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EPL It is a squad that has been constructed for different managers. Should West Ham United sack Graham Potter, his successor is likely to experience similar challenges to the incumbent. Potter has always preferred a 5-3-2 formation, but after underwhelming performances, missing out on transfer targets and his role as head coach being under threat, he switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation for the victory against Nottingham Forest. Even after that win, defeats by Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have weakened the 50-year-old’s position. Advertisement Potter will remain in charge for Monday’s trip to Everton, but West Ham’s hierarchy continue to sound out potential replacements. Nuno Espirito Santo, the ex-Nottingham Forest manager; Gary O’Neil, formerly of Wolverhampton Wanderers; and ex-manager Slaven Bilic, from 2015-17, are in the frame. But whoever is viewed as Potter’s ideal replacement will inherit a squad that may not suit their playing style. Nuno, O’Neil and Bilic have different skill sets and ways of playing. The Athletic has looked at which system would suit West Ham best. Nuno has held several conversations with West Ham’s board. Last Friday, a picture circulated on social media of the 51-year-old eating at Lot 14, a restaurant in Theydon Bois, Essex, near West Ham majority owner David Sullivan’s home. The Athletic has not been able to verify whether the photo is genuine, nor when it was taken, but it added to the sense of uncertainty around Potter’s position among supporters. Nuno was surprisingly sacked earlier this month despite leading Forest to Europa League qualification last season. Forest’s seventh-placed finish was their highest in 30 years. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, where they lost to Manchester City. It is why Nuno’s managerial stock remains high. Offensively, his side were good at hurting teams on the counter with their pace. Forest registered more total fast breaks (47) than West Ham (31) last season. Defensively, they were organised and disciplined, conceding 46 goals, 16 fewer than West Ham. Nuno’s side also kept 13 clean sheets in 2024-25, the second highest behind Liverpool (14). Nuno worked with Maximilian Kilman at Wolves, and the defender could benefit most from his appointment. Kilman is struggling to overcome a loss of form and has been a weak link on corners. He was outmuscled by Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi before forward Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a header in their 2-1 victory. “I was a big, strong boy, but I had so much to work on, ” Kilman told the Birmingham Mail while explaining Nuno’s impact. “(Nuno improved) my game, understanding and my physicality. When I came in, I had never played five at the back, so I’ve had to adapt and understand my role as a defender. I’ve had to become stronger and sharper, and that’s what I lacked when I first came into Wolves. ” Advertisement Central defensive duo Nikola Milenkovic, a West Ham transfer target in 2021, and Murillo formed a solid partnership under Nuno. West Ham’s central options are Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Igor Julio, and Jean-Clair Todibo, but West Ham have conceded six goals from corners this season, the highest in the league. Nuno’s proven track record in improving defenders may give him the edge over O’Neil and Bilic. The Portuguese gave Forest an identity that allowed them to compete with the bigger clubs. Last season, they did the double over Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, beat Manchester City and earned draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Most impressive was Nuno’s ability to improve the efficiency of his attacking players. Below is a list of players who have scored and registered the most assists from fast breaks in the league since Nuno’s appointment in December 2023. Anthony Elanga, who joined Newcastle United for £52million ($70. 7m) in July, and Morgan Gibbs-White rank high, while Jarrod Bowen is not too far behind. Bowen and Summerville would be key attacking options for Nuno. It is worth remembering that Summerville was a transfer target for Forest. When Elanga joined Newcastle, Forest viewed Summerville as an ideal replacement, but the winger stayed loyal to West Ham. The graphic below shows that Nuno’s side did not prioritise possession or deep build-up play. They defended deep and relied on the solidity and strength of their defensive shape to absorb pressure and hit on the break. Another option under consideration is O’Neil. There has been no direct contact with the 42-year-old, but he is ready to return to management and is likely to be interested if the West Ham job were to become available. O’Neil played for West Ham between 2011 and 2013, making 56 appearances. He was a popular figure and featured in the team that beat Blackpool in the 2012 Championship play-off final.   