It’s safe to say Graham Potter would be West Ham manager right now had it not been for the fortunate win over Wolves.
But that may well be the case in the next week or so with West Ham’s owners demanding results in tough games against Bournemouth and Brighton.
Julen Lopetegui remains Hammers boss for now after the 2-1 victory over Wolves.
Most West Ham fans remain totally unconvinced he is the right man for the job, though.
The club’s hierarchy weren’t happy with the performance against Wolves.
Many felt it was actually worse than in the 3-1 defeat at Leicester which saw supporters turn on Lopetegui and call for his sacking.
A host of reputable sources, including Jacob Steinberg and Sami Mokbel, have claimed the Spaniard’s job is still very much on the line in the coming games.
A poor defeat at Bournemouth could see the axe fall.
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Especially as a top board source revealed after Leicester that only four wins in a row against Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton would save the 58-year-old’s job.
It’s been claimed ahead of the trip to the Vitality that a host of key West Ham stars still want out unless the manager leaves.
Julen Lopetegui, Manager of West Ham United looks on ahead of the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at...
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Potter lined up with Lopetegui still on brink at West Ham
The owners are angry with Lopetegui for that reason and have warned him he must get them back onside or face the consequences.
West Ham’s hierarchy were split six different ways on six different managers when they met to decide Lopetegui’s future.
It’s claimed Lopetegui was given one more chance to buy them time to agree on a replacement and convince them to take over on a deal until the end of the season.
Hours before kick-off against Wolves, it emerged that Graham Potter had agreed to take over at West Ham.
“Potter has agreed to take the job on a short-term deal until end of the season, when Lopetegui leaves,” Graeme Bailey told Hammers News.
Bailey’s claim was also repeated by talkSPORT in a piece headlined ‘Ready’.
The report stated Potter has agreed to take the reins if and when Lopetegui’s time is up.
It said ‘Potter is now ready to return to the dugout’ and sees West Ham as ‘the right opportunity’ even on an initial short-term deal.
Paul Merson believes Lopetegui is close to the sack at West Ham ahead of what he thinks will be a chastening defeat to Bournemouth.
Vice-chairman Karren Brady had been pushing hard for Potter, who is good friends with her husband Paul Peschisolido.
The potential appointment has divided West Ham fans, though.
Many believe the ex Brighton and Swansea boss would be the perfect man to get West Ham playing the kind of football fans want to see.
Others point to his time at Chelsea – and the fact he’s been out of work for 20 months and counting – as a reason to steer clear.
Graham Potter ahead of the Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United at King Power Stadium on December 3, 2024 in Leicester, ...
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
West Ham will want to hear manager’s brilliant Potter rant
So West Ham will want to hear a Premier League manager’s brilliant rant about Potter.
Southampton boss Russell Martin is know for having strident views on the game and not being afraid to air them.
Just yesterday he was honest about West Ham’s chances of signing Saints’ star player Tyler Dibling.
Martin was defending Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou from criticism when he segued into a rant defending West Ham target Potter.
And it will make for very interesting listening for those Hammers fans who may not be convinced.
“Every manager that sits behind a team has some form of beliefs,” Martin said, as posted by Optus Sports.
“And some form of value system and what they deem as acceptable or what they want to see, what they won’t compromise on, what the non-negotiables are.
Martin stands up for reputation of Hammers target Potter
“But the only ones who are criticised, are the ones who are a little bit different from the norm.
“So if we all believed the same thing, I think it would be pretty boring, but it would be less open to criticism…
“It’s (criticism of Postecoglou) so similar to Graham Potter when he went in at Chelsea. Everything he got praise and credit for at Brighton, he then got criticised for at Chelsea.
“So he went from being calm, studious, really brave in his approach at Brighton to then managing a team with a different expectation and then all of a sudden he didn’t show enough passion on the sideline.
“And was too emotionally consistent and all this nonsense. It’s exactly the same.”
The most empassioned defence of Ange Postecoglou's methods and style comes from a rival Premier League coach 😲
Listen as Southampton's Russel Martin puts his support behind the Australian manager. pic.twitter.com/XqwQaUFUzM
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 13, 2024
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Martin also states that managers like Potter should not deviate from the approach and principles that got them to where they are in the game.
If Potter is the man to take over at West Ham then it won’t take much to get fans back onside.
All Hammers supporters want to see is a team with some identity, some patterns of play that make sense.
A team that is less naïve and open at the back but plays on the front foot with an attack-minded approach.
If Potter does come in and deliver that over the rest of the season then he could expect that contract to be extended as Hammers fans will be lapping it up.
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