West Ham United

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for all 32 FA Cup third round games and given his verdict on who will make it into round four.

For this week's matches he is up against actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton, who is a Liverpool fan.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Julen Lopetegui never felt like the right fit for West Ham, and we are about to find out whether Graham Potter can do any better.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is still fighting on the European front in the Champions League, as well as trying to get back in it for next season.

That has placed huge demands on his squad already - so you could argue that they don't need a cup run too - but I still think they will go through, especially because West Ham are badly missing the injured Jarrod Bowen up front.

Billy's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Graham Potter has already taken part in his first news conference at West Ham United, with the newly appointed manager saying "I consider myself lucky to be here" after a 21-month absence from management.

But Holly Turbutt from West Ham Network, external believes the English boss "has got a big job ahead of him" after taking on "an incredibly disjointed side".

So what should Potter's top priorities be? Holly gives her suggestions in the video below.

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This is the first FA Cup meeting between Aston Villa and West Ham since March 1980, with the Hammers edging the quarter-final tie 1-0 on their way to winning the trophy.

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray has been reflecting on his time working under "thought-provoking" and "meticulous" manager Graham Potter at Amex Stadium, following his appointment as West Ham boss.

"He's not rigid - he's not stuck in a system or a style. He's very fluid and I think we even see that in games," Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"When I played under him, we would change formations two or three times in a single afternoon. It is quite a skill to be able to have your players understand everything you want from them and be able to change in games.

"I mean, these changes weren't made at half-time. He wasn't exactly sitting everyone down - it was an instruction from the sidelines. We all knew our jobs and how to change that style in games, which I think is credit to his managerial capabilities.

"Graham is a very thought-provoking manager. He knows exactly what he wants, but he wants feedback from the players. It's a collective rather than a dictatorship and he will meticulously study each and every opponent.

"He will plan the best way to try to penetrate and hurt that opponent, and obviously win games at the end of the week."

West Ham have been offered the opportunity to sign 24-year-old Canada and Lille forward Jonathan David. (GiveMeSport, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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West Ham have expressed interest Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford but any deal remains unlikely.

The 26-year-old forward's wages, which are believed to be in excess of £300,000-a-week, and the number of clubs interested make any move difficult deal for West Ham to complete.

The competition includes Borussia Dortmund, who are also reluctant to pay Rashford's wages, while AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli have also been linked with a move.

United are open to allowing Rashford to leave the club in the January transfer window.

It follows his non-selection in the last five matches under new manager Ruben Amorim, albeit with illness cited as the reason for him missing the 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday.

West Ham, meanwhile, are keen to improve their squad after announcing Graham Potter as their new manager to replace Julen Lopetegui.

Attacking targets are being looked at, including Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, after striker Michail Antonio was hospitalised after a car crash in early December.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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West Ham are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in January.

The Hammers are keen to bolster their squad after announcing Graham Potter as their new manager on Thursday morning.

Dewsbury-Hall is believed to be on the shortlist of options to improve the squad.

Chelsea are reportedly open to allowing Dewsbury-Hall to rebuild his confidence away from the club, after his initial struggles following his £30m summer move from Leicester.

Dewsbury-Hall has been unable to emulate his success under manager Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, having won Leicester's Player of the Season award under Maresca - as the Midlands club won the Championship last season.

The former Blackpool and Luton star has made just five substitute Premier League appearances without starting a single league match for Chelsea this season.

But he has had a more prominent role in Carabao Cup and Conference League matches.

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We asked for your views on Graham Potter becoming the new West Ham head coach.

Here are some of your comments:

Gary: Potter still has a lot to prove as a manager and West Ham players are underperforming and have a lot to prove to the fans. The owners also have much to prove so maybe it will be OK, maybe?

Dave: 100% he has been out of the game too long. A great choice as manager, just a shame it took the board so long to implement.

Terry: Good man for the job. Good job for the man.

Adam: Potter was my second choice behind Lopetegui, so what do I know? But he has pedigree, was unfairly treated at Chelsea and that remains the only blot on his copy book. He inherits an OK team so let's hope he can get more out of them.

Mike: The new manager has to win over the fans quickly. We must play a different formation to take advantage of a hugely talented squad. The previous manager continued to play the same formation and tactics that David Moyes had done which was incredibly frustrating to the fans. I do have genuine hope that this could be a really positive turning point.

Roger: A great appointment, only one way to go for the Hammers - up.

John: I do feel he has the knowledge to stabilise the squad and bring back the team spirit that's been missing for a while. We need to be patient and give Graham time as it will be good football for at least a few weeks. Let's see how he gets on at the end of the season.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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New West Ham boss Graham Potter had his first press conference as the new head coach at the club on Thursday morning.

It is his first job since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 and in that time he has been linked with a number of jobs that he has not taken.

I asked Potter whether he felt like he had something to prove following his time out of the game and how it ended with the Blues.

