It has been an unsettling period for West Ham United, with frustration brewing off the pitch, a slow start to the season and, just a month in, the threat of a relegation battle looming.

West Ham are 18th in the 20-team table, with one win in their opening four Premier League games and having conceded 11 goals, the most in the division and the only side into double figures. There was a mass exodus from the stands during their 3-0 home defeat to rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Head coach Graham Potter, whose contract expires at the end of next season after being appointed in January this year, remains confident the east London club will succeed under him, but if the poor results continue, there could be huge implications for his future.

Ahead of this weekend's game, also at the London Stadium, against FA Cup holders Crystal Palace, The Athletic has answered your questions concerning the West Ham board, Potter, the planned protests over the club's problems and other pressing issues.

What does the board think of the fans' upcoming protests? -- Mark S.

The board believes these actions are not helpful to the team and that Potter's side need support, not distractions. However, many supporters disagree. Their grievances include continued disapproval of the move from Upton Park to the London Stadium nine years ago and anger at how the board is handling the club.

Following the 3-0 away win against Nottingham Forest at the end of August, the Hammers United group called on fans to protest against the owners before this Saturday's home match against Palace. There is also a planned boycott for the home league game against Brentford on Monday, October 20. West Ham's official Fan Advisory Board (FAB), which represents more than 25,000 supporters, also made public its disapproval.

The club sought a meeting with the FAB, and on September 11, vice-chair Karren Brady and executive director Tara Warren, who represented the board, met with them to listen to their concerns. The transcript from those conversations will be published later this week.

Why do we always go for out-of-work options for managers? -- Jay B.

Since David Sullivan became co-owner in January 2010, Ruben Amorim, then head coach at Sporting CP and now in charge at Manchester United, is the only manager he came close to prising away midway through his contract, in April last year. It is an approach Sullivan is often reluctant to take, because of the financial cost involved.

He views out-of-work managers as a win-win situation, as there is no upfront fee involved in the appointment. This means there is no cost loaded onto the club. West Ham's recent history shows they have never settled on the same type of manager, going from Gianfranco Zola, to Avram Grant, to Sam Allardyce, to Slaven Bilic, to David Moyes, to Manuel Pellegrini, back to Moyes, to Julen Lopetegui and now to Potter. That issue of identity is something the club have struggled with.

Of the nine managers hired since 2010, Grant, Bilic, Pellegrini and Lopetegui are the only ones to leave West Ham midway through their contracts -- and of those, Grant only did so when relegation was confirmed in May 2011. The financial implications are an obvious factor, but this hierarchy only ever jettisons a manager when the club's Premier League status is under serious threat.

What exactly is the hierarchical structure of West Ham? -- Tesh V.

The breakdown of their ownership is as follows: Sullivan: 38.8%, Daniel Kretinsky: 27%, the Gold family: 25.1%, WHU LLC: 8%, other investors: 1.1% (American billionaire J Albert 'Tripp' Smith is the ultimate owner of WHU LLC). The board members are Brady, Andy Mollett (chief financial officer), Smith (non-executive director), Daniel Harris (non-executive director) and Warren.

Sullivan is involved with transfers and the process of hiring and firing managers. Kretinsky has no interest in becoming the majority shareholder. Vanessa Gold has been trying to sell some of the family's shares for over a year following her father David's death in early 2023; Rothschilds & Co is running that sales process but has yet to find a potential investor. Brady is involved in the day-to-day running of the club.

Mark Noble, West Ham's long-time captain and now sporting director, works closely with academy staff in nurturing and convincing young talents to commit their long-term futures to West Ham. For example, he played a leading role in midfielder Freddie Potts signing a four-year contract in March this year. As head coach, Potter is mainly tasked with signing players, picking the team and is assisted by Bruno Saltor, Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, who oversee training drills. Kyle Macaulay helps identify talent in his role as head of recruitment, Kenny Brown is the academy director, and Steve Potts is head coach for the under-23s.

Is there any possibility the board would turn to Noble as a caretaker manager? -- Joseph R.

This is very unlikely, due to Noble's inexperience and his reluctance to pursue a career in management.

Alan Shearer is an obvious example of a club legend temporarily managing their boyhood club. The ex-Newcastle United striker and all-time Premier League goalscorer was appointed at St James' Park towards the end of the 2008-09 season, but was unable to prevent their relegation to the Championship. He took charge of eight games, won only one, and having never managed before those few weeks has not returned to the touchline since.

Noble prefers, and enjoys, his role as West Ham's sporting director, overseeing the development of academy players and securing long-term deals for highly rated prospects.

Does Potter look like he's lacking fight for the job? -- Thom G.

From my regular interactions with him at press conferences, he remains confident he is the right man for the job.

There have been occasions, however, where he has lost his cool slightly. Following the 3-2 defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion in April, where West Ham had led in the final minute of normal time, he was animated and nearly cracked post-match, having threatened to swear.

Before the 5-1 home demolition by Chelsea last month, he also seemed to be less than happy with a question about the team lacking squad depth. It felt different to the responses we have had from previous head coaches Moyes and Lopetegui.

What happens to the stadium if we get relegated? -- Hrishi C.

The London Stadium is owned by E20 Stadium LLP, which is a joint venture between London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Legacy Investments. Before moving there in 2016 from their long-time home Upton Park, West Ham agreed a 99-year lease.

The club would continue to play there in the event of relegation, but their annual rent of just over £4million would be halved in the EFL.

What point of this season do you consider to be 'In case of emergency, break glass' territory? -- Brock E.

From mid-October to the latter part of November, West Ham have fixtures against Brentford, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Burnley and Bournemouth.

Failing to collect significant points in this period will confirm the fears of the club being in a relegation battle. After that, there are tough games against Liverpool, Manchester United, Brighton, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the run-up to Christmas. The board has also made managerial changes around that time: Bilic was sacked during the November 2017 international break and Pellegrini departed in December 2019.

West Ham mailbag: Board view of fan protests, plus Potter's fight, the stadium and relegation