A 1–0 loss to Wolves last night, against a team sitting just one place below West Ham in the league, leaves Graham Potter’s record across both the FA Cup and Premier League standing at: played eleven, won three, drawn two, and lost six.
The statistics are concerning. The Hammers rank among the lowest in the league for goals per game, sitting sixth from bottom, having scored just ten goals in eleven matches. Even more worrying, they rank bottom of the league for goals per shot — with the lowest conversion percentage in the top flight.
This pattern of underperformance isn’t exclusive to Potter’s time at the club. Under Julen Lopetegui, across 22 games, West Ham managed just seven wins, five draws and ten losses.
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What is particularly troubling is the sheer volume of goals conceded. In 2024 alone, West Ham shipped 79 goals — the worst record of any club — including under David Moyes, who built his reputation on solid defences and disciplined counter-attacking play.
Potter has shifted to a more possession-based style, which has seen a reduction in goals conceded, but at the expense of any meaningful attacking threat. To implement this, he has generally deployed a back five with three holding midfielders.
Historical comparisons show a familiar pattern in Potter’s teams. During the 2021/22 season at Brighton, his side ranked 16th for goals scored but 6th for goals conceded. Under his successor, Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton finished 6th for goals scored but dropped to 15th for goals conceded. In terms of shots per game, Potter’s Brighton ranked 13th — De Zerbi’s ranked 5th.
So it’s now three managers in a row who have struggled at West Ham since the start of 2024, despite considerable spending and a varied squad.
In 2024/25, West Ham had the 16th highest net spend in the world (excluding Saudi Arabia) — €144.4m.
Regarding defensive reinforcements, Lopetegui was able to bring in Aaron Wan-Bissaka at full-back and had a choice of two new centre-backs in Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman — a combined spend of around £90m. Potter has since added young prospect Ollie Scarles into the mix.
West Ham's unsung hero Max Kilman
West Ham spent big on defenders
Lack of a meaningful attack
The striker issue, meanwhile, remains unresolved. There’s been an over-reliance on Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen to cover the No.9 role. Potter has shown reluctance to use Evan Ferguson, and the young striker hasn’t made a strong case in his rare appearances. Niclas Füllkrug, a £27m summer signing, has been plagued by injuries, but could yet play a key role if fit.
Altogether, this suggests there are bigger, systemic issues at West Ham. Moyes struggled in his final year, Lopetegui failed to turn the tide, and now Potter finds himself in similar territory.
Some fans have already begun to call for Potter’s departure. Others believe he deserves time to implement his vision and build a squad in his image.
After the Wolves defeat, Potter admitted: “We have to do better. I have to do better.” A sentiment echoed by everyone watching his progress — or lack thereof — at West Ham.