Graham Potter has attracted some words of criticism from Hammers fans online following their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Monday night.
Potter appeared to have a lot of fans on board following his arrival, bringing refreshing interviews and a decent style of football against the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Despite admitting that West Ham didn’t deserve a win on Monday, the boss was still full of praise for his side’s character and personality in the game. He said: “We defended with real commitment, the personality on the pitch was there.
“I’m disappointed for the players because they put such a lot into it that you’d like them to get something from it.”
While there aren’t exactly cries of ‘Potter out’ this early on, West Ham fans certainly didn’t hold back in expressing their frustration with Potter’s post-match interview on X, following a lacklustre performance from the Hammers:
Sorry, graham, but last night was poor against a side who didn’t get out of 2nd gear.
Don’t be stubborn like the rest…
— E20ZoneTv (@E20WHU) March 11, 2025
Mr Potter. It’s time to ditch the one dimensional midfield 3 sitting in front of a back 5.
This team is set up more negatively than a Moyes side
Take the handbrake off
— The Biased Hammer (@thebiasedhammer) March 11, 2025
Gave it their all? Do me a favour! The first 2 minutes maybe but after that, NOTHING! You’ve had 11 days to come up with something and we were served up that? No money to spend next season means a relegation battle incoming 😡
— ⚒ Lewis – alias Craven Moorehead ⚒ (@ClaretBluBlood) March 11, 2025
Is Graham Potter criticism fair?
Fans on social media can be very reactionary after a defeat and that comes as part and parcel of the game, but some of the comments do feel warranted, as it was a game in which West Ham did not cause Newcastle any problems at all following an early chance from Tomas Soucek.
While I know managers will nearly always defend their players as opposed to throwing them under the bus, Potter saying that he believes ‘players are giving everything’ and that ‘the individual performance was strong’ after a game in which West Ham had just two shots on target is what will understandably infuriate Hammers fans.
It feels unfair to point fingers at the manager for a pretty underwhelming string of results since he’s joined the club, as it’s clear the quality in the side is not good enough.
He needs time and a transfer window where he can bring in players he thinks will suit his style, although there have been decisions he has made which will definitely have raised some eyebrows since his arrival.
A midfield of Soucek, Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse lacks creativity, and this would have certainly been a factor as to why only one big chance was created by the Hammers in a game in which they had more possession.
It does make you wonder why Potter didn’t opt to use Evan Ferguson as a focal point up front, which would then ultimately allow Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen to create more and have an outlet in the game as opposed to being isolated up front.
It will be interesting to see how much will be changed in West Ham’s final trip to Goodison Park this weekend, and whether Potter can win over some Hammers fans after a rather disappointing display.