Graham Potter’s authority on, and off the pitch is extending as he tightens his grip at the helm of West Ham United. Now increasingly referred to as ‘Manager’ rather than ‘head coach’ by club insiders and spokesmen, Potter has positioned himself to be at the epicentre of summer transfer activity as well as team tactics.
The news last week that West Ham will not be appointing a director of football to oversee the summer window is testimony of Potter’s influence. No more the Lopetegui/Steidten dynamic of last summer when it seemed West Ham were pulling in three directions at once, along with David Sullivan’s own player picks along the way for good measure.
Potter’s words last week reported by skysports.com speak volumes of a manager tightening his grip and demanding more of ‘his’ players.
Graham Potter has told his misfiring West Ham stars they are “some way off” what he is demanding and says they are playing for their futures:
“You can’t play for West Ham and throw games away! It’s impossible. We want to control games and dominate games through attacking football, and we are far from that. We have to acknowledge we’ve got a lot of work to do…”
The Hammers have little to play for this season, with the jeopardy of relegation removed but languishing in an uninspiring sixteenth spot. In a pretty clear warning for players to watch out for complacency in ‘his’ era, Potter again:
“Results aren’t as good as we’d like and if there’s criticism, you have to accept it. That’s the life of a professional, the life of a Premier League player. You’re always playing to prove yourself, to be on the journey and take the next steps.”
Even on the pitch, Potter’s changed stance was evident: For the Bournemouth home fixture, Potter was newly kitted out on the sidelines in a business suit, looking every inch the professional . As bbc.com reflect in their article “We watched every Premier League manager – here’s what we found out:”
“If you’re in a suit, particularly according to research with doctors, they’re rated as having higher authority, higher power and higher credibility.”
High power Potter, then, front and centre of the ‘West Ham Project’: Which is all fine as long as on-pitch results are deemed acceptable. Being the guy most definitely in charge means also being the fall guy if the wheels come off- just ask Ivan Juric.