Slaven Bilic trudged down the tunnel on Friday night looking like a dead man walking. His team had just been turned over at home by Brighton and with the Croat edging closer to walking the plank as a result, talk amongst many Hammers fans had already turned to who will replace him in the London Stadium dugout.
Losing so badly to a team expected to be deep in a relegation battle was surely close to the final straw for Bilic and although the Hammers board are understood to want to give him more time, they must be working behind the scenes looking at potential replacements.
Sacking season has started over the past week with Craig Shakespeare and Ronald Koeman given the elbow, and with that in mind there are three realistic candidates to take over from Bilic, should he finally be axed...
Roberto Mancini
There have been plenty of rumours over the past year that Roberto Mancini is itching to get back to the Premier League and as far as the betting is concerned, the Italian is the favourite to replace Slaven Bilic. Mancini enjoyed a fruitful spell in charge of Man City as he led them to their famous first Premier League title, and that experience of the game in this country, is sure to mean he is at least on the shortlist.
It hasn't all been plain sailing for Mancini since he left these shores though with stints at Galatasary and Inter not proving particularly successful and there is the added complication that he is currently in work at Zenit in Russia. Zenit are right in the thick of a title challenge in the Russian Premier League and are almost assured to be in the Champions League on a regular basis, and you have to question whether or not he would trade that in for a job at West Ham.
Fancied in the betting but it would be surprising to see Roberto blowing bubbles anytime soon.
David Wagner
David Wagner has done a remarkable job at Huddersfield Town and at some point, a bigger club will take a chance on the popular German. A disciple of Jurgen Klopp, Wagner has taken the Terriers from a bottom half Championship team into the Premier League, and only a matter of days ago we saw them beat Man United 2-0 in one of the most startling results of the season so far.
Huddersfield are a well-oiled machine defensively and despite looking hopelessly outgunned in terms of squad depth in the top flight, they are already proving a tough nut to crack and few would be surprised if they manage to survive against the odds.
All of the credit for that rise has to go to Wagner and it is only a matter of time before he is poached by another Premier League club. Should that team be West Ham?
The Hammers have been a mess at the back so far this season with 17 goals against their name and recent form would suggest that Wagner could be the man to sort out the leaky back door in the east end. It wouldn't be easy though for a relatively inexperienced Manager with the goldfish bowl of the London Stadium a million miles away from the low expectations of the John Smith's venue.
Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche is being strongly linked with jobs at Leicester and Everton and should West Ham make a change in the near future, he should be right in the mix for a tilt at taking the Hammers forward.
Not a sexy appointment like Wagner of Mancini, but Dyche has done a remarkable job at Burnley and he more than deserves his shot at a club with a bigger budget and fan-base. Tipped by many this season to be relegation fodder, Burnley have once again over performed in the early weeks of the season with the Clarets currently sitting pretty in 8th place having lost just two of their first nine games of the campaign.
Dyche has shown it's possible to organise a defence, which is something that West Ham have struggled with badly under Bilic, and he appears to be able to get the best out of the players he has at his disposal.
If Dyche goes to Everton, West Ham could end up regretting it.
Who's your first choice?
