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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.

Mex Martillo" wrote: ↑02 Sep 2025, 09:26 After Forest and now the transfer window has closed Potter will rightly get another chance to prove himself. I really would prefer a winning run and a half decent season, which to me looks a possibility again. 
False dawn?

ATHammer wrote: ↑22 Aug 2025, 12:33 Potter laments the lack of leaders in the dressing room.
Potter employs a sports psychologist to instil a "winning mentality."
I have no issue with the sports psychologist, indeed it is amazing that we didn't have one.
The issue is "the lack of leaders" comment getting into the public domain. It undermines the captain and Potters choice (no one else's) of vice Captain, Ward Prowse. 
Alvarez is a proven leader. successful International Captain, by all accounts popular and a good trainer.
Earth to Graham. Leaders will challenge you if they do not agree that something isn't working. They will challenge you if they feel you are not getting the best out of either them, teammates, or the team in general if you are playing them out of position.
Most coaches/managers would look to inspiration from someone like Alvarez, on a high from Gold Cup success. Potter fucks him off out the door as he doesn't think he fits his style of play.
It appears Potter is incapable of harnessing a winning mentality as that involves challenge to his stubborn and failing approach.
I would have no issue with letting Alvarez go if he was replaced by an energetic, box to box player. I do have an issue with letting him go on loan with no one coming in, or Brownhill tipping up.
I also have an issue with lamenting the lack of leaders then getting rid of one who demonstrates those very qualities.
The wrong person has left the building.

  

If the team can battle and not concede we have a chance. Its the current way. 

After Forest and now the transfer window has closed Potter will rightly get another chance to prove himself. I really would prefer a winning run and a half decent season, which to me looks a possibility again. 
False dawn?

ATHammer wrote: ↑22 Aug 2025, 12:33 Potter laments the lack of leaders in the dressing room.
Potter employs a sports psychologist to instil a "winning mentality."
I have no issue with the sports psychologist, indeed it is amazing that we didn't have one.
The issue is "the lack of leaders" comment getting into the public domain. It undermines the captain and Potters choice (no one else's) of vice Captain, Ward Prowse. 
Alvarez is a proven leader. successful International Captain, by all accounts popular and a good trainer.
Earth to Graham. Leaders will challenge you if they do not agree that something isn't working. They will challenge you if they feel you are not getting the best out of either them, teammates, or the team in general if you are playing them out of position.
Most coaches/managers would look to inspiration from someone like Alvarez, on a high from Gold Cup success. Potter fucks him off out the door as he doesn't think he fits his style of play.
It appears Potter is incapable of harnessing a winning mentality as that involves challenge to his stubborn and failing approach.
I would have no issue with letting Alvarez go if he was replaced by an energetic, box to box player. I do have an issue with letting him go on loan with no one coming in, or Brownhill tipping up.
I also have an issue with lamenting the lack of leaders then getting rid of one who demonstrates those very qualities.
The wrong person has left the building.

  

Because we are powerless to remove Sullivan and Brady ( they have silenced the match day crowd with tourists everywhere and moving people etc) all frustration will be dis proportionally directed towards Potter now is my guess.   Now he is not doing himself any favours and I personally would like someone else but he simply has not been supported in what he is trying to do.

The change of style to controlled possession is a tough change and takes time and we had a squad built for low block, counter attacking.  Several areas of the squad and team have not had the change of players needed and of course primarily that is the midfield.  We are "half baked" and I think why he plays this 5 at the back or 3 in possession and 2 wing backs and doesnt play 4 in midfield etc.   The point is it isnt working. Our midfield is unable to break an opposition press or resist one. It does not have a ball carrier or players who can play on the half turn to spring a break.  We play side to side because we can never complete the 2nd phase and 80% of the time play sideways and back before being pressed into having to hit a long diagonal or rely on the keeper hoofing it direct and also bypassing midfield.   There has been a little progress, I notice Todibo playing some nice passes thru the middle of midfield to Fullkrug who comes deep to collect it but they are still the exception. 

