Graham Potter gave a blunt 10-word response to West Ham chants as the pressure starts to get to him following the ridiculous 3-2 defeat at Brighton.
As West Ham plumbed new depths in a dismal season, Graham Potter admitted he has hit a new low – perhaps in his entire managerial career.
Jekyll and Hyde performances have been a recurring theme in Potter’s 15 matches in charge.
West Ham start badly and improve in the second half.
The one consistent, though, is that they usually don’t win regardless – as three victories under the Englishman shows.
Potter quizzed on Fullkrug decision
That was the case again as the Hammers came from being 1-0 down at half-time to lead 2-1 with eight minutes to go only to collapse and lose the game with two goals at the death.
West Ham were booed off as fans vented their frustration – but not for the first time in the afternoon.
Potter had dropped striker Niclas Fullkrug following his honest assessment of the draw with Southampton last weekend.
Angry West Ham fans aimed two chants at Potter over the shock Fullkrug decision.
The big German striker was brought on at half-time and helped the Hammers improve markedly.
But his honest assessment from last week was proved right once again.
Fullkrug had questioned the weak mentality of some of his teammates and said they conceded the late goal because the team retreated and stopped playing football.
That was true again in the Brighton collapse.
What followed was surely a Premier League first after what West Ham and Brighton fans did to Potter.
It clearly got to the under pressure 49-year-old as a journalist filmed raging Potter losing his cool after West Ham’s collapse.
The Hammers boss was in no mood to speak to the press after the game.
Potter’s blunt 10-word response to West Ham chants
But one reporter did manage to ask a direct question about the Fullkrug fan chants aimed at him.
And a BBC commentator also spoke to Potter off camera about the situation.
Potter offered a blunt 10-word response to the West Ham chants as the BBC commentator shares what he told him off camera.
In an awkward exchange, Potter was asked whether he heard three different chants aimed at him by West Ham fans regarding Fullkrug.
Cleary he did judging by his spiky response.
“They’re entitled to sing what they want,” Potter said, as recorded by INMR Football.
“That’s it,” he added when making it clear he had nothing more to say on the matter.
“No (he wasn’t dropped for outburst),” he said when pressed whether Fullkrug was benched over his comments last week.
That was echoed by BBC commentator John Roder.
The experienced broadcaster was speaking on Match of the Day when he lifted the lid on what Potter told him privately about his West Ham team selection.
BBC commentator shares what Potter told him off camera
“In the three changes for West Ham, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Aaron Wan-Bisakka and Tomas Soucek all start,” Roder said.
“Niclas Fullkrug drops to the bench, Potter says that is not as a result of the German’s forthright views in a post-match interview last weekend.”
Clearly not all of West Ham’s problems are of Potter’s making.
He took over a mess from the hapless Julen Lopetegui.
But there is no disputing the fact West Ham have been even worse under him – certainly in terms of results.
It has been so bad that had David Sullivan got his way and appointed Potter on the six-month contract he originally offered – before Everton came in and forced West Ham to match their offer of a two-and-a-half-year deal – then there is every chance the ex Chelsea boss would not be retained come the summer.
For relations between fans and the manager to have reached this level of tension already does not bode well for next season if Potter does stay.
