Graham Potter’s already-damning West Ham legacy has taken another hit, with a second Hammers hero now coming forward to expose what they say were unforgivable actions from the former boss.
The latest revelation piles further pressure on the narrative of a disastrous reign, painting a picture of a manager who simply never truly understood West Ham, the players or the demands of the job.
And with more voices emerging, Graham Potter’s brief spell in East London looks worse by the day as his reputation takes another battering as interim Sweden boss.
There is no debating whether Potter is West Ham’s worst ever manager.
Of course circumstances will be different for the various candidates but the Englishman was sacked by the Hammers with the worst win ratio in the club’s 130-year history.
Potter the worst West Ham boss in history
After flopping at Chelsea, and now struggling as interim Sweden boss, the hype around Potter as a leading coach and innovator seems almost ridiculous.
There is no denying the former Irons boss inherited a mess from Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten.
But there is also no getting away from the fact he somehow made things much worse.
So bad in fact that West Ham now find themselves in a fight for Premier League survival that will likely drag on all season such was the shambles Nuno Espirito Santo inherited from Potter.
While there have been other factors contributing to West Ham’s regression over the last two years, Potter has arguably played a leading role.
You only need to listen to some of his former players to realise that.
It was notable that when Potter was sacked very few West Ham players spoke out to wish the manager farewell in interviews or on social media.
Much has been made of Potter’s man management and he was forever banging the drum about ‘building a culture’ at the club.
But now Potter has been exposed by a second West Ham hero over his unforgivable actions during his dismal tenure.
In his infinite wisdom, Potter decided to ruthlessly release a host of experienced West Ham stars, letting a combined 33 years of experience walk out of the door in the shape of Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio, Lukasz Fabianski and Vladimir Coufal.
Potter exposed by second West Ham hero
Potter was made to look ridiculous when he had to re-sign Fabianski over the summer in a move which summed up his hapless spell in charge.
Potter’s decision to let Cresswell and Coufal go also raised eyebrows given Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will both be away at AFCON for as long as six weeks from January.
Antonio accused Potter of destroying West Ham’s culture in a no-holds barred interview recently.
The former Hammers striker said Potter ‘lost the feel of the club’ with his decision-making.
That ‘West Ham feel’ is something Nuno has been working hard to restore of late as he rekindles the team spirit and togetherness that’s been missing since the days of David Moyes.
Now another ex Hammers hero has lifted the lid on just how bad Potter was for West Ham.
Vladi Coufal will forever be cherished by Hammers fans.
A proper West Ham cult hero in every sense, Coufal should still be at the club and remains disgusted that he was not given the opportunity to retire in east London.
‘Coufi’ – as he was affectionately known – shed blood, sweat and tears for the Irons during his five years with the club.
A real man’s man who wore his heart on his sleeve and never gave anything less than 100 per cent for the claret and blue.
Yet when it came to handling his surprise exit, so-called “culture builder” Potter showed his meek, weak leadership was not reserved solely for the dugout.
In a revelation that will be despicable to Hammers fans, Coufal has revealed how Potter told him he was being let go.
Coufal reveals Potter’s unforgivable actions
And he admits he will never forget the way the former boss handled the delicate situation.
Coufal told The Athletic he was ‘hastily summoned’ to Potter’s office after a normal day of training.
It was there he was told his West Ham career was over in a meeting lasting just 30 seconds, much to Coufal’s utter disbelief, even to this day.
The Hammers hero said he and his family were left in tears by the news and the way the situation was handled.
“I didn’t know why he wanted to see me,” Coufal said.
“Then I thought it might be about me starting at Old Trafford because it couldn’t have been about me not doing well in the sessions, or being a bad presence around the team.
“That’s when Potter told me the club wouldn’t be extending my contract. I asked him why, and he said it was a club decision. Was it the manager who didn’t want me? The board? I have no idea. It was very disappointing. Our conversation lasted about 30 seconds. Five years at the club… for 30 seconds.”
Coufal says he cried when telling his wife and kids, who were also heartbroken.
No West Ham player should be treated like that when they are being told their contract is not being renewed, let alone a long-serving and much-loved cult hero like Coufal.
And West Ham fans thought Avram Grant was bad.
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