Jamie Carragher has delivered a stunning assessment about West Ham’s move to replace Julen Lopetegui with Graham Potter.
When West Ham decided to part ways with David Moyes, the criticism from the wider football world was scathing.
Many Hammers fans had been calling for change having grown fed up with Moyes’ risk averse, low-block style of play.
The way things ended, with the fallout between the Scot and Tim Steidten, was regrettable given what he achieved in east London.
But West Ham’s owners and fans were warned ad nauseum to ‘be careful what you wish for’.
When Julen Lopetegui was appointed, the same pundits, journalists and rival fans could not wait to hit the Hammers with ‘we told you so’.
They did not have to wait long either.
But the vindication of criticism over the decision to part company with Moyes missed the point.
Just because West Ham fans wanted change, doesn’t mean they wanted Lopetegui. In fact quite the opposite.
West Ham critics had field day over Lopetegui failure
Most Hammers fans questioned the appointment and labelled him a ‘Spanish Moyes’ before he had taken charge of a game.
In fact that moniker was unfair on Moyes. Because Lopetegui was completely the wrong fit and all the signs were there as early as pre-season.
West Ham fans will give anyone a fair chance, though.
So they got behind Lopetegui, even if the whole exercise was seriously underwhelming.
So were the results and performances.
In the end Lopetegui could and should have been sacked in October or November and certainly by December.
But West Ham dithered and effectively wasted a season by waiting until January to pull the trigger.
Graham Potter has been brought in and there are already clear signs of a brighter future.
In just two weeks Potter has made a telling difference.
That’s despite having real issues with his squad in defence and attack.
West Ham fans have been criticised as being hard to please since Moyes’ departure.
‘Careful what you wish for’ has been lazily trotted out and the West Ham way scoffed at by pundits and journalists who simply don’t get it.
West Ham deserve everything they get with Potter says Carragher
Thankfully one of the leading football analysts around does.
And West Ham fans deserve everything they get with Potter says Jamie Carragher.
The Irons went to Champions League Aston Villa fearing a hiding on Sunday night.
Potter was without Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Jean-Clair Todibo through injury once again and Konstantinos Mavropanos through suspension.
That’s £200m worth of players.
Fans feared the worst when they saw the line-up. Potter had to start with four full-backs in a back five and Lucas Paqueta as a makeshift striker.
Yet after a shaky start West Ham were the better team and deserved to win their 1-1 draw.
West Ham’s pressing and intensity was so impressive and fans were hugely encouraged by what they have seen.
After the game Carragher absolutely nailed it on why West Ham were not only right to replace Lopetegui with Potter but why they were also right to move on from Moyes.
Carragher nails it over West Ham style expectations
And he says Potter is the manager who can give supporters what they want for years to come.
“You think of the frustration of the West Ham supporters at the end under David Moyes,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“Not that (they didn’t appreciate him), listen David Moyes did a wonderful job there, won the trophy give West Ham supporters some of the greatest nights they’ve had in their lives following their football club.
“And they just wanted something different. Not necessarily to make them finish any higher up the table – David Moyes was finishing regularly in the top eight, top six – but they want what they saw second half (against Villa), they want to see that a lot more.
“So when they brought Lopetegui in (there were doubts). Listen the manager has got a great track record in terms of the clubs he’s managed, he’s managed Spain, he’s managed Real Madrid as well as other clubs.
“But in terms of style it wasn’t that much different.
“Now that is different (how West Ham played at Villa). What they saw second half West Ham, they want to see that week in, week out. They know they’re not going to win every week but they wanted to see a team that was on the front foot.
“So in terms of a style change, bringing Graham Potter in now, is what they wanted (all along when they parted company with Moyes).”
A brilliant assessment from a pundit who clearly knows his stuff.
And West Ham fans are so enthused because if this is what Potter can do in a couple of weeks, imagine what he can do over the next few seasons with his own players and squad.
The future finally looks bright again.
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