It still seems almost a surreal time to be a West Ham observer. Just six weeks ago, the Hammers were in a vortex of despair. Player upset was rife. Several were on the ‘want away’ list and trying to leave the club in the forthcoming January window. Even meek and mild players like Alphonse Areola had fallen out with Lopetegui who on the surface seemed like a nice, genuine man but one who clearly could not cope with the rigours of Premier League management.
These were the players who were driven to distraction by Lopetegui’s methods – in particular the switched tactics at the 11th hour and the lack of player days off which forced several to confront the Hammers head coach.
So when I read of Graham Potter’s change in philosophy ( no Harry Potter jokes, we are past that now) and in particular his decision to allow the players time off ahead of the Brentford clash, it smacks of a much more confident, secure management decision. Brave, because it is a crucial game and West Ham sit perilously just a couple of places above the relegation zone.
The high number of injuries suddenly engulfing the squad in December was a symptom of both bad luck and an ageing squad. In addition of course several of the players had not bought into Lopetegui’s training or his coaching and were less inclined to play through their knocks, Jean Clair Todibo and Areola being prime examples of those ‘little knocks’ which Lopetegui kept announcing in his press conferences but were rumoured ‘naughty step’ punishments for players he didn’t want to play following bust-ups.
Hopefully the squad will come back recharged for the second half of the campaign with only three weeks before most will head off on International duty in an other frustrating ‘pause’ before the Premier League accelerates towards it’s conclusion. Potter will squeeze more out of the same squad – as do the best coaches – so expect James Ward-Prowse to have an impact under Potter’s deployment, as a right-sided almost Beckham-esque supply option for Evan Ferguson’s headed goals instead of a Moyes’ workhorse to be flogged to death as was the case in his time under the previous manager.
By which time a resurgent West Ham will hopefully have grabbed the three wins- against Brentford, Leicester and Everton – which will do much to help the fans breath easier as the club eases away from relegation worries.
I don’t know the psychology of it but I know I always worked much harder for someone I liked who inspired me and knew how to get the best out of me rather than someone who was less lenient, less understanding, more harsh, who barked orders or tore strips out of me. Thats from someone was in the armed forces so know how to take an order but there’s ways of giving orders. I think Potter knows his psychology and has the kind of leadership the modern player would appreciate.
Great points J and completely agree. It’s something that Graham talks about a lot in the excellent Iron Cast podcast with James Collins. They both describe the culture of fear that used to exist in many clubs with managers screaming and swearing at players when they had performed badly. Ginge describes how players would then react by hiding from showing for passes as their confidence reduced and fear of making more mistakes. Both then describe the modern manager’s approach which focuses on accepting players will always make mistakes but then creating a team culture which still holds players accountable for their performance, but doesn’t include blaming others. It’s a brilliant podcast and well worth a listen.
Don’t you feel ashamed and disgusted when you are writing about a grown man who is being paid millions of pounds to do a job which you are forced, by his actions, to describe in terms more appropriate to a small child. Phrases like “naughty step punishments”, “players he didn’t want to play following bust ups”, and others describing the nature of a man so obviously out of his depth in a role he just could not cope with or have the character to adjust to. The success of Potter today has more to do with the ineptitude and childish nonsense of Lopetegui’s brief legacy than anything stunningly insightful on his part. Potter is simply doing the basic things right, such as treating his players like adults rather than children, in order to gain their trust and respect, and the real work will come later, as in a marriage, when the honeymoon is over. There is a time for patience and a time to call things as you see them, but today’s world encourages the acceptance of bad behaviour in a misguided search for moral superiority.
“Don’t you feel ashamed and disgusted”. No.
I keep seeing jwp can’t play on the right because we can’t drop either bowen or kudus , bit they would fit in a 433 set up , kidus and bowen are attacking players jwp is a midfielder, there is a big difference
Potter is a totally different calibre to Lopetegui. He made us competitive again straight away, we were the better team at Villa in the first half of the cup tie. Villa only got back into it when Summerville and Fullkrug went off injured was our bad fortune on the night. He had virtually no time to prepare for that game.
I can’t see how you would play JWP on the right, are you dropping or moving Bowen? I think you will have the same problem as Moyes, who “flogged him to death” to the tune of 18 G/A in his one and only season for us so far
You don’t need to. Potter likes players to be fluid with regards to positions so he can start in his preferred central role. Then when attacking, Bowen can cut inside, JWP switches to cover that area and if it goes to him then he can deliver to Ferguson who can either go for goal or look to lay it down to Bowen.