Graham Potter has finally snapped, insisting it’s time to start blaming West Ham’s players after 13 wins in 53 games under three different managers.
Under-pressure Hammers boss Graham Potter made the startling claim in new comments that have emerged from a heated post match press conference.
As scrutiny over Potter’s reign continues to grow, he has now sent a clear message to the West Ham dressing room.
And he will probably find many West Ham fans agreeing with him following the team’s pathetic collapse to lose 3-2 at his old club Brighton.
West Ham all too inevitably fell a goal behind just 14 minutes in at the Amex and were booed off at half-time.
Potter the latest West Ham fall guy
The Hammers raised their game in the second half, in no small part thanks to the introduction of Niclas Fullkrug – who had been controversially benched much to the anger of West Ham’s travelling fans.
They let Potter know too.
Angry West Ham fans aimed several chants at Potter over his shock Fullkrug decision.
The Irons turned the game around to go 2-1 up with six minutes of normal time remaining.
Yet somehow, even in this most miserable of seasons, they managed to hit a new low by inexplicably lose 3-2 in the dying moments.
Potter was subjected to a Premier League first by Hammers and Seagulls fans as he made his way off the pitch after the bruising last ditch defeat.
A journalist filmed Potter losing his cool after West Ham’s collapse in what was an awkward and fiery press conference.
Now in new audio which has emerged from that presser, the manager has clearly reached the end of his tether with his current squad, less than four months into the job.
And fed up Potter says it’s time to start blaming the players after just 13 wins in 53 games.
West Ham were in the top six – just one win off a top four spot – after beating Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates on December 28th 2023.
The Hammers should have actually won the game 3-0 but Said Benrahma saw a late penalty saved.
The victory came after a 2-0 home win against Man United and in the same month as a 2-1 away win at Spurs.
There was a clamour among some for David Moyes to be handed a new contract.
But the Scot was unhappy that the terms of a new deal meant Tim Steidten having control of transfers and his son David Junior being removed from the scouting department.
Kevin Nolan has revealed how West Ham’s demise started – stating it was the moment players got wind Moyes wouldn’t be signing a new deal.
The great unravelling of top six contenders West Ham
Astonishingly, West Ham United have won just 13 of their 53 – yes FIFTY-THREE – Premier League games since that victory at Arsenal.
It saw the team miss out on a fourth consecutive European campaign and now sit 17th in the table, fortunate that – for the second season running – all three promoted teams have been relegated.
Julen Lopetegui has been and gone since, lasting just 192 days as the shortest-serving permanent West Ham manager in the club’s 130-year history.
Steidten lost his job too, taking his fair share of the blame for the mess the club is in.
Majority owner David Sullivan has come under fire once again for his and the board’s part in the club’s unravelling.
Now Potter is feeling the heat having managed a paltry three wins in 15 games so far, taking West Ham backwards from 13th under Lopetegui to 17th.
It’s starting to become clear what the common denominator is at the club.
And Potter snapped after the Brighton defeat, saying the players are to blame.
Fed up Potter says it’s time to start blaming West Ham’s players
That’s despite the manager criticising Fullkrug for his own comments suggesting exactly the same thing after the draw with Southampton.
INMR Football recorded audio of Potter’s full press conference and he laid the blame at the feet of the players.
“They’re (the players) in a bad situation because of the season we’re having, so there’s a lot of baggage there…” Potter said.
“You have to sustain the good things and see out the times when it’s getting tough and we weren’t able to do that.
“We have to analyse the game back (to see where we can improve to stop it happening), we have to look at how we can support the players in the back end of a game, what substitutions we can make to maybe shut up shop or change things.
“There’s always things we can do.
“But in the end, the players are there as well. I’m having to answer these questions, but there’s players on the pitch.”
Potter snaps after four months with West Ham underachievers
Extraordinary from Potter and a real departure from his usual, hear no evil, see no evil approach to managing his players.
The truth is West Ham’s squad has needed a rocket for too long now.
Lopetegui tried the taskmaster approach but players did not respect his authority, as bust-ups with the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Jean-Clair Todibo and Edson Alvarez proved.
It’s always easier to change one man instead of an entire squad.
But until West Ham weed out the bad eggs and apples, things won’t change.
Three managers in less than a year is probably proof of that.
Where Potter goes from here with the current squad after justifiably throwing them to the wolves is anyone’s guess.
But one thing is for sure, there’ll be no hiding place for him or them when Spurs come to the London Stadium next weekend.
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