West Ham United have sacked Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui after a series of terrible performances in the Premier League and appointed Graham Potter as their new manager. Lopetegui was appointed as the West Ham manager on 23rd May 2024 after the club decided to part ways with David Moyes. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year but was sacked without even completing one season. This article talks about Graham Potter being appointed as the new manager after Julen Lopetegui was sacked and what West Ham fans can look forward to under Potter.
Credit: BBC
Graham Potter started his managerial career in 2008 when he took over as the manager of Northern Counties East League Division One side Leeds Carnegie F.C. Potter led the team to the third round of the FA Vase and third place in the 2009/10 Northern Counties East League season. In December 2010, the English manager signed a three-year contract to become the manager of Swedish football club Ostersunds. He left Leeds Carnegie and officially started working with his new club on 24th January 2011.
Potter spent around eight years at this club, helping Ostersunds develop into a fantastic team while developing his managerial skills and gaining first-hand experience in the world of football management. The English manager’s tactics and performances soon caught the eye of some well-known English clubs, and Graham Potter was appointed as the manager of the newly relegated Championship club Swansea City on 11th June 2018. However, as it turned out, Potter ended up spending just one season with Swansea City before moving on.
Graham Potter’s rise to prominence caught the eye of various Premier League clubs, and Brighton & Hove Albion, which had recently fired its manager, decided to sign a new and exciting manager to run the team. It was while managing Brighton in the Premier League that Graham Potter gained most of his fame and acclaim. While some people questioned whether a manager with such less top-flight experience would be able to manage a Premier League side, Potter showed the world his capability, turning Brighton into a fast-paced attacking side to be reckoned with.
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The English manager is famous for employing variable formations, changing between a 3-5-2, 4-4-2, and 4-3-3 depending on the situation. This helped his teams play flexible football, seamlessly transitioning from defence to attack and putting pressure on the opponents. Potter’s tenure at Brighton was highly successful, and Chelsea decided to bring him to the club after they parted ways with Thomas Tuchel. This was the biggest role Potter had gotten in his career, but he failed to impress under the spotlight.
Graham Potter was unable to have the same impact at Chelsea as he had made at Brighton, and after facing huge scrutiny from the media and the fans, Potter was sacked by the club on 2nd April 2023 following a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. The English manager has since patiently waited for a chance to make a comeback, but he was not awarded one until recently. No one knows whether this was due to clubs not wanting him or Potter wanting to take a break, but now that he has signed with West Ham, he is officially back in the Premier League.
Welcome to east London, Graham Potter ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/6lKWvusr3u
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 9, 2025
West Ham fans are very excited to see what Potter can do with the club after watching frustrating football under Lopetegui. With Graham Potter at the helm, West Ham fans can anticipate a renewed sense of optimism. A clear vision, characterised by an attacking brand of football and greater emphasis on player development, suggests a more promising future for the club. However, Potter will need to stabilise the team first before he can start building for the future and help his team perform as well as they can for the remainder of this season.
Potter’s management style fosters a positive team atmosphere. His emphasis on collaboration and unity will resonate well within West Ham’s dressing room. This is especially important after a turbulent period under pressure, where team morale may have taken a hit. With an approachable managerial style, Potter is likely to rebuild trust and camaraderie among players, which often translates to improved performances on the pitch. This is an important juncture, not only for West Ham but also for Graham Potter, who will want to take this opportunity to show the world that he still has it and is capable of managing some of the top teams in the world.
For more news and updates on the Premier League, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.
Guransh Machra is a sportswriter at Gutshot Magazine. He covers football news from local leagues like the Indian Super League as well as international leagues like the Premier League. He follows various sports like Football, Cricket, Formula 1, and Tennis. Apart from sports, Guransh is also enthusiastic about reading and gaming.
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