West Ham Online

Posted: **08 Jan 2025, 11:28**

https://www.whufc.com/news/graham-potte ... head-coach

In the past he's favoured a 3-4-3 formation...hard to see how we can do that currently with only 3 senior CBs, one of whom is injured. He's also played wingers (Solly March as an example) in the wing back roles.

Typically when a 3-4-3 gets announced on a match day the manager is immediately described as being too negative, too cautious etc. I guess it depends on the composition of the 4.

He's given young players chances...hopefully that continues at West Ham.

Welcome Graham.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 11:12**

Anyway, I digress. Pretty happy with Potter - we could have done a lot worse.

Let's all hope he does a great job, and that the club fixes the other stuff that needs fixing.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 11:08**

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 11:02
southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:59 The other thing Steidten needs to do is make sure he's overseeing a transfer programme in which we get value for money. Whoever made the call (and it was probably mostly Lopetegui, due to his Wolves connection), everybody at the club should be embarrassed by the £40m fee for Kilman and a (so far) astronomical fee for an absent Brazilian teenager who isn't ready for the first team.

You don't bring in a technical director with a lot of power over transfers simply to drive UP the price of bang average players.

Now that the manager's role is sorted (for a while at least) attention needs to turn to what Steidten actually brings to the table.

Wasn't the whole point of Guilherme that he's for the future and not now?

It's too easy to say that, though, Scorch. We spent first-team money - big money by our standards - on the kid and almost nobody has made an assessment of whether he will reach the required standard. By most accounts that are out there, he's not ready for the Premier League. He's barely kicked a ball for us, and nobody even knows if he's Championship standard just yet.

Sure, it might work - in which case, fair play to Steidten and the player (of course). But on who's advice have we spent the best part of £20m on an unknown teenager?

Personally, I think we could have done more with that money.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 11:07**

, wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:49 So what happens next January 2026 if we are 14th in the table with 23 points from 20 games?

We blame Flopetegui for the clusterfuck he created and do some satanic shit with salt and pentagrams to curse him with an unscratchable enternal ball itch.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 11:05**

To be clear, I'm not against Steidten or a technical director per se.

But his early tenure seems to have been characterised by a distant and dysfunctional relationship with managers, an obsession with his own celebrity status and the trappings of the football industry, and the procurement of many overpriced players who aren't that great.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 11:02**

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:59 The other thing Steidten needs to do is make sure he's overseeing a transfer programme in which we get value for money. Whoever made the call (and it was probably mostly Lopetegui, due to his Wolves connection), everybody at the club should be embarrassed by the £40m fee for Kilman and a (so far) astronomical fee for an absent Brazilian teenager who isn't ready for the first team.

You don't bring in a technical director with a lot of power over transfers simply to drive UP the price of bang average players.

Now that the manager's role is sorted (for a while at least) attention needs to turn to what Steidten actually brings to the table.

Wasn't the whole point of Guilherme that he's for the future and not now?

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 11:00**

It’s the heavy defeats that did for Jalopy. I still think that he would have been sacked at the end of the season but if we had shown some sort of pattern and gumption in those defeats such that we looked as if we were in with a chance I think that he would still be here.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:59**

The other thing Steidten needs to do is make sure he's overseeing a transfer programme in which we get value for money. Whoever made the call (and it was probably mostly Lopetegui, due to his Wolves connection), everybody at the club should be embarrassed by the £40m fee for Kilman and a (so far) astronomical fee for an absent Brazilian teenager who isn't ready for the first team.

You don't bring in a technical director with a lot of power over transfers simply to drive UP the price of bang average players.

Now that the manager's role is sorted (for a while at least) attention needs to turn to what Steidten actually brings to the table.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:57**

, wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:49 So what happens next January 2026 if we are 14th in the table with 23 points from 20 games?

God not this again…

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:53**

, wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:49 So what happens next January 2026 if we are 14th in the table with 23 points from 20 games?

Will probably depend on all the other things going on...is there a direction of travel, does the team look coherent, are performances looking better than results suggest, etc.

Plus we'll probably still be paying off Lopetegui, and it's Karen Brady's hubbies mate. So maybe he'll get a bit longer....let's just hope it's a hyperthetical.wuestion that doesn't need answering.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:52**

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:43 Somebody needs to tell Tim Steidten that we're not fucking interested in his Insta pics of him flying around in private jets to hob-nob with high-profile wankers who won't join us anyway.

I don't care if he ends up on the Number 25 bus to Romford, providing he lands the right players and staff with the right mentalities.

He needs to focus on outcomes, not his luxurious personal inputs.

Tbf, didn't he stop doing that with the jet in the last window.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:51**

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:43 Somebody needs to tell Tim Steidten that we're not fucking interested in his Insta pics of him flying around in private jets to hob-nob with high-profile wankers who won't join us anyway.

I don't care if he ends up on the Number 25 bus to Romford, providing he lands the right players and staff with the right mentalities.

He needs to focus on outcomes, not his luxurious personal inputs.

I think in fairness quite a few have been revelling in those pics....I mean there was even a song instigated about it.

