West Ham have reportedly identified Jose Mourinho as a potential replacement for David Moyes, with the Portuguese manager in contention to take over at the London Stadium.
According to LaRoma24, the Irons have made initial approaches to AS Roma about Mourinho returning to the Premier League to take over his fourth club in the division, with the three-time English champion’s last gig coming with West Ham’s London rivals Tottenham.
As per the report, though, there’s little chance that Mourinho will quit Roma halfway through the season to return to England, with West Ham currently sat just above the relegation zone following a disastrous season under Moyes having finished in the Premier League top-seven in the past two years.
Having lost 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend, Moyes’ job is on its last leg as fans and pundits are growing restless of the Scottish manager’s conservative tactics, with West Ham one of the lowest scorers in the division this season as they stare down the barrel of relegation.
Indeed, West Ham sacking Moyes could soon be a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’, yet appointing Mourinho could be a backwards move for the Irons even with the Roma manager finding his spark again with the Serie A side over the last two seasons.
Given the problems West Ham fans have had with how the squad are playing this campaign, hiring a manager known for his defensive style of play would arguably anger supporters more than sacking Moyes, with Mourinho’s links to Tottenham also something that won’t sit right with fans.
West Ham must avoid appointing Mourinho at all costs
West Ham are in need of change ahead of next season regardless of what Moyes manages to achieve this campaign, yet the east London side must make an active decision to not appoint Mourinho, who is clearly done with working in the Premier League.
The Portuguese manager was poor during his spell with Tottenham, and with Mourinho now finding his feet on the touchline in Italy with Roma, West Ham must allow the former Chelsea boss to remain in the Eternal City, where he is finding success in Serie A.
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