Potter will be sacked and blamed for this season but he has not really been given the tools to see if he could get his tactics working IMO.  Sullivan and Brady will carry on deflecting blame and not taking accountability and still believing they are doing a great job because I really think that is their level of delusion.  As that great sage Donald Rumsfeld once said "there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know".  that describes our owner and CEO

Potter laments the lack of leaders in the dressing room.
Potter employs a sports psychologist to instil a "winning mentality."
I have no issue with the sports psychologist, indeed it is amazing that we didn't have one.
The issue is "the lack of leaders" comment getting into the public domain. It undermines the captain and Potters choice (no one else's) of vice Captain, Ward Prowse. 
Alvarez is a proven leader. successful International Captain, by all accounts popular and a good trainer.
Earth to Graham. Leaders will challenge you if they do not agree that something isn't working. They will challenge you if they feel you are not getting the best out of either them, teammates, or the team in general if you are playing them out of position.
Most coaches/managers would look to inspiration from someone like Alvarez, on a high from Gold Cup success. Potter fucks him off out the door as he doesn't think he fits his style of play.
It appears Potter is incapable of harnessing a winning mentality as that involves challenge to his stubborn and failing approach.
I would have no issue with letting Alvarez go if he was replaced by an energetic, box to box player. I do have an issue with letting him go on loan with no one coming in, or Brownhill tipping up.
I also have an issue with lamenting the lack of leaders then getting rid of one who demonstrates those very qualities.
The wrong person has left the building.

  

XKhammer wrote: ↑21 Aug 2025, 20:21

Mike Oxsaw" wrote: ↑20 Aug 2025, 18:37 Will be under orders to "try to win", or at least look like trying to win at Wolves, but if we're in as much cash flow financial shit as the club claim, the last thing the board want is to have to pay out costs for a cup run, even if there is an eventual pay off.

Usual utter bollocks from the sites creepy raspberry 

Mike Oxsaw" wrote: ↑20 Aug 2025, 18:37 Will be under orders to "try to win", or at least look like trying to win at Wolves, but if we're in as much cash flow financial shit as the club claim, the last thing the board want is to have to pay out costs for a cup run, even if there is an eventual pay off.

Vexed wrote: ↑21 Aug 2025, 18:47 Not sure if I've ever mentioned it, but I fucking hate Graham Potter. 


 

 

Potter aint the answer but he aint been backed either. If Sully is not prepared to back him he should be let go but no we will give him the minimum required, watch it all unravel even more and hope to avoid relegation before cutting him loose. All to avoid compensation and the fact the club know they will likely get another out of work chump who wont make any difference. 

Not sure if I've ever mentioned it, but I fucking hate Graham Potter. 

Thanks for reading! 

So far Potter has managed to get us 20 points from 19 league games. 3 points came on his debut, before he'd had much chance to stamp his "authority" on the team. 8 of those points came at the tail end of the season against 4 teams who had NOTHING to play for: 2 teams who had already been relegated and 2 who were focused on their upcoming Europa League final.

Seriously, it's probably not possible for it to get any worse under another manager. We're going down in any case if Potter stays in charge.

Yes, Northbank. I really think the best for us is that Potter actually does something decent with us.

If he goes do you trust these muppets to appoint a decent manager?  It will get worse before it gets better.

Graham,

why don’t you buy a new Centre Half who can actually win headers or play one of the youth defenders?
why persist with 5 at the back?
why are you getting rid of Alvarez our best midfielder?
why do you play Ward Prowse
why did you play Rodriquez even though you want to sell him?
Why do you never play the Brazilian kid even though in flashes he looks like he could be good?
why drop Potts after he played in nearly all pre season?
why is your win ratio so bad and when will it improve?
why do you think we don’t need a forward even though we don’t score goals
why have you not resigned even though you know you’re not good enough?