He replied: "When I hear [Pep] Guardiola say he's got something to prove then we all have."

He went on to say he thinks he is "a better coach for the experience" too.

Potter does not have much time to implement changes to West Ham's play before the FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa on Friday and the ex-Brighton manager will take charge of his first training session on Thursday afternoon.

West Ham's technical director Tim Steidten had a difficult relationship with David Moyes and last week kept away from the training ground as speculation over Julen Lopetegui's future intensified.

Potter was asked about whether he will be happy to work with Steidten and although he didn't answer directly, he said that there has to be a "collaborative" approach.

"There'll be lots of talented people, I'm sure," said Potter. "Part of our approach is to be collaborative, to work together. As I said, we need everybody to be pulling in the same direction. We need to be aligned, we need to use the resources we have.

"In the Premier League, there's lots of good players, lots of good coaches.

"So unless you're together, unless you're moving forward together, it becomes very difficult.... and my first impressions for everybody has been really positive."

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Former Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach has been appointed first-team coach at West Ham United as part of new Hammers' boss Graham Potter's backroom staff.

Pelach was sacked by Stoke on December 27 after just three months in charge during which they won only three of his 19 games at the helm.

"Narcis Pelach is a really young coach who is excellent on the grass, excellent with the players," Potter told his first West Ham news conference, having been confirmed as Julen Lopetegui's replacement.

"We need everyone to be pulling in the same direction, we need to be aligned and using the resources we have."

Pelach had been appointed Stoke head coach in September having held previous assistant roles at Huddersfield Town and Norwich City.

He joins Billy Reid and Bruno Saltor as part of Potter's coaching team at The London Stadium.

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Pundits and experts have been having their say on Julen Lopetegui's sacking and Graham Potter's appointment at West Ham on a bonus episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown:

"How does Graham Potter go in? What does he do differently?

"I think he is tactically very good, he is a good coach, but you can only work with what you've got and West Ham are a side lacking in confidence.

"He will go in straight away and try to set a standard but he will be under so much pressure to deliver that type of setup - what does he go and do? How does he approach it? And will the fans take him onside straight away?"

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague:

"Julen Lopetegui will be feeling frustrated. The way it gets analysed right now from the coaching staff is that they have the same points as Manchester United, one less point than Spurs.

"I don't know where fans got the impression that West Ham were aiming for European places - that was never the target.

"The target was to change the style of the team and get the team playing in a completely different way and I get the impression that Lopetegui had started to see things that were going to happen in the second half of the season and things were going to be better."

Listen to the full episode on Lopetegui's sacking and Potter's appointment

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Graham Potter has been speaking to the media for the first time as new West Ham boss before Friday's FA Cup game away against Aston Villa (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Potter began by saying he is "very excited and very proud" be to named the new West Ham boss, adding "it just felt right" and is "a good fit" after his 20 months away from management after leaving Chelsea.

• He added everyone at the club is "aligned in terms of what we want to achieve and how to play football".

• Potter said: "My experience is if you can build a team that's identifiable on the pitch, the supporters are proud of and enjoy watching. If that alignment is there and there's that connection between club and fans, then why put a ceiling on anything?"

• On his time away from football: "It's been 20 months, a good break. I've had conversations with different directors, owners, but it think it was important I chose the right option at the right time."

• Potter confirmed he will be joined by former Brighton captain Bruno Saltor - who coached alongside him at both the Seagulls and then Chelsea - as his assistant and Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach as first team coaches. He said: "That's the core group and I'm looking forward to working with the staff here at the club."

• Asked if he feels lucky to be at West Ham, he said: "I consider myself lucky to be here, thankful to be here. I apologise that my name has been linked [with lots of clubs], everybody is sick of it. I'm here now, very happy and proud and privileged to be in this position."

• On taking over mid season: "My focus is on meeting the players and preparing for a game in third round of the FA Cup against Villa. Every situation is different, but the experience I've had is good because I'm a bit wiser. I've had the experience of coming into a job at a time like this. There's no good or bad time, and when the right opportunity comes up you have to take it."

Follow all of Thursday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Aston Villa v West Ham at 20:00 on Friday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Managing West Ham is "a different job" to what Graham Potter has previously experienced, former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam has told a bonus Football Daily podcast discussing the appointment.

"Graham Potter needs to win football matches first and foremost," he said.

"The rest of it will come if he can build on that. He'll have to build confidence in the players because ultimately it will be really low with some. He has to get the best out of players like [Lucas] Paqueta and [Mohammed] Kudus - your match winners.

"He'll have to make them stronger defensively because they have been leaking too many goals.

"Graham has done a very good job at Swansea and Brighton, earned the right to have the Chelsea job but it was tough with new owners, and now he will be delighted to be back in management.

"Coming into West Ham, it is a different job than what he has experienced. Potter did well abroad, Swansea knew how they wanted to play, Brighton were in a good place, Chelsea were a different beast. I think it is a good job for him to come back in to but they are starting from a lower point."

