Graham Potter has been announced as the latest manager to take the helm at West Ham. The ex Brighton and Chelsea Manager has signed a two-and-a-half year contract at the London Stadium and will take charge immediately. This will be the English manager’s first job since being dismissed by Chelsea after just 7 months at Stamford Bridge.
Potter signed his contract after the club announced the departure of former manager Julen Lopetegui’s dismissal on Wednesday after just 6 months at the London Stadium. Lopetegui’s sacking comes after a poor start to the season with the Spaniard only amassing 6 Premier League wins.
Potter is said to have chosen the Hammers move despite having interest from a number of different clubs including Premier League opposition, Everton and Leicester. Additionally he was one of the favourites for the England National team role in the summer before Thomas Tuchel was appointed.
It is believed that Potter is excited to be part of the project at West Ham as he is convinced that the squad is much better than the league position tells us. For West Ham, he is also a good fit because he has good Premier League experience and is a manager who will look to develop players.
The Correct Time for Change?
As stated in the club’s announcement of Lopetegui’s sacking, the first half of the season has not aligned with the clubs ambitions and leaves the squad ambling in 14th position. This has meant that some of the betting sites available online have even listed West Ham as low as 16/1 in their relegation markets.
While the results are obviously disappointing, it is the manner in which some of the results have occurred that would have worried the higher-ups at West Ham. Heavy defeats to an out-of-form Manchester City and twice to Liverpool as well as poor defeats to London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham have ultimately led to this decision.
When you look at the table it doesn’t look great. However, when you compare the squad to some of the teams around us, it becomes clear that Potter can revitalise the team to become stable in the league as a priority.
Potter’s Background Before West Ham
As previously mentioned, the new West Ham boss was at Chelsea but was relieved of his duties after just 7 months. The decision came after Potter lost 11 games in 31 which left them in 11th place in the table at the time of the sacking.
However, it must be noted that Potter’s time at Chelsea was surrounded by some difficult and challenging circumstances. Potter stated to the media that changing ‘20-30 players’ in as little as three transfer windows made things difficult to bed in players and his style of play.
Despite this, the media and popular opinion on Potter didn’t change and his stock has remained high. His previous job at Brighton saw him lead the club to a then club best 9th place finish. Brighton is where Potter made a name for himself and we really saw the qualities that he brings as a manager. Meticulous planning, developing young players, creating an environment the club can be proud of, it is this Brighton version of Graham Potter that the Hammers want.
Immediate Challenges for Potter
The English manager kicks off his West Ham career with a third round FA Cup fixture against Aston Villa before back-to-back home fixtures in the league.
A full list of his first five fixtures in charge are as follows:
- Aston Villa (A) – FA Cup
- Fulham (H) – Premier League
- Crystal Palace (H) – Premier League
- Aston Villa (A) – Premier League
- Chelsea (A) – Premier League
Not a particularly easy start to life in London for Potter. Playing a well-rounded Aston Villa team twice and an in-form Fulham before returning to Stamford Bridge for the clash against Chelsea will mean that expectations have to be managed.
Defence seems to be the biggest issue immediately facing the new boss. With 39 goals conceded, only 3 teams have conceded more. Couple that with injury problems to forward players, Bowen and Antonio and you have some real headaches.
Some solace comes in the potential returns of Emerson and Todibo to add and bolster the defensive ranks but after conceding 9 in the last 2, Potter really has to get a hold of the defence.
January Transfer Market
As of the turn of the year the transfer window also opened. This brings a small opportunity for the manager to make some small adjustments to his squad. Now, don’t get me wrong, not a lot usually happens in the January window, but the opportunity is there.
Rumours that Potter wants to bring Ben Chilwell across London to West Ham could be fruitful. Chilwell played for the new manager at Chelsea in his spell there and would be a solid choice at left back.
Also making waves on the transfer rumour mill is a potential replacement for Niclas Fullkrug. Conrad Harder from Sporting CP has been linked in a deal worth £42m. Whether Potter will be entrusted with so much cash straight from the get go is yet to be seen, but at 19 years old, Harder is already wanted by Chelsea and Arsenal.
Final Thoughts
Time will tell if this has been the right decision. Being pro-active can often be a benefit though. Everton have since reacted to this by sacking Sean Dyche, and would almost certainly have been in contact with Potter if he had not already signed with the Hammers.
A cup run might distract from any shortcomings in the league, however guaranteeing safety sooner rather than later is priority and climbing as high as possible in the table is paramount to gaining the confidence and trust of the West Ham faithful.
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