Graham Potter was photographed in London last night following reports received by Claret & Hugh that the former Brighton boss met with Irons chairman David Sullivan yesterday.
Potter, who lives in Hove near Brighton with his wife and three sons, is thought to favour a move to a club based in the south. This would make West Ham a more likely destination than Everton or West Bromwich Albion, with whom he has also been linked in the past 24 hours.
Potter reportedly pictured in London last night
During his time at Chelsea, Potter commuted daily from Hove to their training ground in Cobham—a similar journey to Rush Green in Romford, which is approximately 70 miles or 90 minutes by car.
Negotiations between Potter and West Ham are believed to be ongoing, with final details being discussed today. Meanwhile, Julen Lopetegui oversaw West Ham training this morning. However, it remains unclear whether he will face the potential humiliation of a pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup tie against Aston Villa.
Some reports suggest Lopetegui’s presence at Rush Green indicates Potter has decided to reject West Ham in favour of Everton. However, Claret & Hugh understands this is not the case
JB15
Agree with most of your comments…we are a mess. Unfortunately Kretinsky won’t help us out until we are well and truly damaged, more so than now and in the championship. If you look at his business model, he buys into floundering activities at the lowest possible price and then transforms them. In this respect we are still a massive club and should be the biggest club south of Manchester, so from his buyers angle, not the right time to jump in…
West Ham will always be West Ham…we didn’t build on the 60’s 70’s or 80’s so Wots gonna change…we’ve never had ambition……but I’ll always be a hammer and proud …
What a disgrace. Loopy is useless and should never have been given the job but he is being treated like a rabid dog . Sullivan is a filthy little scum bag with no class . No player or manager with any scruples will ever work for him . How can the club expect the team to perform for a dead man walking . Pxxsoff Sullivan and take the useless Striedten with you .
I could be well off the mark here but my reading of the situation is:
Whilst the rest of the board are now convinced Lopetegui has to go, Sullivan is still unprepared to accept that he got it wrong. Sullivan also does not want Potter, although the majority of the board does.
Sullivan then moves to disrupt the whole thing. “Leaking” to TalkSport, and through agents to other media, that Lopetegui has gone, before the club back tracking that. Knowing Everton are also interested (and reportedly prepared to offer Potter a long term deal), this speeds up Everton’s offer to Potter.
Based on the evidence around previous managerial sackings, Sullivan won’t sack a manager until the ink is dry on the replacements contract. Potter hasn’t signed yet, and it appears that Everton have now offered him a contract. I can almost see the Sullivan smirk.
I’m also seeing we’re now talking to Galtier, according to Give Me Sport and the Independent.
If I was Potter, there is no chance I’d opt for West Ham given a short term deal and it being very clear the Chairman does not want you, especially if Everton have offered 2 and a half years.
Sullivan has played a blinder here. He’s made it very clear to the board that whatever happens, it’s his choice or no choice. He’s further undermined Steidten, by sending him to negotiate with Potter (and be photographed) but will now use it as sign of another failure, crash out a cup that he has absolutely no interest in and all the while has no consequences at his door.
Lopetegui won’t be sacked until February, at the earliest. Steidten will be placed on administrative leave due to another failure, and our January signings will be Will Salthouse clients who are struggling to find a new club.
I really hope I’m wrong…
Richard, according to reports elsewhere it was Kretinsky that vetoed the earlier sacking of Lopetegui, not Sullivan……… so, as you suggest, you are wrong 🙂
David Sullivan. If you or your ‘people’ see this website a message.
GET THE JOB DONE. POTTER IN.
Stop effing about with our heritage – West Ham United FC
Potter is absolutely the right candidate we should be going for, and it’s ridiculous that JLo got the job ahead of him in the first place.
Our idiot chairman Sullivan initially thought Brighton’s recruitment ‘flattered him’ – so what’s changed?
If Sullivan had an ounce of intelligence he’d know Potter was excellent at Ostersunds and then Swansea. He then goes to Brighton, a team that (at the time) were full of Championship players playing dull low-block football, under Hughton. He completely revolutionises the style of play, while losing his best players every season and inheriting talented but unproven youngsters from foreign leagues.
Let’s not forget, Potter’s Brighton absolutely battered us for about 4 years in a row…
His stint at Chelsea is irrelevant in that the club was a circus. Pochettino, who many of us would have loved as a manager, did no better and Potter didn’t have the benefit of having Cole Palmer, who saved Poch multiple times.
Personally, it’s mental that we’re only giving him a rumoured 6 month contract – give him time and he’ll build a whole new philosophy at the club. He also has consistent history in playing academy players, especially at Brighton, so fingers crossed the likes of Potts will get recalled and get a chance.
Nevertheless, long term, we will NEVER fully progress as a club whilst Sullivan is in charge. Pray that Kretinsky eventually has enough and forces a takeover.
Spot on 100 per cent
We are a shambles of a club. If I was Potter I wouldn’t come either whilst Sullivan is around. Sullivan and his ego are the problem. What did Mark Noble say? No longer run like a circus. The clowns are still in place.
It’s quite possible he goes to Everton who are offering long term deal We are not
That’s quite a commute each day for him if he goes there.
So was Elvis !!!!
Loppo staying end of
I want Loppy gone now , I hope Potter accepts and, I know he will improve us . Good manager in my opinion ! I want him at our club , I want the players to get behind him and gel . We have good players , they need to show us all what they can do . Let’s hope Potter accepts and. Let’s all get behind him and the board give him a budget.Come on lads , COYI ⚒⚒⚒
He also has inside knowledge you the many Chelsea player’s not playing regularly and I hope there are a couple of gems waiting to be plundered. I think after what’s transpired over the last 12 months he will be a calm and refreshing change I know he has some doubters but the fact is he was forced to manage an oversized squad of young and ambitious players along with some senior and dominant individuals so he was certainly doomed to fail at some point. Just ashamed and embarrassed about the whole way it’s been conducted.
If he can do Hove to Rush Green in 90 minutes by car then he’ll have to do it at 2am and set off around 50 speed cameras along the way
This is all complete garbage, how can we be talking to Potter in such an open manner with loppy still as manager.
I don’t see this happening, and if it does what a thoroughly unprofessional way of doing it.
We believe that Potter was in London yesterday so not really a surprise that he was photographed there.
Lopetegui at Rush Green is also to be expected if he’s not been sacked which we don’t believe he has been.
There’s no definite news that I can see anywhere but it seems almost certain that Potter was talked with yesterday and it’s not unreasonable for discussions to take a while.