Insider: West Ham board to blame for 'crisis' after going behind Graham Potter's back
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(Credit: Imago)
Callum O'Connell
Tue 23 September 2025 10:30, UK
David Sullivan and the West Ham board are as much to blame for the club’s current issues as Graham Potter, according to their former senior scout.
Mick Brown, who also worked as the chief scout at Man United and Blackburn and remains very well-connected at his former clubs, exclusively told Football Insider that Potter is aware of the speculation surrounding his future.
The boss has continued to lead training, but his attempts to galvanise a squad with low morale have been undermined by the club’s public show that he could be sacked imminently.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 23 September that West Ham are laying the groundwork to sack Potter before the October international break.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider that West Ham speaking to other manager is a “disgrace”, but their “appalling” treatment of managers is nothing new.
Credit: Imago
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.
Brown, 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, explained that their public managerial search is doing nobody any favours.
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“It’s a disgraceful way for the club to behave,” he told Football Insider.
“Going though the back door an interviewing managers while they’ve already got one still in his position isn’t going to help anybody, at the end of the day.
“Potter isn’t stupid, as much as they seem to be treating him like he is, he’ll know what’s going on.
“He’ll see everything in the press about this manager has been to the chairman’s house, this manager has been at the stadium, and all of that sort of thing, but he’s still got to go into work, get on with his job, and try to get the best out of his team.
Credit: Imago
“He needs to get results, not just to save his job but for West Ham as a whole because if they can’t win games, they’ll be in trouble and then they’re into crisis mode.
“Everything going on behind his back isn’t going to help that at all, it’s only going to have a negative impact because how can the team be expected to get behind a manager when they know somebody else could be coming in next week?
“So as much as Potter hasn’t got the results he needs and of course there’s going to be pressure on him, the way the board, Sullivan and co, have acted should be just as much to blame.”
While Potter cannot go blameless for what has been a nightmare campaign so far, his board have done little to help him turn the situation around.
Football Insider revealed on 19 September that Potter has four games to save his job at West Ham, with one of those already down after the defeat to Crystal Palace.
However, with their search for a new boss having ramped up over the last week, there is a growing feeling that their visit to Moyes’ Everton could be make or break.
The Toffees have won two, drawn one and lost two of their opening five games this season, but are unbeaten at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as things stand.
Credit: Imago
West Ham’s only win so far this season came on the road with the surprise 3-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest, but a visit to Everton is a new challenge altogether.
Meanwhile, there have been suggestions Potter has lost the West Ham dressing room, adding to the pressure on his position as it feels inevitable he will be sacked.
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