Graham Potter has long been dubbed a “magician” a nickname from JK Rowlings fantasy novels, that carries a hint of truth. Chelsea certainly bought into the illusion, paying Brighton a hefty £16 million for his services, plus an additional £5.5–£6.5 million to secure his backroom staff. When the spell broke in April 2023, Chelsea paid another £13 million to part ways with him.
Potter’s coaching journey is extensive, from guiding Ghana’s women’s team to mentoring university squads, navigating English non-league football, and leading Swedish semi-professionals. His spells at Swansea and Brighton were respectable, if not enchanting. Yet, for those who believed he conjured brilliance at Brighton, it’s worth noting that his successor, Roberto De Zerbi, crafted a side far more dynamic and exciting.
Potter has struggled at West Ham
Wizard Potter to the West Ham rescue
By January 2025, Potter resurfaced at West Ham, claiming to have waited for the “right opportunity” though many suspected Chelsea’s ongoing compensation had kept him comfortably sidelined. With wizard-like finesse, he transformed a modest six-month offer into a two and a half year venture. Doubters were charmed, and co-chairman David Sullivan embraced the narrative. Karen Brady cast Potter as West Ham’s “Saviour,” despite the fact that he ended the season in the same 14th-place position that had cost Julen Lopetegui his job.
The words “project” and “time” became the mantra, repeated with almost religious fervour. But for all the talk of transformation, six wins in 24 matches hardly reflect the work of a sorcerer. The crowd, once spellbound, is growing restless, and still waiting for the failed magician to be thrown out of the magic circle.
Should that happen for a club already vocal about PSR issues, Graham Potter will be paid off after another doomed spell. On a reported annual salary of £3.2m rising to £4.5m with bonuses, he is far from one of the highest paid managers in the Premier League, yet having recently forked out compensation for Julen Lopetegui, the next appointment must be the right one!
The lot who appointed Avram Grant, make the right decision? Get real…
Include a minimum win percentage after 10 games in the contract.
Kevin Nolan with Sam Allardyce as mentor. Honest endeavour and measurable progress.
Unless everything clicks for Graham Potter from next game onwards.
The fans are revolting! Well, they will be this coming weekend. I hope Mr Sullivan is well protected with suitable armour behind the small glass wall up in his director’s box. I guess you cannot accuse him of living in a glass house but you could say he’s had his head firmly entrenched in the sand. Sticks and stones may break his bones but words will never harm him is another idiom that comes to mind for the West Ham chairman. But the times they are a-changing!
With revolting fans and a lot of noise about the club’s many issues, from lack of direction, incompetent management, poor and inadequate player transfer transactions and successive coaching failures – things could blow up in the coming days. Mr Sullivan’s thick skin will be sorely tested.
He has an opportunity to right some wrongs with regard to team coach/manager appointments. Previously, Julien Lopetegui was his own chosen candidate for the team coach position. Graham Potter was alledgedly a Karren Brady pick. Let’s hope that the next one is a unanimous decision. And depending on what happens when we play Crystal Palace on Saturday, the decision could be made sooner rather than later.