Advertisement O’Neil has had managerial spells at Bournemouth and Wolves. Despite being favourites for relegation, he helped Bournemouth secure their Premier League status in the 2022-23 season. O’Neil won 10 of his 34 top-flight games, guiding Bournemouth to a 15th-placed finish. He switched between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 formation, although his side were prone to not having much possession, having registered the second-lowest average in the 2022-23 campaign. But despite keeping Bournemouth up, O’Neil was surprisingly sacked less than seven months after replacing Scott Parker, the former West Ham captain, as manager. In August 2023, O’Neil was appointed as Wolves’ head coach on a three-year deal. His original plan was to play 4-2-3-1, press high and play possession-based football. But having lost four of their opening five games, O’Neil reverted to a back three, with a medium-low block and counter-attacking playing style. Full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who joined Manchester City for €40m (£33m) in June, thrived in a 3-4-3 system. He ended the 2023-34 season with three goals and four assists across 38 appearances. Ait-Nouri would occasionally play as an inverted winger, drifting more centrally. Only four full-backs (Pedro Porro, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Lucas Digne) amassed more combined expected goals and expected assists than Ait-Nouri across the period that O’Neil managed Wolves. El Hadji Malick Diouf, West Ham’s summer signing from Slavia Prague, could step into that Ait-Nouri role. The 20-year-old Senegal international has settled in well. His delivery is a strength. He registered assists via crosses to Callum Wilson in the victory against Nottingham Forest and captain Bowen in the defeat by Crystal Palace. Diouf ranks joint-fourth (5) for successful crosses in the league this season, along with Burnley’s Quilindschy Hartman. It is an area of Diouf’s game that the head coach could strengthen further. The head coach wanted his Wolves side to be a threat on the transition, and his attacking players were particularly strong with dribbling. Matheus Cunha, who joined Manchester United for £62. 5m ($83. 7m) in June, played on the left flank and had freedom to roam in possession. He attempted 135 dribbles in 2023-24, the fourth highest in the league, behind Eberechi Eze (140), Jeremy Doku (162) and Mohammed Kudus (216). Only Bournemouth (851) and Chelsea (812) attempted more dribbles than Wolves (806) in 2023-24. But Wolves ranked highest (415) for dribbles completed. Summerville would suit Nuno, but would fit O’Neil too. His main attacking attributes are pace and dribbling. The 23-year-old, who occupies the left wing, displayed those traits in the win against Forest, having assisted Bowen and won a penalty. Similar to Diouf, the former Leeds United winger could also thrive under O’Neil. Below are O’Neil’s most common formations while he was at the helm. He is pretty flexible and can adapt his team to the opposition. He had his best success at Wolves when they looked to attack in a 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 shape, with three central defenders, wing-backs pushing on, two athletic central midfielders and two No10s/wingers (Cunha, Pablo Sarabia, Hwang Hee-chan, Pedro Neto) playing close to a striker. West Ham’s central midfielders Tomas Soucek, 30, and James Ward-Prowse, 30, lack pace and may struggle to adapt to O’Neil’s system. But Mateus Fernandes, 21, and Soungoutou Magassa, 21, could bring youthful energy, while Bowen, Summerville and Lucas Paqueta are capable of playing in the No 10 roles. Bilic, the former West Ham defender who led them to a seventh-placed finish in his first season in 2015-16, has held talks with the club’s hierarchy. Bilic would be willing to accept a short-term deal until the end of the season should the club decide to sack Potter. Advertisement Bilic, who remains a popular figure with supporters, has been out of work since leaving his role as head coach of Saudi Arabian club Al Fateh in August 2024. Since his departure in 2017, the 57-year-old has held managerial roles at Al Ittihad, West Bromwich Albion, Beijing Guoan and Watford. Throughout Bilic’s managerial career, he has mainly favoured a 4-2-3-1 system, a formation the West Ham players have recently transitioned to. One of Bilic’s strengths was his eye for talent. He signed Dmitri Payet from Marseille in 2015, who became a key performer. Other notable signings during Bilic’s reign include Michail Antonio, the club’s all-time Premier League goalscorer, Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini, Robert Snodgrass and Pedro Obiang. Before Payet’s acrimonious departure back to Marseille in 2017, the former France international had many standout moments. Paqueta or Bowen have the credentials to play a similar role under Bilic. Since being cleared of spot-fixing charges following an FA investigation, Paqueta had a great period where he scored in consecutive games against Wolves and Forest for West Ham, and Chile while on international duty with Brazil. Bilic believes he has unfinished business at West Ham. Should he be appointed, it would be the second time majority shareholder David Sullivan has reappointed a manager, the previous one being David Moyes in December 2019. While it would be an emotional return for Bilic, West Ham securing their top-flight status is of huge importance. Nuno and O’Neil’s recent success in the league may count against the Croatian. (Top photos: Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Roshane Thomas is a staff writer who covers West Ham United for The Athletic. Previously, he worked for the Sunday Times and talk SPORT. Follow Roshane on Twitter @Roshane Sport