Graham Potter Axed as West Ham Boss After Turbulent Nine-Month Spell
West Ham United have sacked Graham Potter after just nine months in charge, ending a short and uneasy tenure that never truly caught fire at the London Stadium.
The former Chelsea and Brighton manager was shown the door only two days before the Hammers face Everton, with the club confirming the decision in a late-night statement on Friday.
“West Ham United can confirm that Head Coach Graham Potter has left the Club.
Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations, and the Board of Directors believes that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.
Graham Potter leaves @WestHam with the Hammers 19th in the Premier League table pic.twitter.com/dgo6AOPEcH
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 27, 2025
The Club can confirm that Assistant Coach Bruno Saltor, First Team Coaches Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, Lead Goalkeeper Coach Casper Ankergren, and Goalkeeper Coach Linus Kandolin have also left with immediate effect.
The Board would like to thank Graham and his coaching staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.
The process of appointing a replacement is underway. The Club will be making no further comment at this time.”
The move comes amid mounting frustration from supporters, who turned on Potter following last weekend’s bruising defeat to Crystal Palace. The atmosphere inside the ground was toxic, and the board’s patience finally snapped.
A Rough Ride from the Start
Potter arrived in January, brought in as the man to steady the ship after Julen Lopetegui’s brief and faltering stint.
Lopetegui, who himself replaced long-serving David Moyes, lasted just 22 matches before being dismissed following heavy losses to Liverpool and Manchester City.
West Ham’s gamble on Potter was bold but fraught with risk. He had been out of work for nearly two years after a chastening spell at Chelsea, where a 31-game run ended with his own dismissal.
Still, the Hammers believed his tactical nous and calm demeanour could inspire a revival. Early signs offered a flicker of hope. An opening league victory over Fulham after a narrow FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa suggested promise.
But the bounce didn’t last. Three defeats in the next four games set the tone for an inconsistent run that included a surprise win at Arsenal but only two victories in the final 11 league matches of the season.
Summer Strain and Fan Fury
Potter’s hopes of a summer reset were dealt a major blow when star man Mohammed Kudus left for Tottenham in a £55 million deal, a move that infuriated fans and left the squad looking threadbare.
Late-window signings arrived, but results failed to match expectations. A 3-0 thumping of Nottingham Forest offered temporary relief, only for successive heavy defeats to Sunderland, Chelsea, and Tottenham to reignite tensions.
The Palace loss, coming after the September international break, proved the final straw.
What Next for West Ham?
The club now embarks on the search for its fourth manager in just 18 months, a turnover that underlines the instability gripping east London.
Names will inevitably swirl, but for now, assistant coaches have also departed, leaving a skeleton staff in charge ahead of the Everton clash.
Potter, meanwhile, faces an uncertain future. Once hailed as one of England’s most progressive coaches for his work at Brighton, his reputation has taken another hit after two difficult Premier League jobs in quick succession.
The Hammers’ next move is critical. With fans restless and the Premier League season already slipping away, West Ham cannot afford another misstep.
