‘Disgraceful’ – West Ham slaughtered for ‘inviting’ manager contenders to David Sullivan’s house
West Ham’s board have been slammed for their treatment of Graham Potter in recent weeks, as their former senior scout spoke out.
Mick Brown, who also worked as the chief scout at Man United and Sunderland and remains very well-connected within the game, exclusively told Football Insider that Potter is likely to be sacked soon with the club speaking to potential replacements.
However, David Sullivan‘s decision to begin speaking to alternatives before making a decision about the current manager’s future has been branded “disgraceful”.
Nuno Espirito Santo was spotted at Sullivan’s house, while Football Insider revealed that Kieran McKenna was in the West Ham boardroom during their 3-0 defeat to Spurs.
The likes of Frank Lampard and Gary O’Neil are also believed to have been sounded out for the role, despite the board’s insistence that they plan to back Potter.
West Ham board slammed after Graham Potter decision
Brown told Football Insider on 18 August that Potter is facing huge pressure at West Ham following a “disastrous” start to the season with supporters not happy.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience working alongside elite-level managers including Sir Alex Ferguson, and worked closely with David Moyes at the London Stadium, insisted the “appalling” treatment managers is nothing new.
“It’s a classic case of how West Ham do things, I’m appalled,” he told Football Insider.
“It happened before when Moyesey was there, they constantly went against his wishes on numerous occasions and were talking to other managers while he was in the job.
“It’s something that was unforgivable even a few years ago, you’d have been condemned for being so disrespectful, but it doesn’t seem to matter to them.
“To be honest, it’s a disgraceful way for the club to behave and for it to all be done so publicly as well.
“Regardless of whether they’re going to sack Potter or when they’re going to do it, interviewing other managers and inviting them to the chairman’s house while he’s still in the job shows a complete lack of respect towards him.
“Sadly it doesn’t surprise me because this is how they operate, but with all of this going on, you’d think it won’t be long until Potter is sacked.”
Despite him remaining in the job, the board appear to have already moved on from their current manager, with Potter’s dismissal now seemingly inevitable.
West Ham fans protest against board decisions
Brown is not the only one discontented with the board’s actions, as West Ham fans have made clear their anger towards those in positions of power.
Protests took place ahead of their home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday (20 September), with supporters’ unrest now reaching boiling point.
Following that, West Ham fans are planning to boycott their clash with Brentford on 20 October, with the fixture at the London Stadium set to be televised on Sky Sports.
Brown told Football Insider on 18 September that West Ham could sack Potter as a result of the growing pressure on the board in a bid to shift the focus.
However, regardless of their stance on Potter’s future, there have been suggestions that David Sullivan could be forced to sell his shares due to the unrest.
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