[Albion] Potter- what’s he up to? (Managing West Ham from 9 Jan)

[METALMICKY]

Just noticed his coaching staff confirmation. Billy and Bruno ( boooooo! ) as you would expect. However, no sign of Bjorn Hamberg so have they fallen out?

 

[Rambo]

Bruno joining with him as No2

But what about SALTER??

 

[Swegulls]

Does our German manager have a sense of humour?

From the BBC:

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on Graham Potter being appointed West Ham manager and whether he has had any experience with him in the past:

"I followed how they played here at Brighton because I think it's important as a new coach to understand history, to understand the past and to understand the philosophy of coaches that have worked here before."

There you go!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Like Chelsea without the oceans of dosh. Same level of expectation/entitlement.

I think this will be interesting. There's no doubt that Chelsea was a massive failure for Potter. He took our coaches and they got part of our recruitment team, a recruitment team that in January 23 bought for Potter Enzo Fernandez, Mudryk, Badashile, Madueke, Malo Gusto, signed Joao Felix on loan and probably a couple I've forgotten. The Todd was spending money like a brand new lottery winner in a high class brothel, literally thumbing his nose at FFP.

But I agree with @Han Solo about his squad here. West Ham have a poor squad, a really bad defence and their two most attacking threats long (ish) term injured. If he fails will the fans turn on Potter or might it occur to them that, three coaches in, it's the recruitment and the way the club's run that's the issue?

 

[Hometownglory]

And yet we still remain the single most patient group. Imagine what the Hammers will have to say about Mr Potter when they go on their inevitable winless run. I doubt it's going to be flattering.

And how long a run will it be before those critiscisms and calls for his head arrive? 11 games as he managed with us, more? I think not

Totally agree. Graham had 2.5 years of patience from us. It only really starting clicking once Caicedo (who he was forced to play) and Mac Allister turned it on.
Leading up to that point, there was an incredible amount of patience through winless runs, abysmal home form and shocking goal scoring stats.
I appreciate he was transforming our style but we stuck by him. As our Graham said 'if I wanted an easy life, I'd have stayed at Brighton'.

 

[Beanstalk]

Just noticed his coaching staff confirmation. Billy and Bruno ( boooooo! ) as you would expect. However, no sign of Bjorn Hamberg so have they fallen out?

He took the Assistant Manager job at Feyenoord.

For editorial purposes, PSV are doing well under Peter Bosz. Currently top of the Eredivisie having won 15/17 games scoring at an average of 3.5 goals a game. Bjorn is definitely not Assistant Manager there.

 

[Insel affe]

Some interesting comments and analysis from the BBC over his appointment

"All those ‘Happy Hammers’ should look at the actual figures from Potter’s reign at the Albion. Towards the end, there was some promise, but there were long periods of bleakness, beforehand. Team selection, and lack of goals were big issues. Very few were sorry to see him go"

West Ham podcaster and fan Sean Whetstone speaking to the Football Daily podcast: "I don't think Graham Potter is the first choice for most West Ham fans. Julen Lopetegui wasn't the first choice. In the blog I run, we ran a big poll of 11,000 people and most people wanted to keep David Moyes over Lopetegui but we supported him.

"I think most people would not want Graham Potter. Critics would say Potter was flattered by Tony Bloom and Dan Ashworth's recruitment formula at Brighton. It didn't work at Chelsea and what has he done elsewhere?

"That's why I think there was some nervousness and talk of a short-term contract until the end of the season."

 

[tstanbur]

Top top top top manager is Potter.

Lets not forget he oversaw a club-record 14 home games without a victory.
Albion’s worst ever start to a top flight season with 6 defeats in a row.
1 solitary win at the Amex in a whole calendar year (2020)
3 months without a win between September and Boxing Day (2021)
3 months without scoring at the Amex between January and April (2022)

Hope he does as well at West Ham.

6 defeats in a row at the start of a season?!

This is the biggest load of bollocks and rewriting of history I’ve ever seen on here and that’s a high bar!

 

[Justice]

I think this will be interesting. There's no doubt that Chelsea was a massive failure for Potter. He took our coaches and they got part of our recruitment team, a recruitment team that in January 23 bought for Potter Enzo Fernandez, Mudryk, Badashile, Madueke, Malo Gusto, signed Joao Felix on loan and probably a couple I've forgotten. The Todd was spending money like a brand new lottery winner in a high class brothel, literally thumbing his nose at FFP.

