West Ham job doubts already as Graham Potter ‘at the wrong club’
Graham Potter already looks like the wrong man for the job at West Ham after replacing Julen Lopetegui, according to one pundit.
The former Brighton and Chelsea manager’s appointment was greeted with excitement, not least because it meant an end for Lopetegui, who’d seriously struggled at West Ham.
However, since he joined the Hammers, the team has claimed just one victory in his six matches in charge and has also been knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa.
Injuries to Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo, albeit he returned to the squad recently, have left Potter quite depleted of options.
Questions are now being raised over whether the 49-year-old should have made the move to East London, with his tenure yet to really get off the ground.
Graham Potter doubts begin to swirl in East London
Writing via The Times [16 February], Tony Cascarino said: “Now he finds himself at West Ham, and while it is early days, I am not convinced this is going to be the right fit either.
“After a sample size of six games, Potter has yet to convince that West Ham’s future is bright in his hands.”
He went on: “So no, I’m not sure Potter on this evidence is an elite manager. It seems to me there’s been a fair bit of myth-making surrounding his rise and it’s all coming apart a bit too quickly.
“Sometimes good managers go to the wrong club. Roy Hodgson at Liverpool springs to mind and Potter at West Ham feels similar.”
The Hammers have been struggling ever since David Moyes’ final season in charge, with fans happy to get rid of the Scot, though much less enthusiastic at the appointment of Lopetegui.
While Potter’s start to life at the London Stadium has been slow, there is sign of life under his leadership, and the supporters will have to be patient before he can make some necessary adjustments.
West Ham in desperate need of the summer transfer window
Football Insider verdict
David Sullivan can be an extremely controversial figure in East London, especially when it comes to his lack of ability to make tough decisions at the right moments.
However, with Lopetegui’s reign quickly over and Tim Steidten now out of West Ham for good, the Hammers can begin to rebuild and, hopefully, reach the same heights they did under Moyes.
To do that, Potter needs the chance to add new faces to the squad, which he cannot do until the summer transfer window rolls around at the end of the season.
The likes of Guido Rodriguez, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Danny Ings are just dead weight in a West Ham squad like this, holding back the real superstars at the manager’s disposal.
Until Potter can bring in the players needed to play his style of attractive football, it will be a tough ride for the Irons.