Will be under orders to "try to win", or at least look like trying to win at Wolves, but if we're in as much cash flow financial shit as the club claim, the last thing the board want is to have to pay out costs for a cup run, even if there is an eventual pay off.

In any occupation a manager will get a team to perform better than the sum of it's parts.
In any occupation a manager will analyse his team and play to the strengths of the members of that team.
In any occupation a manager will get the best out of individuals to secure successful outcomes for the team, irrespective of personalities.
In any occupation a manger will work with those he does not like for the greater good of the team.
Over time they may change things on an improvement basis.
By any metric that I can think of, Potter has failed on every single count. 
In any other walk of life he would have his shit put in a box and shown the door for incompetence. 
He is a fucking fraud but I can abso-fucking-lutely guarantee that if there is anyone else out there who is worse, Sullivan will find them and employ them.  

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 14:51

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 13:06

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 11:50

The way I look at it and hopefully Potter does as well, is see it as the perfect challenge to embrace and begin a momentum by winning the Tie. Instead of wishing for an easy ride to make things more comfortable temporarily, use the opportunity to ignite the season by placing a marker down beating them. That's how you start something for people to get behind. 

I agree, but I think you really don't want a tricky tie away to a premier league club when you're obviously in turnmoil. Lose this and it could get pretty bad pretty fast.

Oh for sure. You don't want to have to face someone of Premier League quality yet, it's more the point wanting to embrace it now it's upon us instead of fear it. Use it to your advantage. Win it, it could actually be a springboard to having a decent season sometimes. 

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 13:06

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 11:50

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 11:39

This is why that cup draw was so shit. We could really have done with a home tie to a lower division club just to get a bit of confidence into the team. Wolves also have their problems but this isn't going to be a fun trip. Especially if Sullivan will only pay for the Flixbus from Stratford to Wolverhampton bus station as he's so skint.

The way I look at it and hopefully Potter does as well, is see it as the perfect challenge to embrace and begin a momentum by winning the Tie. Instead of wishing for an easy ride to make things more comfortable temporarily, use the opportunity to ignite the season by placing a marker down beating them. That's how you start something for people to get behind. 

I agree, but I think you really don't want a tricky tie away to a premier league club when you're obviously in turnmoil. Lose this and it could get pretty bad pretty fast.

Potter: "The goals changed the game"

No fucking shit Sherlock.

The Bookies have potter as the favourite for the first to be sacked.

I thought that Andrews would have been the favourite. 

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 11:50

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 11:39

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑19 Aug 2025, 11:31 This next week feels highly important, even though it's extremely early in to a new season. We have Chelsea at Home on Friday, Wolves Away Tuesday with Forest Away on Sunday (no shit Craig David jokes please) as the window closes before a 2 week breather.

If Potter is going to remain in position, it feels like we'll need to get at least a point at Home and win against Wolves to stay in the Cup. Anything less, considering he enjoyed the longest Pre-season that any Manager has ever had doing an awful job auditioning since January, it should be terminal for him. I do emphasise the should as he kept his job much to the surprise of many at the end of the season, so they could continue with him regardless. 





 

This is why that cup draw was so shit. We could really have done with a home tie to a lower division club just to get a bit of confidence into the team. Wolves also have their problems but this isn't going to be a fun trip. Especially if Sullivan will only pay for the Flixbus from Stratford to Wolverhampton bus station as he's so skint.

The way I look at it and hopefully Potter does as well, is see it as the perfect challenge to embrace and begin a momentum by winning the Tie. Instead of wishing for an easy ride to make things more comfortable temporarily, use the opportunity to ignite the season by placing a marker down beating them. That's how you start something for people to get behind. 

Perhaps Potter has been hired with the explicit instruction of getting 17th place in the league, and nothing more.

If that is the case he'll be looking at a target of about 40 points.

Not sure Sunderland would have been one of the games already written off, but you never know with this club - Sullivan probably thought about not even taking the team oop norf to save money, thereby automatically forfeiting the game 3-0.

Risky strategy but minimises Sullivan's outbound cashflow.