Graham Potter has used West Ham’s in-house media to send a clear transfer demand to David Sullivan, with the Hammers boss effectively issuing the majority owner an ultimatum.
Managing West Ham has been a difficult job at the best of times over the last 25 years.
But a prolonged period of rapid regression coupled with a lack of finances in what has been a record-breaking Premier League summer transfer window makes it a hiding to nothing.
There is absolutely no doubt Graham Potter should be doing much better than he has since taking over the Hammers in January.
Five wins from 21 games is pathetic and unacceptable when managers at smaller clubs, with lesser squads and smaller budgets are producing superior performances and results.
Potter not the only one to blame for West Ham mess
Potter is not the cause of all West Ham’s ills, though, even if he is not necessarily the medicine to make them better.
West Ham fans have said all along that Potter cannot be judged until he has his own players and team in place and has had a full pre-season.
The ex Chelsea boss has had the latter and it was a pre-season he talked up as having been enormously positive.
It cannot be legitimately argued that Potter has his own team in place, though.
West Ham needed a complete overhaul this summer.
But after offloading eight players, Potter has only signed four – just two of those being for the starting XI.
The Hammers have been a complete mess in the opening two games, 3-0 and 5-1 defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea.
It has been clear for all to see Potter needs help in the form of signings.
West Ham are short in central defence, central midfield and up front.
The spine of the team has nowhere near the required quality and dynamism to compete in what is expected to be the toughest Premier League for over a decade.
The Premier League surpassed all previous spending records when it hit the £2.37bn mark this week – as reported by BBC Sport.
Potter uses in-house media to make transfer demand of Sullivan
But the owners are pleading PSR poverty and claim £100m plus losses are coming in West Ham’s next accounts this December.
The gamble is clear, if West Ham don’t spend significantly before the summer transfer window closes there is every chance they will be relegated.
The risk to reward of spending to stay on the Premier League gravy train is the big call the owners must make.
Now they may have been backed into a corner.
Because Potter has used West Ham’s in-house media channel to make a transfer demand of David Sullivan and co.
Some Hammers fans have accused Potter of being a ‘yes man’ for the board.
The perception is that Potter is grateful to be back in a Premier League job after nearly two years out of the game following his sacking by Chelsea.
It is felt one of the reasons West Ham enjoyed a successful period under David Moyes was because he stood up to the owners and demanding backing.
At the end of last season Potter promised West Ham fans an “exciting and interesting” window.
Whether the goalposts have been moved or not remains to be seen.
But a massively underwhelming window has left West Ham’s manager clinging to his job two games in.
Presumably well aware that his future is far from certain, Potter seems to have thrown caution to the wind.
‘Yes man’ Potter makes board ultimatum over West Ham signings
When asked about making signings in his mainstream media press conference after the Chelsea debacle, Potter was restrained and refused to commit, used words like ‘try’ and talking about improving the players he already has.
But when he got around to his obligatory interview with West Ham TV’s Rob Pritchard, Potter seemed to air his true feelings.
“There are 10 days left of the window, obviously players come and go during the window, and after the games we’ve had, you’re working with Kyle and the rest of the team to identify players who can help us win games in the future?” asked Pritchard, who is placed in a more difficult position than many appreciate in these situations.
Potter’s response made it perfectly clear and left Sullivan and co nowhere to hide as he put on record that he expects the club to be busy making signings before the deadline.
“Absolutely yeah,” Potter responded on West Ham TV without hesitation.
“It’s going to be a busy few days.
“We need to work hard and we need to try our best to improve (the team) and improve the players we have and try to look for players who can help us as well from the outside.”
Whether Sullivan and co will take heed of Potter’s demand is another matter entirely.
But if West Ham are to have any chance of staying up, be that with Potter at the helm or someone else in the coming months, new arrivals are an absolute necessity.
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