West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan was the target of protests ahead of the defeat to Crystal Palace at the London Stadium last weekend and, despite head coach Graham Potter appearing to be on the brink of being sacked, it would be a significant error to hand the managerial reins to Gary O’Neil.

Although Jarrod Bowen restored parity against the Eagles on Saturday, following Jean-Philippe Mateta’s opener, Tyrick Mitchell’s second half volley resulted in the Hammers being left empty-handed and still in the Premier League’s relegation zone after only registering one win since the start of the season.

The writing seems to be on the wall for Potter, with it only being a matter of time before he is relieved of his duties, but Sullivan and other influential figures at West Ham need to carefully consider their options as the wrong appointment could lead to suffering relegation to the Championship.

Hammers Turning to O’Neil Would Not Show Ambition

Sullivan will be making another mistake if he chooses to replace Potter with the currently out-of-work O’Neil. West Ham supporters are crying out for ambition to be shown by the hierarchy and, following protests, the last thing he should be doing is going against their wishes.

Admittedly, the 42-year-old fits the bill in terms of having Premier League experience, thanks to his spells at the helm of the Hammers’ domestic counterparts Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he left the latter in December 2024 and has been on the market since.

Since Sullivan’s arrival at West Ham in January 2010, he has appointed Avram Grant, Sam Allardyce, Slaven Bilic, David Moyes, Manuel Pellegrini, Julen Lopetegui and Potter. All of them were not in a job at the time, highlighting that the co-owner has always been keen to avoid a situation where he has to part with a compensation package for a new boss.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Gary O’Neil has won 31 of his 100 matches in management, while he has suffered 52 defeats along the way

But, with the Hammers’ Premier League status in serious doubt following a woeful start to the campaign, it is time for the hierarchy to go the extra mile and secure a significant upgrade in the hot-seat instead of simply turning to O’Neil – who has been described as ‘unbelievable’ by pundit Shay Given – because he is available as a free agent.

The former midfielder already has a bond with the West Ham fanbase, having been in the squad that won promotion back to the top flight via the Championship play-offs in 2012, but he must not be chosen to replace Potter as his previous record does not suggest that he would definitely steer the east Londoners to safety.

Short-Term Fix Must Not be Considered by Hierarchy

There have been suggestions that West Ham are toying with the idea of bringing in a manager on a short-term contract until the end of the season, before reassessing the situation next summer. But the campaign is only five matches old, so that should be the last thing being considered at this stage.

If an alteration is made in the coming weeks, whether that be before the upcoming trips to Everton and Arsenal or after the October international break, there would still be plenty of time for Potter’s successor to turn the season around and build for the future instead of being nothing more than a stopgap.

Sullivan felt the ire of West Ham’s supporters a matter of days ago, with thousands turning out to protest against the running of the club. Bringing in the right manager is imperative if he wants to alter the atmosphere at the London Stadium. It is time to show ambition, not take the cheaper route.