But I agree with @Han Solo about his squad here. West Ham have a poor squad, a really bad defence and their two most attacking threats long (ish) term injured. If he fails will the fans turn on Potter or might it occur to them that, three coaches in, it's the recruitment and the way the club's run that's the issue?

When we played them the midfield was notably absent so much so Wieffer looked good

 

[oldboyroy]

I think Potter will do very well at West Ham. Top 10 finish is what they expect with entertaining football and I reckon he'll deliver that once he's got his teeth into it!

 

[JBizzle]

I find it interesting to hear the amount of people on this forum saying that West Ham fans are "impatient" and have "expectations that are too high".

I assume they're just dropping in on NSC? Otherwise, I'm sure they'd have seen the ENDLESS threads over the last few weeks about how bad each of our players are (Dunk's too slow, Igor can't run, JP is off form, Estupinan looks rubbish now, Lamptey can't defend, Ayari isn't up to PL level, Adingra has no end product, Mitoma isn't as good as he used to be, why did we even bother signing Gruda, O'Riley and Weiffer, they're all AWFUL), how the manager should be sacked (after less that 6 months). Maybe they weren't at the Brentford game when Brighton fans were booing the team off at full time? Glass houses and all that...

I know loads of West Ham fans through my wife's side of the family, and they just want to watch decent football that isn't "hoof it up to the latest striker we've spent buckets on but is rubbish". I think he'll get time and patience if he's showing that he's trying to improve the style from the turgid football they usually play

 

[severnside gull]

Just noticed his coaching staff confirmation. Billy and Bruno ( boooooo! ) as you would expect. However, no sign of Bjorn Hamberg so have they fallen out?

He went to Feynoord straight after Chelsea as Asst Manager and seems to be doing just fine

 

[luge]

Just noticed his coaching staff confirmation. Billy and Bruno ( boooooo! ) as you would expect. However, no sign of Bjorn Hamberg so have they fallen out?

No Bjorn took up a position in Feyenoord as assistant manager. He's moved his family there - and his selling his house which about 5 doors down from me.

 

[Beanstalk]

6 defeats in a row at the start of a season?!

This is the biggest load of bollocks and rewriting of history I’ve ever seen on here and that’s a high bar!

I mean you're correct in that it is absolutely not true that we started any season with six defeats in a row, we haven't been in the bottom 3 since we got a 0-0 draw at Watford on 26 August 2017.

That said, I'm certain that our 2 wins in our first 18 games of the 20/21 season was without a doubt our worst top flight start. We didn't win a home game that season until January 31st! So the number of defeats aside, which they have clearly got wrong, the poster's point still stands.

 

[luge]

Good luck to GP. He was great for us and it was sickening when he left. Chelsea did him over, which was predictable and that probably fed into all of our anger because everyone could see it was going to happen. I'm over that now.

 

[RandyWanger]

Graham had 2.5 years of patience from us. It only really starting clicking once Caicedo (who he was forced to play) and Mac Allister turned it on.
Leading up to that point, there was an incredible amount of patience through winless runs, abysmal home form and shocking goal scoring stats.

This is the history lesson Brighton fans need.

 

[Swegulls]

I mean you're correct in that it is absolutely not true that we started any season with six defeats in a row, we haven't been in the bottom 3 since we got a 0-0 draw at Watford on 26 August 2017.

That said, I'm certain that our 2 wins in our first 18 games of the 20/21 season was without a doubt our worst top flight start. We didn't win a home game that season until January 31st! So the number of defeats aside, which they have clearly got wrong, the poster's point still stands.

20/21, the season in PL history where the home advantage became away advantage due to Covid?

 

[Krafty]

I do rate Potter as a manager but he will need time and I doubt that West Ham will afford him much of that. It should be interesting to see how West Ham fair for the rest of the season, I’m expecting mid-table stability.

 

[bhafc99]

Out of interest what will be your user name on the West Ham forum ?

Given the east end’s links to things like eels, pie and mash etc, it’s got to be Swedie Pie, surely?

 

[Justice]

I mean you're correct in that it is absolutely not true that we started any season with six defeats in a row, we haven't been in the bottom 3 since we got a 0-0 draw at Watford on 26 August 2017.

That said, I'm certain that our 2 wins in our first 18 games of the 20/21 season was without a doubt our worst top flight start. We didn't win a home game that season until January 31st! So the number of defeats aside, which they have clearly got wrong, the poster's point still stands.

We did lose six in a row in season 2 the longest Albion losing run since MM was driving the bus.