It is a classic business phenomenon, the principle of ‘failing upwards’. Defined specifically as the exact, modern corporate term used when an executive or leader makes severe mistakes or tanks a project, but is still promoted or given a lucrative severance package and a new role.
And it applies perfectly to both of West Ham’s former managers, Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter.
Potter, who received some £13 million in compensation from being sacked at Chelsea, followed that with a pretty lucrative payout when failing spectacularly again got him the boot from West Ham: The Hammers are still, apparently, making payments to the former Brighton boss until his two year contract expires.
Lopetegui of course was quoted as also ‘being on the payroll’ last season after his sacking in January 2025: West Ham surely are the only side in the top tier who had three managers on the payroll consecutively last season. Now managing Qatar, the Spaniard has already picked up his first World Cup point.
Potter finds himself at the World Cup inexpicably managing his ‘adopted’ home from home Sweden: The national side made it to the playoffs after a Nations League qualifying route – before Potter even signed up – which makes his position at the World Cup even more ironic.
Quite how Nuno Espírito Santo views his two predecessors- both fired yet now both taking teams to the ultimate tournament- isn’t clear.
One can only suppose he’s looking forward to a post-West Ham career in which he faces a similar promotion. It’s a funny old game.
The top 5 worst managers in our history includes 3 appointed by Sullivan – Avram Grant / JLo and Potter.
I think that indicates quite clearly who ultimately is to blame.
Potter is a weird one. Some managers just ‘click’ and overachieve at certain clubs with a given set of players.
He’s not alone in moving ‘upwards’ and then failing at Chelsea and West Ham; Thomas Frank was the same at Brentford and Tottenham. Both are articulate, calm characters but limited in taking on the challenge of squads and clubs they haven’t themselves assembled.
There’s a world of difference between club and international football; the best club managers tend to keep players on constant short leashes and micromanage them – see Pep, Mourinho and Fergie for examples.
National sides have limited control/contract between managers and players, but are much more easily dropped.
There’s two jobs are nothing like each other but look similar to an untrained eye.
I’m with Steve.
I don’t think Potter was a good fit for the Sullivan era West Ham, and poss any era West Ham (he might have done better under a different owner who knows?), and some off the record stuff that came out after his sacking suggested he’d had the ground cut from under him at the end of last season when the remit he was apparently hired on was abruptly changed. He’s having the last laugh on that.
Either way it’s unarguable that he’s done a good job of getting a Sweden team that finished bottom of their qualifying group with two point through the playoffs to the finals. They only got a play off spot cos of their performance in the 2025 Nations League, but no-one gave them much hope of actually making it through. Hopefully Sweden will get to play Qatar at some point in the tournament.
As numerous players have already shown, failing at West Ham doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a sh*t player… or manager
So are you saying the 2 responsible for our demise are Potter and Lopetegui? If so what utter rubbish, they didn’t help and nor did certain players but whichever way you look at things the buck, the ridiculous financial position the club is in, the relegation is only down to the 2 people who were obviously unfit to run a multi million pound Premier League football club and that is Sullivan and his cohort in many things over 40 years the so called Countess Brady!
‘Utter rubbish’. Respectfully, I might disagree. Take a breath, Steve…