Joe Cole questions West Ham board over Potter sacking as Nuno appointed

West Ham United have sacked Graham Potter, with the club 19th in the Premier League and just 48 hours before a visit to Everton. The decision comes after Potter presided over 25 games in charge, during which the team won three league matches this season after a winless stretch that left the club mired near the bottom of the table. Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed as his successor, in a move aimed at tightening a leaky defense and stabilising a side that has struggled to find consistency early in the campaign.

Joe Cole, the former Hammers winger who played 126 times for the club after joining from the academy, accused the board of dithering over Potter’s fate and criticised the timing as "unusual". Speaking to TNT Sports, Cole said the decision should have come sooner, arguing that threeLondon derbies had highlighted problems and that the club failed to back the manager in a meaningful way during the transfer window. "The timing is unusual two days before a game but the writing was on the wall for Graham," Cole said. "To lose three London derbies the way they did wasn't good enough. I don't think he was given enough backing, in this transfer window in particular."

Potter’s era at the London Stadium had been defined by inconsistent results and mounting discontent among supporters. West Ham opened the season with a 3-0 loss at Sunderland, were beaten 5-1 at home by Chelsea, and exited the EFL Cup at the hands of Wolves before Crystal Palace’s 2-1 victory at the London Stadium last weekend proved to be his final match in charge. The club’s statement on Saturday confirmed that Potter and his staff had left with immediate effect and thanked them for their work, noting that results and performances since the second half of last season had not met expectations.

Cole argued that Potter had been brought in on a promise of change that never materialised, remarking that the club had discussed restructuring, changing the style of play, and bringing in players the manager wanted, but that those aims were not realised. "Ultimately it was going in the wrong direction so I understand why the club did it," Cole said. "The real shame for Graham is he came in at a difficult time for the club." He added that he would have supported backing the manager’s plan if it had been implemented, and offered his personal view that bigger changes were needed beyond one appointment.

If he were in charge, Cole said, he would overhaul the club’s approach by investing in the academy and bringing in players suited to the manager’s system. "If I was in charge of West Ham, I’d rip up the whole club, invest in the academy, and get the right type of player in for the manager," he said.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed as Potter’s successor, with the club hoping his more conservative style can immediately tighten a defense that has leaked goals. The former Wolves boss is tasked with steadying a side that has leaked goals and faced a wave of criticism from supporters since the start of the season. Cole also suggested Nuno’s defensive approach could suit the current squad, noting that a manager with a strong track record of organisation could help restore confidence.

Peter Crouch echoed Cole’s verdict on the club’s trajectory, saying: "The fans had turned and there was no real way back for him. It was apparent the writing was on the wall for him." Nuno has two days to prepare his squad for the clash with Everton before a daunting away trip to London rivals Arsenal, with the focus on rebuilding momentum and stabilising the team after a turbulent start to the campaign.