Graham Potter has been at West Ham for less than three months but some fans are already unhappy.
There has been no honeymoon period for Graham Potter on his return to football with West Ham.
Six defeats and just three wins from his 11 games so far and being sat 16th in the Premier League is all the evidence needed of that.
But the Hammers losing to the only team below them outside the bottom three rings alarm bells.
Not least because Wolves were much the better side overall against West Ham.
And Potter’s tactics and team selection raised eyebrows.
No Potter magic act for West Ham
West Ham have been a painful watch for the best part of three years bar their memorable Europa Conference League run.
But they are getting worse not better.
Potter has made the team more compact in a bid to stop conceding a hatful of goals every week.
Up the other end, though, there is no worse team in the Premier League than West Ham.
The Hammers have scored a pathetic 10 goals in Potter’s 11 games.
West Ham have the lowest shots and lowest chances created since he replaced the hapless Julen Lopetegui in January.
The Englishman said the Spaniard left a defensive mess behind for him to clean up and that it had impacted the work he could do on the attacking side of West Ham’s game.
Managers always bemoan a lack of time on the training field with their players to get their ideas across in the jam-packed schedule.
But there can be no such excuses for Potter.
West Ham have played just two games in 33 days and have had long breaks between matches due to their early cup exits and lack of jeopardy in their season.
Most rational Hammers fans won’t judge the manager until he has brought his own players in this summer.
Potter handed damning nickname by disgruntled West Ham fans
The first of those from the January window looks questionable, though, with Evan Ferguson arguably the worst player on the pitch at Molineux.
How West Ham have fallen from the heady days under David Moyes to a team lacking in personality, character, leadership, pace, power, guile and dynamism is anyone’s guess.
Supporters have put up with some dismal football and results over the last 19 months.
And patience is already wearing thin among many towards the new manager.
Potter has been handed a damning nickname by disgruntled West Ham fans just three months in.
And it’s not very flattering – or particularly imaginative, like West Ham’s team.
Some Hammers fans on social media are calling their new manager ‘Graham Lopetegui’.
They feel there is very little difference with some questioning whether Potter is all that much of an upgrade on the ex Spain boss.
Big Hammers account West Ham Central simply said: “Graham Lopetegui”.
Before then adding: “Wolves creating multiple passing patterns around us. We get it, panic and lose it. Mavropanos, loses it constantly, Ferguson, awful. Shape, awful. Tactics, awful.”
That was met with some West Ham fans defending Potter, pointing out most of the club’s woeful midfield were all Moyes players.
West Ham News fails to see any improvement since the change of manager.
“Have we actually improved much since Lopetegui?” West Ham News said.
“Defensively yes, but that’s only because we often play a back five followed by three holding mids
most weeks. Which comes at the cost of barely creating a chance most games.
Another West Ham answered, saying: “Nope. Just parked the bus and made it look a bit tighter. Equally likely to lose games though.”
Hammers boss dubbed ‘Graham Lopetegui’
COYIrons says Potter is lucky he did not take over with relegation a realistic threat.
“Played off the park by the only team below us that’s not in the relegation places. We are very lucky that there’s three worse sides than us in the league this season because we are shocking.”
All Sports View says there is no difference between Potter, Lopetegui or Moyes thus far.
“Potter, currently, is not different to Moyes and Lopetegui. Set’s up not to lose. So boring. I yearn for the day a West Ham board has the balls to appoint a dynamic, progressive coach rather than these safety first cowards.”
CostiaWHU wants West Ham to change manager again in the summer.
“Can we cancel the two years on Potter’s contract and just start over with Michael Carrick or Will Still please?”
Another West Ham supporter feels Potter is not the answer.
“Rubbish game, Rubbish team, picked wrong team, nothing up front. Potter struggles to create chances in this team.”
That sparked agreement from a fellow Hammer who stated Potter is like Lopetegui in that he is having to make so many changes as a result of poor initial team selection.
“Like Lopetegui – Potter is constantly having to make changes because his starting 11 and tactics are wrong! I can honestly see no difference in play – we’re absolutely woeful!”
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