Graham Potter and Russell Martin share worrying trait as Troy Deeney blasts sack-threatened duo
Both Russell Martin and Graham Potter have had torrid starts to their respective seasons at Rangers and West Ham United.
Rangers lost 1-0 to Genk in the Europa League on Wednesday, and Martin is now under increasing pressure to save his job at Ibrox.
West Ham’s defeat to Crystal Palace has left Potter in a similar hole, with the ex-Chelsea boss likely to be sacked if results don’t improve against Everton and Arsenal.
Rangers have lined up suitors for Martin, reportedly, while Potter also has out-of-work managers eyeing his role at West Ham.
Troy Deeney believes Graham Potter and Russell Martin are too reserved for their clubs
Both Potter and Martin are calm and considered individuals who will rarely show outbursts in their post-match reactions.
Troy Deeney, speaking on talkSPORT, believes that quality is landing the pair in hot water at their respective roles.
Deeney said: “Russell Martin is not endearing himself to the fans, because I think at certain clubs there should be certain managerial types.
“We talk about it with Graham Potter at West Ham, too, where they don’t fit. You need to be front-footed publicly and those fans need to believe that you get it and you’re driving it forward. This modern-day coaching style of batting things back and having little to no emotion just doesn’t fit with those types of fanbases.
“For me, he’s on borrowed time, but the ray of light I’ll give to him is he had a difficult start at Southampton before he turned it around and got them to the playoffs.”
Former bosses loom large over both Rangers and West Ham United
As the talk turns to focus on who would replace Potter at West Ham and Martin at Rangers, each club has been involved in discussions to bring back former coaches.
At Rangers, Steven Gerrard is in the frame to replace Martin, and reports have suggested the Glasgow club would welcome back the manager who led them to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021.
| Rangers 2025-26 | West Ham 2025-26 |
| Motherwell 1-1 Rangers | Sunderland 3-0 West Ham |
| Rangers 1-1 Dundee | West Ham 1-5 Chelsea |
| St. Mirren 1-1 Dundee | Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham |
| Rangers 0-0 Celtic | West Ham 0-3 Tottenham |
| Rangers 0-2 Hearts | West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace |
Meanwhile, in London, West Ham have courted former manager Slaven Bilic to replace Potter if he can’t turn around the Hammers’ form.
With the runs both clubs are on, it seems incredibly unlikely that either Potter or Martin will be able to turn around their fortunes, and familiar faces await if they do eventually get the sack.