BBC Sport have given more credibility to claims that Graham Potter could make an instant return to management with Manchester United following his dismissal as West Ham boss.
It may not have been by design given the way the club is run, but West Ham ended up with Graham Potter instead of Ruben Amorim – via Julen Lopetegui – last season.
To add a further layer of irony, Lopetegui was being linked with Manchester United before he replaced ex Red Devils boss David Moyes at West Ham.
Portuguese tactical brainbox Amorim flew for talks with the Hammers in London about succeeding Moyes amid much publicity and controversy.
Sound familiar West Ham fans?
Managerial sliding doors for West Ham and Man United
The move collapsed, Amorim apologised to Sporting fans for meeting West Ham and a few months later he would be unveiled as Manchester United’s new boss.
West Ham later explained they had reservations over Amorim’s lack of top level and Premier League experience, not to mention the hefty buyout needed to get him out of Sporting.
Honest and bright, Amorim had the press and fans eating out of his hands from the get-go at Old Trafford.
Early defeats were seen as bumps in the road while he tried to get Manchester United playing his way.
That was Lopetegui and Potter’s excuse for much of their Hammers tenures too.
Except in football the only thing that buys managers time to do that is results.
On Saturday, Potter followed Lopetegui out of the West Ham exit, sacked 48 hours before West Ham’s game at Everton and replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo.
It was no shock that Potter was sacked but the timing has been branded classless by fans, pundits and journalists.
Potter leaves West Ham with the worst win ratio of any permanent manager in the club’s 130-year history.
Later on Saturday, the only manager with a worse win ratio than Potter since their appointments last season was coming under new pressure.
BBC repeat stunning claim Potter could make instant comeback at Man United
Amorim looked defeated as Manchester United were beaten 3-1 by Brentford.
The most damning thing about the latest loss is that it is no longer any great surprise.
Speculation is swirling that Amorim could now be axed.
That will set the rumour mill whirring given how huge Manchester United are on a global scale.
What fans of West Ham and Manchester United probably didn’t expect, though, was for Potter to be the man linked with replacing him.
But BBC Sport have repeated a stunning claim that Potter could make an instant comeback at Man United after his West Ham sacking.
BBC Sport have reported a claim from Spain that Manchester United are considering Potter as a surprise replacement should Amorim leave.
The report states that the Red Devils are looking at Potter as a potential short-term replacement to be reviewed.
Hammers flop Potter to Man United billed as ‘short-term solution’
Rocking up at Old Trafford so soon after he was let go by the Hammers would be some comeback from Potter.
The claim seems ridiculous but stranger things have happened in football.
Many Man United fans are starting to turn on Amorim, just as West Ham fans had with Potter during the defeat to Palace last weekend.
Perhaps Potter’s clearer ideas and greater flexibility, coupled with Man United’s superior level of player, might work?
It seems highly improbable, but a penny for David Sullivan’s thoughts if it does happen.
