Graham Potter has got something so wrong about the West Ham fans, Wolves fiasco proves it. West Ham United limped to an uninspiring 1-0 defeat against Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday night, and now Graham Potter has some serious questions to answer.
To say that the first-half performance from the West Ham players against Wolves was pedestrian would be an understatement.
It would also be way too polite. Graham Potter has some serious work on his hands, and he has to tackle the real, deep-lying issues at the London Stadium.
Sure, the Hammers squad needs strengthening, and Potter is said to be planning on doing exactly that at West Ham in the summer.
However, our problems run far deeper that just the personnel.
The football we’ve witnessed this season has been atrocious on the whole. It was horrendous under Julen Lopetegui’s stewardship, but things have got slightly better with Potter at the helm.
However, the Hammers head coach is missing a really key point, and he’s got something so wrong about the West Ham fans.
Graham Potter can’t fool the West Ham fans after Wolves fiasco
The Hammers fans are not too hard to please, contrary to popular belief amongst the media.
We went 43 years without a trophy and still followed our team home and away in massive numbers.
However, there are a few things that we do expect to see from our team, and one of them is a high tempo performance from our players every single time they step on the pitch. Potter spoke to reporters recently and highlighted the need for good results AND an attractive brand of football.
He’s right there, but not in the sense that he perhaps thinks.
The football doesn’t need to pretty or easy on the eye, it just needs to be played with high intensity and aggression. A good example of this is when the Hammers beat Wolves 3-2 at Molineux way back in 2021.
West Ham had 33% possession, and had only nine shots to Wolves’ 20. However, we the players were electric on the counter attack, and were extremely aggressive and energetic – it really was incredibly exciting to watch.
Graham Potter won’t last long if he doesn’t understand West Ham fans
If Graham Potter thinks the style of football his team played against Wolves is what the West Ham fans want to see, then he’s severely mistaken.
The boring, tedious way that the defenders try to play out from the back, when they’re clearly not capable of doing so, is painful to watch.
What’s wrong with sticking the ball into the channels sometimes, if for nothing else than to get the opposition turned around.
In fairness to Potter, we cannot judge him until he’s had a couple of transfer windows to bring in the players he wants.
The Hammers are crying out for more pace and power in midfield and out wide on the wings.
Graham Potter has to evolve the way that West Ham play so that we’re an exciting team to watch.
The 49-year-old will not last long at the London Stadium if his team continue to serve up the football we saw at Molineux.
