Graham Potter is the favourite in the ‘next Premier League manager to be sacked’ betting markets, which is no surprise given how broken he looked in the wake of West Ham‘s shocking 5-1 defeat at home to his former club Chelsea.
How did it come to this?
It wasn’t so long ago that Potter was viewed as one of the brightest talents in English coaching, widely tipped to be Gareth Southgate’s successor as England manager when the job came up.
The former Brighton and Chelsea manager was free and available when Southgate stepped down following Euro 2024, but the call never came.
“I spoke to lots of teams and lots of clubs but it was recognising that journey [he had been on as a coach] was a long journey, a tough journey,” Potter said after being recognised with an honorary doctorate by Leeds Beckett University last summer.
“Unless the right opportunity came along I wasn’t rushing to go back into football. It had to be right for me.
“I spoke to a few clubs but it wasn’t the right thing. It was important I was patient and waited for the right opportunity and took the time with the family to reflect and think about what I wanted to do.
“Now I’m in that good place where I’m happy to be ready and looking forward to the next challenge.”
When he appeared on Monday Night Football last October, he looked enthusiastic, energetic and ready to get back in the game.
You do wonder, as he stared down a gaggle of braying journalists in the wake of West Ham’s latest chastening defeat, whether this was the ‘right opportunity’ after all.
Brighton are widely regarded as one of the most well-run clubs in Europe, with an exemplary track record in player recruitment. In hindsight, it was the perfect environment for Potter to bolster his coaching credentials, as with his successors Roberto De Zerbi and Fabian Hurzeler.
On the flipside, you look at West Ham’s squad and you wonder if they might be the diametrical opposite of Brighton when it comes to signing the right players.
As one Arsenal writer succinctly questioned some time around Chelsea’s dagger-deepening fourth and fifth… What on earth did West Ham spend the Declan Rice money on?
Potter had spoken of being “re-energised” during his sabbatical, but it hasn’t taken long at West Ham for him to look as frayed as he did in his lowest moments at Chelsea.
“You are under pressure all the time in these jobs,” Potter told reporters in his post-match press conference.
“In this situation, that is how it is. I know the territory, I know what comes with poor results and I accept that responsibility.
“It was too easy to score against us so I take my responsibility and I have to do better. That is the case with all the players. They are honest and want to do more than they are at the moment.”
There was a point midway through the press conference where Potter had a terse exchange with a journalist, presumably The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg.
Graham Potter was getting annoyed in his post-match press conference! pic.twitter.com/IGdbUJO8TP
— BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) August 22, 2025
“I don’t want to say it’s a lack of fight, I know the players care and are desperate to do well,” he added.
“I know they want to do better than we are. Sometimes in football and life you hit a patch and no doubt about it, it has been a tough week. We have had a smash on the nose.”
For the most part, Potter remained calm and spoke honestly about the challenges facing the Hammers, but it was a difficult watch – recalling another of his defeats to a former club, his infamous “do you want me to swear?” tailspin at Brighton back in April.
We’ll have to wait and see how things play out from here.
But we’ve seen these kinds of post-match press conferences before, and they rarely signal anything good coming around the corner.
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