Let’s be fair: Graham Potter hasn’t been given the resources he was promised by those in charge at West Ham.
But having said that, did he really need to pick a midfield of James Ward-Prowse, Guido Rodríguez, and Tomáš Souček in The Carabao Cup?
Yes, the squad still needs a striker, at least two midfielders, and a central defender. But it was very much the manager’s choice to park the bus and try to see out a result.
Then there’s his insistence on using Jarrod Bowen almost anywhere but his best position in order to accommodate a 3-5-2 system that simply isn’t working. It’s strangling the life out of West Ham’s attacking play.
In short, while Potter isn’t being backed properly from above, his decision-making has been abysmal. Sitting deep and trying to soak up pressure defies belief given how porous our defence has been recently. Against Wolves, you’d think he’d do almost anything to keep the ball as far away from Alphonse Areola’s goal as possible — but Potter doesn’t seem to know how to set up an attacking side.
The capitulation at Molineux felt horribly familiar, reminiscent of David Moyes’ final season when West Ham shipped a record number of Premier League goals. Right now, this team looks paralysed — and worryingly, Potter doesn’t look capable of reversing it.
Please replace Kilman Not a prem player Happened again v Wolves He come on we looked weaker and conceded two quick goals for gods sake are we a professional football club or not START ACTING LIKE ONE
Post declined…..any particular reason, as it was ‘pending approval’?
Not that I’m bothered, wouldn’t be the first time.
.
I don’t think it would matter if potter was backed , I don’t think the guy has it in him to spark the players he has into life, I think Alvarez criticised the guy and obviously was shipped out leaving the rest to become automatons with no life probably frightened to speak out , potters a disaster he wouldn’t be able to persuade a monkey to climb a tree
Big Ange for me !
A manager who will have a go and not sit deep hoping to defend 1 nil leads .
Potter did exactly the same last night as he did in his first game against Villa in the FA cup and simply hasn’t learned a thing .
Yes agree , probably our worse manager ever !
The second half of David Moyes last season, after he and the players knew he wasn’t staying
Edin Terzic?!
Esexiron, couldn’t agree more. Potter had a chance last night to even shut us up by playing the youth and possibly losing too but no he went for something worse than even I could off. If you wanted to lose a game you set up like that.3 strikers on the bench. You couldn’t try harder to lose and upset the fans even more. He’s a disgrace. I feel sorry for him. But he deserves nothing now but the p45. It’s worse than Moyes selection against a poor poor Wolves team. We can’t wait for that 6 game losing streak,absurd in itself as it’s 5 wins in what 23 games 2 of them at the end of last season whne MU weren’t interested and Ipswich who were relegated.
Make you right on all you have said, all the supporters I talk to at the game and outside all agree Potter is not playing a system to suite our best players, not having legs in midfield by giving Potts etc. an opportunity. He still trotts out players we are trying to get rid of, don’t understand the man
Potter is the worse manager we have ever had, end of.
Do we trust Sullivan and Co to bring in anyone with any credibility? No
This guy should have lost his job back in May. Yet we had the pre-season PR love in and the season starts normal service is resumed. Playing the same system over and over again and surprisingly getting the same results. Please get someone in that is not Dyche, Cooper or Benitez
Trouble is D like you say those will likely be the three candidates.
We’re not a progressive club so expect someone who a) Sully knows b) has managed in the prem.
I wanted Lopi gone simply because I couldn’t see how anyone else could be worse. How wrong could I be as Potter is utterly clueless.
For several seasons now we’ve been saying we need a serious striker, potter out out out he’s no good , talks nonsense, everything he does is nonsense, he’s not a manager, what worries me is Chelsea spent 230 odd million on players for him and he still weren’t no good
Naively, Potter had my full support, if dwindling faith, until last night. Erroneousely I still thought the Potter masterplan would finally begin to evidence the glimmer of embers developing into the phoenix of a resurgent West Ham. Possession-based dominance of opposition, thwarted by mean-spirited, heart on sleeve defenders placing their bodies on the line. Midfield dynamism, vision, flair, wing-wizardry feeding a lethal, clinical forward line poised to rip opponents apart and strike fear into defenders of allcomers.
Last night’s debacle was the final evidence I needed to confirm I was, as I am routinely in matters West Ham, delusional. A ‘defensive’ 9, Paqueta and Bowen. A defence bereft of confidence, effective coaching, ideas or communication. A madame Tussaud’s midfield of such rigidity, the street artists in Covent Garden would be proud. And the only real current quality, an out of position Bowen and a Forrest Gump ‘box of chocolates’ Paqueta…….exotic truffle one moment, hazelnut crunch the next.