Technical Director Tim Steidten was asked to stay away from the training ground by former Hammers boss David Moyes and also fell out with Julen Lopetegui towards the end of his tenure, but Adam believes the relationship between him and Potter will be key going forward.

"He [Potter] has been pictured with the technical director while Lopetegui was still in the job, " he added.

"Potter has to say how he works and what he wants. He has to be strong about it. His relationship with the sporting director has to be key in terms of going forward, the manager has to have the trust in terms of how to make the team better and how to navigate signing the right players for what Potter is looking for."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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New West Ham head coach Graham Potter says the job "felt right" for him.

After being announced as the new Hammers boss on Thursday morning, he said: "It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me – and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United."

The former Chelsea and Brighton boss added: "The club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on.

"You don't win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a club that the supporters can be proud of."

Are you happy with the appointment?

Let us know what you think

Speaking to a lot of people around Graham Potter's appointment at West Ham, the general consensus is he is a good fit, in a way Julen Lopetegui wasn't.

West Ham have a reputation for being dysfunctional but owner David Sullivan does tend to give managers time - there is a school of thought Lopetegui was given more time than he would have got virtually anywhere else.

West Ham benefitted from David Moyes' patient squad construction. Fair or not, Potter is viewed as a more progressive coach than the Scot but he shares the value of patience.

He won't blitz everything in the way you would expect Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte to but he will piece something positive together.

It has been suggested Roberto de Zerbi improved Brighton after Potter left. I am not entirely sure that is right. He laid the foundations - and Brighton were fourth when he left for Chelsea.

Like so many have said, it feels like a good fit.

West Ham are interested in midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 26, and could push for a loan deal with Chelsea. (Independent, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Following the news West Ham are set to appoint Graham Potter as their new manager, we asked you to have your say on Julen Lopetegui's replacement.

Here are some of your comments:

Trevor: When David Moyes came back he really had a point to prove and managed to win us a trophy. Potter also has a point to prove and a career to save so hopefully he delivers a level of success for us in the same way.

Andrew: Moyes' departure was seen as a way forward for the club. Lopetegui made some improvements in attacking football but the new signings were clearly not of the quality required. The team need a clear vision and hopefully Potter will provide the coaching skills to start getting us back up the table.

Larry: He won't last six months - totally clueless.

Tony: To be frank, until the culture changes at the top of the club, it will not really matter who is wearing the manager's tracksuit. Time for a much bigger change if we want to really compete in the top six.

Dave: Potter's win percentage looks poor. He made Brighton relevant in the Premier League and they showed a lively style. There is some glimmer of hope that he can bring some 'progressive' approach to the Irons.

AW: Solid appointment - an experienced, young Premier League manager. Knows the league, knows the teams, knows the players. Let us hope he takes his career and West Ham to the next level.

Terry: He will probably last about as long as Lopetegui! Disappointing in the extreme. Should have held out for someone with more experience and a better track record. Come back, Big Sam!

So, it's going to be Graham Potter succeeding the sacked Julen Lopetegui at West Ham.

The 49-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal and returns to management for the first time since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.

He was dismissed after less than seven months in charge of the Blues, having replaced Thomas Tuchel following an impressive three years managing Brighton.

Potter, who also managed Ostersunds in Sweden and Championship side Swansea, has taken charge of 142 games in the Premier League - winning 41 of those and leaving him with a win percentage of 29%.

West Ham's next game is the FA Cup third-round tie at Aston Villa on Friday (20:00 GMT kick-off).

What do you make of it, West Ham fans? The right choice? What are his priorities to turn things around for the Hammers?

Let us know here

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Former West Ham midfielder John Moncur, who made over 170 appearances in claret and sky blue, believes it was "only a matter of time" before Julen Lopetegui was sacked by the club.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Moncur said: "West Ham fans were calling to have a more attractive style of play after David Moyes and that didn't really happen from day one.

"But the most alarming thing for us supporters is that, when we lost the ball in transition, we were so open and we have conceded so many goals from that, especially of late.

"So it was really only a matter of time before he did get the sack.

"David Moyes had done a great job but the fans had run out of patience... but we have been all over the place defensively. To leak so many goals against not even big teams is a problem."

On Graham Potter, who currently looks in pole position for the managerial job, Moncur added: "A lot of fans would have probably said he was the one we all would've chosen from the off.

"He is a young English manager, he has done a great job at Brighton, he is interested in bringing young players through as well. You have got to remember that West Ham won the FA Youth Cup not so long ago, so we have got a lot of good young players here."

Earlier on Wednesday, we published your suggestions for the next West Ham United manager.

One supporter suggested that Julen Lopetegui "should be given the season" in charge, but Will Pugh from the We Are West Ham podcast, external says he was not convinced about Lopetegui "from the moment he arrived" at the club.

Will also revealed who he would like to see take charge of the Hammers next - and there are no prizes for guessing who his top choice is.