Graham Potter is a man under pressure as his struggling West Ham side prepare to face Everton on Monday Night Football.
Last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace was their fifth in six games in all competitions this season and prompted intense speculation around the former Chelsea and Brighton manager’s future.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Potter explains how he and his players are sticking together, why he needs time to change the culture at the club, and why he has no regrets over taking the job.
Recovering from Palace loss
POTTER: “It’s always tough when you’ve had a poor result, wherever you are, up and down the country. That’s the job, that’s life.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
West Ham boss Graham Potter is determined to turn their fortunes around
“For the players, because they’re so committed to what we’re trying to do and because of how much they want to turn things around, there’s an element of disappointment that is huge. So, your job is to deal with that, to support them, pick them up and go forward.
“Deal with the weekend, deal with the setback, deal with the result, and then think about how you can improve and how to go forward and try to win the next match.
“I have nothing but respect for the players, to be honest, because of how they’re hurting and how disappointed they are, but at the same time how they’ve stuck with each other.
“They have stuck to what we’re trying to do, remaining professional, remaining focused, taking responsibility, and not doing the things that make you feel things aren’t going well, which is to blame other people or push it away somewhere else.
“Everybody has taken that responsibility and ownership. They are determined to turn our fortunes around and I have huge respect for the players for that.”
Coping with the pressure
POTTER: “It’s what you sign up for at the highest level.
“It’s nice to talk about when things are going well, but in the end what gives us the possibility to work at this level is the capability and the capacity to deal with adversity.
“I think when you’re in these positions, your responsibility is to the team, to the club, to the staff here, to make sure that you deal with it in a good way, that you take responsibility yourself, that you accept the situation and how you need to improve.
“Whatever criticism out there is understandable because of the results we’ve had. You’ve just got to ask, ‘Okay, what’s the perspective? What’s the context? How can we improve things and then try and move forward?’
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
West Ham’s Graham Potter reacts to his face being planted on various viral memes
“You’ve got to be grateful for the challenge. You’ve got to be grateful for the fact that it does push you to the limit. If I wanted to stay comfortable, then I wouldn’t have re-entered into this world. This is the Premier League we’re talking about.
“There are 20 coaches in the world that get the opportunity to work in this league, so, by definition, it’s not easy, it’s not something that you should take for granted or think is going to be straightforward and a comfortable walk in the park.
“It’s going to come with a lot of adversity, a lot of pain, a lot of suffering at times, but you have to look at it and be grateful for that because it allows you to grow, it allows you to be better and when you come through it, it makes you stronger.
“I think that’s what this club needs, it needs to come through a situation together, build trust, build that togetherness, build that connection and then we can move forward.”
Is the job tougher than he expected?
POTTER: “You never know for sure until you come into the club.
“But, because there’s been a two changes of manager in a relatively short time, some investment in the team, some of which has gone well, some of which hasn’t, the culture and how that impacts the environment, you know it’s not going to be straightforward.
“In any job you need a bit of time to fix those problems and to change things around and move things in the right direction.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The Sunday Supplement panel assessed Graham Potter’s future after the Crystal Palace game
“The challenge we all have is that you have to get results in the short-term to enable people to believe that you’ve got what it takes or the capability to keep the job moving forwards.
“That’s ultimately everybody’s challenge in the Premier League. Because of where we are and the results we’ve had, there’s always scrutiny and doubt and negativity and that’s normal.
“We have to stay strong and we have to keep moving forward and keep working on how we can get out of the situation we’re in.”
The challenge of changing the culture
POTTER: “You have to align everybody to what you’re trying to do.
“Then at the same time you look at every opportunity to improve your playing squad and bring players in that help you in that regard.
“It’s like any relationship. The more you know, the more you understand, the more information you have, the more trust develops. The more you go through some tough times together and see how each other acts, you come through the other side.
“It builds confidence, it builds belief.
“I think you’ve got to look at it in those ways.
“Football is no different to most organisations. If you’re going to significantly change things, you do need some time, or you need some significant investment.
“And even that isn’t guaranteed in football, because of how competitive the league is. It’s not always the answer.
“So it’s very complex, and that’s why it’s a lot easier to just look at the short-term results and make your references from that.”
Are the owners on the same page?
POTTER: “I think everyone connected with the club is frustrated with the result we had against Crystal Palace.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan pictured at the London Stadium
“I felt that the balance of the team in attack and defence wasn’t as good as it could have been and therefore we looked a little bit vulnerable. That’s something we have to improve.
“I think we share those views. We also know that we’ve got to keep working and improving the team and making things better. So, we’re all on the same page in that regard.”
Team selections and backing Ward-Prowse
POTTER: “You have to analyse things as well as you can. It’s a balance between change and stability.
“If you think you’re not too far away, then, ‘Okay, how can we keep moving and what can we do to improve?’
“There are fine lines in football. We were clapped off and it was positive at half-time against Tottenham. Then pretty quickly the game goes away from us with a mistake for a goal and then a red card and then the afternoon is uncomfortable.
Tomas Soucek was sent off in West Ham’s defeat to Tottenham
“So you can’t just keep chasing the result and keep changing everything. Stability is also important, but with a fine line, because in our job there’s always a need to think about how to improve.”
One player in the spotlight is James Ward-Prowse, whose poor form has put his starting spot under scrutiny from supporters.
“He brings a lot of experience,” says Potter of Ward-Prowse. “He’s got an understanding of the game. He’s an experienced player with different attributes.
James Ward-Prowse is one of many West Ham players to have struggled this season
“He helps us in and out of possession and also with the group in terms of being a leader and a person that is well respected.
“I think he plays a fantastic role for us.”
Is youth the way forward?
POTTER: “I think we needed to adjust things a little bit in terms of the age of the squad but we also signed Callum Wilson and Kyle Walker-Peters who are experienced players who know the league.
“I think the balance of the recruitment was right. It’s not always about young players. You need a mix of professionals that can help the environment and can help people improve.
Kyle Walker-Peters was one of nine summer signings by West Ham
“I think Callum and Kyle have done that really well. But nevertheless, I think there was a need to inject some youth and some freshness into the team.
“Even though he hasn’t been here as long as Malik Diouf, I think Mateus Fernandes will also be a fantastic player for us as well.”
Facing Everton… and Moyes
POTTER: “They’ve done well. They’ve got an effective team.
“I think they’re a team with quality too.
“They use Jack Grealish well. Beto’s a threat through the middle. Iliman Ndiaye coming off the side allows Jake O’Brien to push on. Then Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is finding good spaces.
“So they’ve got a good attacking unit. And as you’d expect from a David Moyes teams, they’re organised and defensively sound.
Monday 29th September 6:30pm
Kick off 8:00pm
“It’s going to be a tough game, but it’s also an opportunity for us to show ourselves and to show that we can compete and win games at this level.
“I spoke to David before we last played them, at the back end of last season. We had a good chat and he spoke positively of the club.
“He’s a fantastic example of how careers are highs and lows and you keep going forward. He’s a manager that I’ve got a huge respect for.”
His message to West Ham fans
POTTER: “Nobody wants us to be in the situation we are in. We have a lot of talent in the team and we have to keep moving forward. We have to stick together. I think we have to be strong in that.
“Of course, our responsibility is to improve our performances and to get more positive results. If not, it’s difficult to understand from a supporter’s perspective.
“There’s a fantastic team spirit here. There’s a connection with the team that is as strong as I’ve felt.
“But we all understand the world we’re in as well. That’s something we’re working on all the time.”
Watch Everton vs West Ham live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm on Monday; kick-off 8pm
