Unofficially, the Potter Sack race began long before the third goal went in at London stadium on Saturday. Graham Potter’s clueless management style and awful performance means the club is heading towards the foot of the Premier League table: A win ratio of 25% for West Ham is championship-bound form.
Whether the board decree (in the way in which judgement was pronounced with Lopetegui, for instance,) that there are ‘must -win’ games ahead in the hope that a threat will magically bring an up turn in form seems like pretty pointless melodrama.
More likely the Hammers leadership are already sifting through likely candidates who are ‘ready, free of cost, willing and able‘ to take the job on. What chance, I wonder, of the Chairman actually stumbling across a decent candidate.
However, opinions do vary as to Potter’s position on the precipice just now: Footballinsider247.com seem to think that Potter is safe for the time being, despite only achieving two home wins in his whole 25 game tenure. Their article today claims a ‘source’ telling them that:
“West Ham will stick with Graham Potter for the time being and hold fire on sacking him despite a wretched start to the season played to a backdrop of fan discontent“.
‘For the time being’ is likely to mean ‘until the Crystal Palace game’: Lose and Potter is likely to have his P45 by Monday morning.
The West Ham board will want to give Potter every chance, anything to avoid paying the man millions in compensation for being the worst West Ham manager ever.
But without a decent result against Palace, I suspect that the hammer will fall.
David Sullivan could well sense an opportunity to spike the guns of the protestors by making Potter the sacrificial lamb – the ‘feel good’ factor of a new appointment would be a strategic win against the anti-board protests planned and divert attention away from the Chairman and Vice Chairman who are currently under verbal attack.
So the idea of Potter tottering on to the International break – if he loses on Saturday – is unlikely in the extreme.
Perhaps Sullivan should have followed his gut feeling and only given potter 6months , I don’t think the owners understand football one bit, I think Brady thinks she’s competing on the apprentice , only thing is though “your fired” hasn’t happened, plus what’s the old adage business and friendship don’t mix , so potter was bad,bad bad idea?
Unlike a lot of Hammers supporters I am not a Potter hater.He inherited a team some of whom are well below Premiership standard and did the best he could with what he has.However the team selection against Tottenham was disappointing to say the least.Why on earth is Bowen played as a roving centre forward when his best position is wide on the right.Presumable Callum Wilson is fit or he wouldn’t be on the bench.Perhaps I have the wrong idea but Summerville on the left Bowen on the right and Wilson in the middle offers far more attacking possibilities and hopefully more attractive to watch.
Yes, I agree with this. It has to be very difficult to come into a club like this, with an unsettled, unfinished squad, extremely interfereing and disruptive board, and high fan expectations.
Getting this team working requires time (unfortunately), and no amount of ‘expert’ opinion on here is going to do it quicker, or better.
And, are we really going to have four managers in – what is it – sixteen months? What a laughing stock we’ll be.
Brady’s choice SACK HER TOO.
As for compensation, for what? They have both FAILED.
Make sure the next contract has a minimum win percentage after 10 games.
They won’t sack him before international break. They would not throw a new manager into Everton and Arsenal away. 3 defeats and he will be gone.
The problem is no decent manager will want to work with DS & KB.
The only person who can have some influence is a Daniel K putting the pressure on DS but he seems to be quite content in what he has and what is being done.
Doesn’t look good at all.
If we go down the top tier will be closed all season because no way they will sell out that stadium off we go down.
Sacking Potter is what Sullivan will do to save his own neck him and Brady have been having the fans over since they have been at the club
I think we all could have predicted we’d be in this situation before the season started, it’s hardly a surprise is it.
I think we can all predict what will happen from here, hanging onto him in the vain hope that things will turn around before it becomes impossible not to sack him due to the poor results.
He’s on a two and a half year contract that started at the beginning of January so only one third of the way through and not cheap to pay off. I’d be amazed if he’s sacked quickly…
The board can’t deflect Martin IMO , they didn’t recruit well enough. They hired Potter lead on transfers . That didn’t work . Sacrificial lamb maybe but in my mind that does not mean the board are not to blame . They won’t sack him unless they have so it clatter money Martin and we know DS does not like spending money . Even though he should be sacked the performances , tactics not good enough and the stats don’t lie . Terrible manager ! Anyway the board should do the right thing and sack him hold their hands up and say they made an error . That would gain more respect than blaming others ⚒
Maybe if he gave youth a try instead of the likes of JWP and Rodriguez he may have a chance otherwise Crystal Palace will over run us. Also if the team were to press a bit more that would help!!
Why are Westham even waiting for the Palace match to sack Potter ? It’s clear that Potter can’t coach in the Premier League any more . Season on season football evolves and Potter’s 3-5-2 ( 5-3-2 ) is an old dinosaur of a system that leaves the team short in midfield and attack . So limited goals and a defense that can’t defend a corner or set piece and Potter’s GK who can’t catch . Hermansen is worse than Roberto and Potter is the worst coach in Westhan’s history . Why is there a discussion ? 2 home wins in 9 months .
Sullivan will get this club relegated.
Does not matter if we beat palace which we will not potter needs to go now before the palace game as that will be another game gone his record already should have him sacked this one game two game thing winds me up . Anyway its not going to stop the Sullivan out protests because this is it now get them out and potter
Here we go again …..the longer we leave sacking Potter the worse its going to get. Potter hasn’t got a clue as you can see in his team selections and tactics. Moyes 2.
I really hope I’m wrong but the results prove otherwise.
Let’s hope that Sullivan has learned the lesson of waiting to long to act like he did with JLO . Potter seems to have no idea how to solve the problems that are occurring on the pitch JWP needs to be shown the door he has no pace no vision as for his set pieces well they leave a lot to be desired but he’s not the only one who is not living up to expectations. Potter can point to the fact that Sullivan lied when he took the job saying he would be backed in the transfer window but he’s should be doing better our defence is a complete joke midfield needs addressing and we need a decent striker one that has pace and is tough enough for the premier league. Potter needs to be replaced regardless of what it may cost and a quality manager brought in to get things sorted out one that knows what needs to be done to turn things around and believe me that is NOT LAMPARD he would instantly make things worse Sullivan and co need to act now before it becomes to late as things stand we will without any doubt be relegated I’m not sure we could come back from that
Sometimes in life you just have to put your hands up and say you made a mistake. You don’t have to drag that decision on and on. He was the wrong call before he got the job, he has been the wrong call whilst in the job. And when we look back at it in years to come it will have been the right call to relieve him of his duties.
Martin I can’t disagree with anything in the article – but the headline is greatly misleading – there is nothing to suggest that the board have made a decision or that we have moved on from “must win” games which we had under Moyes since the World Cup 2022 season as well as under Loppy
perhaps your headline could be “Board continue to kick the can down the road”