Graham Potter has been tasked to rebuild his reputation with the ever volatile West Ham United, a club where more is demanded but seldom received. The season starts with a trip to a team that have long awaited their return to the top tier, but he wants a sharp start with "no free hits" to fall back on.
‘The characters have been top’
Potter is happy with how the Hammers are looking heading into his first full season with the club.
“I’m excited. it's been a positive preseason for us. As much as you can talk about positive preseasons, you can't beat the first day, the first game. We’re super excited, a great game for us in what I'm sure is going to be a fantastic atmosphere. This is a big test, but we're ready and we're looking forward to it.”
After spending last year on loan at Bristol City, one of the club's brightest prospects is out of action. He is on the sidelines with a dynamic winger from the first team because of ankle ligament damage.
“We've still got Crysencio Summerville in the last stages of his rehab, so he won't be available, but he's getting really close, so that's good for us. George Earthy still had an injury that he sustained early in the preseason phase. Apart from those two, we're pretty much close to full availability.”
The Englishman expressed his confidence in the options available to pick from this weekend.
“We're really happy with what we've done so far. In terms of the group I think we're in a good place. We're happy with the numbers we've got: a nice mix of young and old players and good characters.”
The Hammers have followed through on an obligation to buy Jean-Clair Todibo for £32.8 million this summer. The manager mentioned four of the newcomers whom he has enjoyed working with.
“We're excited with what we have: ElHadji Malick Diouf*** and Mads Hermansen, young players I think that have got a lot of years ahead of them. Kyle Walker-Peters comes in the middle with some real experience and quality. Callum Wilson brings knowhow and experience that is invaluable.”*
The 50-year-old is not writing off the idea that the club could bring in even more men over the next fortnight. However, he is not desperate for bodies and believes that the right characters are essential.
“As a four, they have all really integrated into the group. The characters have been top, personality is fantastic. The trick now is to be able to carry on improving. That’s the thing. It's not a case of signing anybody. We need to make sure we sign the right people, the right players to help the team improve.”
‘We have to bring new energy into the team’
The squad will be without Mohamed Kudus, who moved for £55 million to Tottenham Hotspur.
His second season was not as explosive as the year he shone under David Moyes, but he has already shown for Spurs how his individuality, physique, and balance can bring a very different dimension.
“Whenever players move on, it's hard to directly replace because everybody's unique. Everybody has their own attributes. We have to think about what's right for us as a team going forward. How best we get the best and the most out of our players and we've got really good attacking options now.”
Three faithful servants have also departed. Aaron Cresswell signed for Stoke City after 11 years in East London, Michail Antonio is a free agent after a decade at the club, and Lukasz Fabianski exited following seven years in the squad. Potter portrayed this as part and parcel of the game.
“You have to make these difficult decisions sometimes and whilst you of course respect and are grateful for the service that these guys have given the club has to move on. That's part of life. That's part of professional sport. We have to bring new energy into the team, which I think we've done.”
The manager has to be sure of his squad members from the off. He might only have overseen the outfit from January, but a 14th placed finish left fans disgruntled, and the pressure will be on.
“In my experience, there are no free hits in this business. That's for sure. You're under scrutiny. You're under pressure. You have to be assessed. You have to be judged and that's absolutely fine. It's about doing the right thing for the club, right thing for the team. I’m excited about the challenge ahead.”
The most celebrated work of the 50-year-old was at Brighton, but Potter sees West Ham as a huge club, and he is excited about trying to take the team towards the heights that its reputation deserves.
“You can over you can do more than what your budget suggests you can do. To start with, you have to be aligned, behind an idea, together. You have to be ready to work hard every day. Think about steady improvements. My experience has taught me that you can overachieve and can do special things.”
‘He’s a top player’
**Sunderland**have been through hell to arrive at this point. They suffered relegation in 2017 from the top tier, and a second straight demotion dumped them in League One. They lost a playoff final in 2019 and then stumbled to their worst ever league finish, eighth place in the third tier in 2020.
Potter spoke about his experiences of managing Swansea City and the challenges of the lower tiers.
*“I know firsthand how difficult it is when a team's relegated from the Premier League, the challenges that clubs face and if things don't go well and expectation and reality don't match, it can be tough.”*
At the second attempt, they won the playoff final in 2022 to return to the Championship, and it took another playoff final victory to get the better of Sheffield United in the race to return to the topflight.
*“They're back in the Premier League. They'll bring that excitement and that positivity to the game.”*
The Black Cats have been eager to splash the cash. Habib Diarra represents a club record deal from **Strasbourg**for a fee of £30 million, Simon Adingra arrived from **Brighton**for £21 million, and Enzo La Fee, a lieutenant of Regis Le Bris at Lorient, has left **AS Roma**for good for £19.3 million.
The board has also brought in Granit Xhaka. He was the former captain of **Arsenal**and an integral puzzle piece for Xabi Alonso on the way to a maiden **Bundesliga**title and invincible domestic double for Bayer Leverkusen in 2024. His leadership earmarked him to take the armband from the get-go.
“He's a top player: that's for sure. Great experience, great quality, great leadership. So I'm sure he's going to bring all his experiences and they've been mostly positive, all of his experiences to help Sunderland. We respect that. We understand that. For us, it's about what we can do and how we can play. And we need to make sure that we match the intensity and the positivity of that environment.”