I tend to agree with you though.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:49**

So what happens next January 2026 if we are 14th in the table with 23 points from 20 games?

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:43**

Somebody needs to tell Tim Steidten that we're not fucking interested in his Insta pics of him flying around in private jets to hob-nob with high-profile wankers who won't join us anyway.

I don't care if he ends up on the Number 25 bus to Romford, providing he lands the right players and staff with the right mentalities.

He needs to focus on outcomes, not his luxurious personal inputs.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:40**

There's a lot of mess to unpick, and I'm not expecting that he'll be able to do it all in the January transfer window.

Between them, Loperegui and Steidten (and possiby Sullivan) quickly created a scattergun mess last summer - on top of a very stale recruitment programme under Moyes (ageing squad etc). I hope Potter is given the scope and opportunity to put it right.

There's a lot to do and, unfortunately, it will take time.

The Steidten thing needs sorting. I don't know exactly how much input Lopetegui did or didn't have on various signings. But we can't afford another period where we massively overpay for the likes of Kilman and Rodriguez (wages), proven crocks like Fullkrug and expensive kids who aren't ready like Guilherme. The manager and technical director have to work closely and do better.

I hope Potter brings a sensible approach to these things. But who knows?

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:38**

I think the point around building a team the supporters can recognise is an important one. Something we’ve lacked. Moyes didn’t give a shit what we thought, certainly toward the end at least, it was his way and the fans don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about, and unfortunately, Lopetegui didn’t seem to know what he was trying to build.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:36**

Whilst it is only words.... All I can say is, if his career at West Ham goes as well as his first interview then he will do very well. I really hope he does. He has my full support. Let's fucking do this.....

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:32**

Lee Trundle" wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:14 He speaks the right game.

He was never my choice, but I feel a whole lot better with this appointment than I did over Lopetegui.

Exactly how I feel, Trunds.

He's a decent appointment, even if I'd probably have looked elsewhere. It's rare that we get a candidate everybody wants. He's got some fire in his belly after Chelsea - feels his reputation was damaged there and wants to set that right. I like that motivation.

Let's see what he brings. He's our manager now, so I hope he tears it up. I sort of feel how I did when we appointed Pardew: he's still young-ish (still in his 40s), gets the club and wants to prove himself.

Although I hope he can keep his pants on.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:26**

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 08:57
Russ of the BML" wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 08:44
Massive Attack" wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 08:02
Stop cutting corners, you.. Left them in 4th after just 6 games and De Zerbi over the course of the majority of the same season got them 6th. The previous season Potter also got off to a flying start in 4th spot in the League after a few games, only for them to finish in 9th place. Brighton also narrowly got knocked out on pens in the FA Cup Semi Final to Man Utd under De Zerbi where they got knocked out in early rounds of both Cups the season before under Potter.

You seriously also suggesting he did a better job at Chelsea having left them in 11th after being sacked than where they ended up finishing in 6th the following season under Pochettino?

All due respect mate. I am struggling to see what your argument is and why you won't let it go. Let's boil it down. Are you saying that after the least six months you think Lope should have been kept on? If your answer is no then what's your point.?

100% kept on to finish the season before taking stock and have said so in the past. Unlike others I was never impatient to chuck the baby out with the bath water because we lost to Liverpool and Man City having suffered injuries to key players, whilst trying to change an entire philosophy around how we used to play.

As for Potter, I've said it how it is with him and stand by it. Doesn't mean he won't get backing just I don't think he's a decent manager at this level having seen how he operated before. If others are more excited by his playing style and results then good for them but I haven't liked much of what I've seen of his Teams so far.

I just feel this will be a very expensive wasted exercise and we'll be back to square one again soon, but this time when we go talking to decent managers, they'll think twice about joining after seeing how badly it all played out publicly through the media recently.

You genuinely believe Lope was sacked for losses to City and Liverpool?

I do agree that it was an expensive wasted exercise. But do you continue with an expensive wasted exercise that's not working? of course you don't.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:25**

Old man Redknapp having a pop again on TS and defending Loppy 'he didn't bring the players in' do fuck off you cretin.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:23**

Sweet Jesus! A manager, when talking, I can fully understand.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:19**

Lee Trundle" wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 10:14 He speaks the right game.

He was never my choice, but I feel a whole lot better with this appointment than I did over Lopetegui.

Yep. Lop was the dreariest man I have ever listened to. Potter seems to have the lights on inside his head. And a great surname for the fans to sing in their cockney accents. Let's hope he can achieve things on the pitch.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:14**

He speaks the right game.

He was never my choice, but I feel a whole lot better with this appointment than I did over Lopetegui.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:10**

I hope he implements the 3-4-3 he's used in the past, my one concern is some of the current squad have taken the piss in the last year effort wise, and they'll either have to start caring and work a lot harder, or be moved on. The only game I saw such effort was against Newcastle

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:10**

I like that he's diving straight into the Villa game with zero time to work with the players. Would have been very easy to swerve that game and just watch the car crash from the stands.

Posted: **09 Jan 2025, 10:03**

Welcome Graham

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