West Ham’s Last Five Managers – A Hooligan Take | OneFootball

Five in Ten

Compared to many clubs, West Ham allow managers time to implement their vision and tend to avoid rapid, knee-jerk change. That said, they also have an intolerance for failure and a somewhat myopic vision on recent form, not swayed by historic performance. In the past ten years up until Potter’s appointment, they’ve had five permanent managers (including one who did two tours). Starting with the oldest, here they are.

Slaven Bilić (879 days)

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A former West Ham player with 48 club appearances, Bilić was appointed manager on June 9, 2015. He got off to an explosive start, winning three consecutive away matches against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. They finished 7th in the PL, earned a record 62 points, scored 65 goals (with +14 differential) and only suffered eight losses. They slipped into the UEFA Europa League slot after Manchester United’s FA Cup victory, but failed to clear the qualification round.

The following 2016-17 season was disappointing by comparison. The club finished 11th, with 45 points and a -17 goal differential. It also saw Dmitri Payet, one of their most dynamic attackers, depart the club during the winter transfer window in terms best described as “acrimonious.”

The 2017-18 season was an unmitigated disaster, with the club languishing in the relegation zone by November. Following a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at home on November 4, 2017, Bilić was sacked.

David Moyes (187 days)

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Staring relegation in the face, West Ham placed seasoned Scottish manager David Moyes at the helm. It would take a month to register his first win, but Moyes led the Hammers into safety with two games remaining in the season. They ended up 13th on 42 points and a -20 goal differential. Only in contract for six months, the two parted ways in May 2018.

Manuel Pellegrini (585 days)

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To say the Pellegrini-era started poorly would be an understatement. He lost his first four league matches of the 2018-19 season. In January the Hammers were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One club Wimbledon. They did turn around and finish 10th on 52 points and a -3 goal differential, so there is that.

One thing Pellegrini was VERY good at was spending money. During his tenure, West Ham shattered their transfer record not once, but twice. In total, he convinced the suits to drop £155 million on players, including £71 million the summer prior to the 2019-20 season. Are you sensing a bad omen here? Yep. The 2019-20 campaign was even WORSE than the previous year, and by early December the executive team had seen enough and Pellegrini was given the boot. The club sat in a tenuous 17th place, with only 5 wins.

David Moyes, redux (1,590 days)

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Who do you call when relegation is a concern? Why, good ol’ David Moyes of course!  When asked about his return to the Irons for a second time the curmudgeonly Scotsman answered with the utmost humility: “I think there’s only two or three managers with a better Premier League win record. That’s what I do, I win. I’m here to get West Ham wins and get them away from the bottom three.” Choice.

While his 19 games in charge only yielded one point more than Pellegrini (20 vs. 19), the cumulative total of 39 was just enough to put West Ham in 16th place.

The next two seasons were banner ones for West Ham. They finished in 6th and 7th place respectfully, a first time accomplishment. They also advanced into the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. Some fans took to calling the manager “The Moyesiah”.

The 2023-24 was a true mixed bag. “Moyesiah’s” aura dimmed considerably as the club’s League form slipped. They would eventually finish 14th. In stark contrast was the Hammers’ continental form, where they went undefeated in the UEFA Europa League (12 wins and a draw) and took home their first hardware in nearly 25 years.

Moyes and West Ham consciously uncoupled at the end of the 2024 season, but he remains the most successful manager in their history.

Julen Lopetegui (222 days)

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It’s a sign when your first game with a club breaks a record. It’s a bad sign when it’s a record for badness, in this case, the opening day loss on August 17, 2024 was the team’s 16th, and became the new league lowmark. Lopetegui, despite excellent credentials and reputed to be a good player-oriented manager, never quite connected during his tenure. This was reflected on the pitch with inconsistent, often uninspired, play – even during the team’s four-game unbeaten run. The rumor mill reported that Lopetegui would be sacked in November. Then December. Finally, after crushing defeats to Liverpool and Man City, the axe fell.

It’s Potter Time!

Graham Potter has inherited a bit of a mess. West Ham suffered two big losses in the last fortnight: striker Michail Antonio was seriously injured after a car crash and midfielderJarrod Bowen is out two months with a broken foot. Key players like Mohammed Kudus and Jean-Clair Todibo clashed awkwardly with the previous gaffer and will need some TLC. Good thing Potter holds an advanced coaching credential with a focus on emotional intelligence… it will really be tested in the next few weeks.

But he also has some ridiculous talent at his fingertips with players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman, Aaron Cresswell, Niclas Füllkrug and Lucas Paquetá. A manager with Potter’s experience should be able to forge a sharp blade from such fine raw materials.

Let’s hope the West Ham ownership gives Potter a longer runway than he received at Chelsea. His pedigree proves that when given the proper time, opportunity and support he can produce great results.