It is a tough time to be a West Ham United’s fan. The team has been struggling for a while now and the fans hope that the coaching change will change the trajectory of the Hammers. Graham Potter is taking the hot seat and the task to save the club from relegation. West Ham is still in the safe zone but their performance needs a dramatic change or things may get really difficult as the season progresses.
Graham Potter’s Appointment: A Turning Point?
After winning only six of 20 games and being in the bottom half of the EPL standings
Graham Potter was appointed the new manager and he needs to make an immediate impact.
"It's a proud day to be head coach of this amazing club, big tradition, big history, big expectations, big challenge," Potter said. "I'm really excited, it's a bit like Christmas – Christmas for the adults. I'm looking forward to meeting the players today, meeting our supporters, and getting going."
Potter has been recognized for his "progressive" and "unconventional" coaching methods which is exactly what West Ham needs at this point. When coaching Swansea, Potter used ten different formations in a single season and he will most likely shape up things as soon as he takes charge in West Ham.
Potter has significant Premier League experience after spending three seasons with Brighton and one with Chelsea. He took over West Ham after back-to-back blow out losses against Manchester City and Liverpool which was in line with our accurate football predictions. Potter needs to steer the ship in the right direction before it is too late.
The Quest for an Attacking Identity
West Ham won only 23 points in the first 20 games of the season and has a goal differential of 24-39. Potter will need to provide defensive stability and enhance the offensive output at the same time, which is not an easy task to do, especially with the roster he currently has.
West Ham is currently 14th in the league in scored goals and touches and has kept only four clean sheets this season. That is not what the fans are used to seeing from their club and Potter is expected to bring aggressiveness on the offensive end and confidence in their own penalty box.
The team’s captain Jarod Bowen, who is the team’s leading scorer along with Tomas Soucek, is on the injury list and has missed the last four games with a foot injury. With Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville also hurt, Potter has very limited options in the offensive line. At the moment, he can only count on veteran Danny Ings and the 18-year-old Guilherme Luis.
Time is also not Potter’s ally as he has no room for any mistakes and needs to change the culture immediately. West Ham has no capacity to make any significant roster changes at this point, so Potter will need to make miracles with the players he has. The fans have been proud of the Hammers’ offensive playing style and they demand of Potter to bring back high-scoring performances but can he really do that?
Bridging the Gap Between Fans and Management
Die-hard Hammers fans are aware that the problems have much deeper roots than what they see on the pitch. The fans have not been pleased with the way co-chairmen David Sullivan and Vanessa Gold run the club and they are not the only ones with that belief.
Tony Cottee, one of the Hammers legends from the 1980s, who is currently a television football commentator, does not hide his disappointment in how the decisions made in the club.
“Who’s going to take responsibility for the ridiculous appointment of Lopetegui? It’s going to cost the Club millions and has taken us back to 2019!! The last few days have been a shambles too! Until there is someone with Football knowledge advising this Board, things will never change! Why was Graham Potter not considered last May when he was clearly available and a better candidate Why? Someone please tell me. I’m now happy the right appointment has been made.”
Now that Potter is on board, the fans hope that the team will finally head in the right direction. There is nothing spectacular that can be done by the end of this season. They have a decent advantage compared to the team in the relegation zone, and the number-one priority for Potter is to stay away from that group. Another task is to bring back the offensive playing style and the fan's joy of coming to the games.
Still, it requires a cohesive effort among the manager, players, board, and fans to navigate the season successfully. However, Potter has the knowledge and authority over the players to implement the needed changes and whether it will bring the desired results, we’ll see in the upcoming EPL matches.