Slaven Bilic to return to West Ham?! Hammers consider shock return for Croatian boss as sack looms for Graham Potter after Crystal Palace defeat

Crystal Palace piled on to the miseries of both West Ham and Potter on Saturday as Oliver Glasner's side won 2-1 at the London Stadium. West Ham have now lost four of their opening five Premier League games, mounting unprecedented pressure on Potter to risk being sacked should be fail to engineer an immediate turnaround of fortunes.   

According to a report from BBC, Potter's job at Stratford is under serious threat after racking up just six wins in 25 games since succeeding Julen Lopetegui in the second half of the 2024-25 season. The report further added that former head coach Slaven Bilic's name has been discussed internally as a possible replacement for Potter.

Bilic was one of the most important figures of West Ham's recent history. In his debut season (2015-16), the team shattered multiple club records in the Premier League era, achieving their highest-ever points total (62) at the time, most goals scored in a single season (65), and a positive goal difference for the first time. They also recorded the fewest defeats in a season (8) and the lowest number of away losses (5).  

The mood inside and around the London Stadium has been anything but harmonious in recent weeks. On Saturday, thousands of frustrated West Ham fans gathered in large numbers outside the London Stadium in protest, demanding the exit of the current owner David O'Sullivan and his board. In August, Jarrod Bowen had to be held back by team-mates and stadium stewards to stop him from confronting a West Ham supporter after the Carabao Cup defeat to Wolves.   

BBC also mention that Nuno Espirito Santo, who was recently relieved of his duties at Nottingham Forest just months after guiding the club back to Europe, is a solid candidate to replace Potter. Meanwhile, former Bournemouth and Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has also been linked with the West Ham job.    Z