Graham Potter: Is the ex-Chelsea boss a good fit for West Ham?

A former defender at clubs such as Birmingham, Stoke and West Brom, Potter first gained recognition as a manager after guiding Swedish fourth-tier side Ostersunds FK to three promotions in five seasons. His seven-year spell also included a first major trophy with the Swedish Cup and a place in the Europa League, where they famously beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium but lost the last 32 tie 4-2 on aggregate.

It was an unconventional route for an English manager, but one that took him to Swansea in 2018 and Brighton a year later, before joining Chelsea in 2022.

Amidst previous jobs at Tottenham and Everton, Potter said he will never be considered a “sexy” manager, saying: “It’s hard to be a sexy name when you’re called Potter, especially if your first name is Graham. Then it becomes even more difficult. Add to that a long face and a ginger beard and all that, and I just have to stick to being a football coach and working with the players.

Potter, often described as a compassionate and thoughtful coach, cemented himself as one of the game’s most exciting prospects at Brighton – where he was charged with turning them from a consistently relegation-threatened side into a stable Premier League club with a more adventurous style. game.

Former Seagulls forward Glenn Murray played under him and said Potter was a “thoughtful manager” who “carefully studies every opponent”.

“He knows exactly what he wants but he wants feedback from the players. It’s a collective rather than a dictatorship,” Murray added.

“One thing that really struck me about him, which he probably doesn’t get enough credit for, is that we were a team that was in survival mode in the Premier League.

“He managed to change the culture and change the style of play. It’s not an easy thing to do while remaining stable.”

Amid the focus on tactically dogmatic coaches such as Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim, Murray said Potter’s style was “fluid” and he was not opposed to making changes in formation or tactics during a match.

“When I played under him we would change formations two or three times in a single afternoon, which is quite a skill to be able to get your players to understand everything you want from them and be able to change in the game,” he admitted. .

While Brighton have achieved greater things since Potter left the Amex – playing in Europe under Roberto de Zerbi after finishing sixth in the Premier League – sources at the Seagulls have suggested the Italian boss benefited greatly from the work Potter had done under his efforts.

Off the pitch, Brighton sources said Potter was a “deep thinker” and a “very intelligent guy” who cares about the world. He once spent a night on the streets to raise awareness about homelessness and has a master’s degree in management.