Nobody waking up this morning wants to read more anti-board ranting or negativity regarding [West Ham United.](https://www.claretandhugh.info/romano-drops-bombshell-as-west-ham-reduce-potter-hit-list/) But the statement put out last night has not been especially well received: Most commentators and newspapers don’t know what to make of it. And that, in a nutshell, is the problem.
**It isn’t a personal message from the Chairman or even the vice Chairman**. **It isn’t ‘signed’ by the club owner or a director. It is a ‘corporate “_West Ham United wishes._..”message devoid of personality or identity. Sounds like the stadium.**
But the muddled messages sent out regarding their football manager highlight the worthlessness of the whole thirteen hundred plus words and typify the tone of the statement.
On one hand, ‘the club’ makes the thinly veiled threat to Potter regarding results:”W_e accept that results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves. Nobody at the Club is satisfied with that and the Board of Directors have spent a great deal of time looking at the decisions that have been made across the football operation”._
One paragraph later and Potter is being lauded as part of their foundations for the way forwards:
_“We have appointed Graham Potter as our new Head Coach. His role is to build and develop a first-team squad in line with the Club’s identity and objectives, with a continued focus on integrating young players from our Academy.”_ as if that should make fans feel ‘grateful’ – for two home wins in twenty five games.
And so it goes on. Instead of being out of step with the failing Potter, this management-speak self justifying waffle could have been written by him, full of buzzwords and phrases: “_Our Head Coach has made clear his philosophy of developing an environment of trust and togetherness, built on the values that underpin the identity of our football club including the importance of creating a pathway to the first team for our young Academy players. “_
Except he hasn’t. He’s failed on all fronts. I shan’t parrot all the woeful statistics of West Ham’s twenty five games under Potter: It’s all too obvious. It’s like the story of the Emperor’s new clothes. “West Ham” still clearly believe Potter to be dressed in the finest football manager robes whilst every fan can see he’s wrapped up in a whole management-speak dictionary of nothing.
As is their statement. A whole load of self justifying nothingness. And it makes me a little bit sad.