested in the parent team coach. The board of directors is also facing a storm in East London, and there is much more pressure from Porter. Before the game began, hundreds of fans protested in Marshgate Lane outside the team bus entrance, shouting "David Sullivan, get out of our club!", "Raise your hands to vote, who hates the board?", "We are no longer West Ham!"

This protest, initiated by the fan organization "Hammer League", lasted for about an hour and aimed at launching a series of joint operations against management. The organization also called on fans to boycott Sky Sports live matches against Brentford on October 20.

"I know there will be a lot of people coming and the results are as expected," said Paul Colborn, chairman of the organization. "This is just the beginning. Many people who are dissatisfied with the board no longer watch the game. It is very inspiring to see so many young people, children and women participating today. The board must step down and the fight will not end. We will not give up." He added: "If West Ham wins three straight games, there may be only 6,000 people to protest, but that 6,000 people make more sense than the 10,000 people today. Our struggle will not stop because of victory. The fans have had enough. The statement issued by the board is arrogant, condescending, and it is infuriating. We have enough, and that is why we asked Sullivan and Brady to resign."

For West Ham, a storm is brewing. Whether Porter stays in office or not, the club is already at the crossroads of change.