An evening that cried out for the bravery of a coach to cast aside the negativity of two wretched defeats and thrill the travelling faithful with the optimism of youth, an attacking philosophy against the only currently equally inept Premier league team. The sublime passage of play that resulted in our two rays of hope combining to score the second was followed by a chilling reenactment of the Moyes team of two years ago taking the lead against Newcastle. A defensive change, Kilman on tick, retreating defensive 9 tick, Wolves refreshed personnel launching marauding forward play tick, the inevitable about to happen, tick. For Gordon read Strang-Larsen and 3-2.
Potter brought a forward on, two (well?)…..85th minute.
No appetite, no commitment, no desire, no confidence, no evidence of coaching principles, no hope.
What did Potter hope to, and end up, learning from last night?
I at least did, Potter is not Harry Potter, more Homer Simpson and I swear I could lipread a ‘D’oh’ after their third went in.
The negative/ realist within realises our current league position could well be our final league position.
Whatever the question, Potter is, regrettably, not the answer and I now realise never was. Look at the career stats, they don’t lie. His success at Brighton followed a period of adequateness at Swansea. The Brighton success I would, with the benefit of hindsight, put down more to the machinations of probably the most successful of models currently operating in the Premier League. Potter happened to be there. Chelsea……well, that was a basket case that no manager could have made sense of.
I genuinely thought that his period out of the game was a time for reflection. He certainly turned down numerous offers in this period. Then is tempted by the vision of a progressive board with promises of financial support and flexibility to ‘own’ the recruitment process allowing him to create a West Ham team reflective of his personality. To be honest, I think now, the latter is precisely what we’re witnessing.
Potter is the symptom of a disease process which has become, as medics would describe, ‘acute on chronic’. Symptoms can be alleviated by treatment and I sincerely hope this process for all parties is swift and decisive as I wish Potter well in whatever he may do, but please let that not be at my club.
The principle pathology of malignant Sullivanism requires surgical excision, only then can the patient have any hope of survival.
Reason that we park the bus is that the engine’s @@@@@@ and the driver doesn’t believe the new parts will fix it.
Loppi got the choppi after 22 games and Potter has had 21. The only difference is that the Loppi Steidten love boat bought most of these players, whereas Potter hasn’t been given the right backing. But he probably needs to go soon tbf
Potter isn’t good enough, plain and simple. Plenty of other managers have managed to do decent business in the summer window and make improvements on a budget. Our squad has got much much worse and weak look weak, scared and incapable of fighting for a result as a team.
He needs to go but who could we replace him with? What decent manager would want the job now?
Complete agree Gonzo. He looks out of his depth. There is no plan B, and plan A isn’t working. His stubborn refusal to change system is ridiculous. Our best player doesn’t play in his best position. Playing seven or eight defensively minded players and still conceding goals left, right and centre means there’re is something fundamentally wrong. For the life of me I cannot understand why Potts at least didn’t play last night. An ideal opportunity to give the youngsters some game time and not one of them even made it onto the pitch. All I can think is he’s trying to prove a point to the board by saying this is the best team I can put out. Help me with reinforcements. Anyway enough is enough for me and I would like to see him gone.
He has no answers and despite Wolves making 8 changes to their starting line up he still still went without a recognised striker and just one attacking midfielder. Why the hell would any team set up with 9 defensive players against Wolves reserves and leave 3 recognised strikers and 4 talented Academy players on the bench? I get the lack of transfer spending but I am sick of excuses. Look at Wolves and who they have sold, yet they still were able to score 2 goals in 3 minutes against a defence that has now conceded 11 goals in our first 3 matches. What is the bloody point of finally bringing on Fullkrug and Wilson with 5 minutes to go? I do not for one second condone any supporter having a go at Bowen but he is the last person we should be criticising. Potter is completely out of his depth and has to go now. No good calling for “unity” after the game. 5 wins in 22 games, this is on him.
Potter needs sacking ASAP.
This formation doesn’t work and his insistence in picking Rodriguez over Potts every game i just don’t understand.
Bowen can’t play through the middle full stop as soon as he went out wide hes a different player,just look at his cross for Paqueta.
Don’t understand Potter at all,needs to go.