Spiky Graham Potter reacts to a leak about West Ham star with absolutely clear message. Graham Potter has showed his teeth for the first time since becoming West Ham boss after being pressed on a club leak. Results and performances may not have been perfect, but Graham Potter has made a big difference at West Ham.
Fans, players, staff and even the owners have remarked how he has brought clarity back to the club. The Hammers board are reportedly already convinced they made the right choice appointing Potter.
The Englishman has lifted morale at Rush Green and players have raved about his man management, communication and approach. West Ham sporting director Mark Noble was the latest to laud Potter this week.
That came amid early frustration among some supporters about a lack of excitement in the style of play, particularly at home. Potter blamed Julen Lopetegui for that after West Ham’s defeat to Newcastle.
He has been keen to point out that he has been so busy trying to fix the Premier League’s fourth-worst defence, that it’s taking longer to get things going in an attacking sense. Key to transforming West Ham’s attacking play will be Crysencio Summerville.
The Dutch winger has not been seen since Potter’s first game as Hammers boss due to injury.
That first half at Villa in the FA Cup has arguably been the best yet under the new boss. Worrying news emerged on Summerville injury
West Ham’s style and approach in that match was exactly what supporters crave.
And Summerville was the key protagonist to that performance until he was struck down.
The 23-year-old’s injury was expected to keep him out for a few weeks at first.
But he suffered a setback in training last month and Potter revealed Summerville would be out until April. Before Potter faced the press ahead of the trip to Everton, though, some terrible news emerged from inside the club.
Now a spiky Potter has reacted to the leak about his West Ham star with a clear message.
A senior West Ham source told Claret and Hugh that Summerville’s season could be over.
West Ham’s injury comments sparked backlash
The top Hammers source also claimed the winger may even miss the start of next season as a result of refusing to have surgery on the issue.
The senior club source was quoted as saying there was a danger Summerville will ‘break down again and then need an operation, the surgery he should have had last weekend’.
The report then stated there is only a ‘tiny possibility’ that Summerville’s approach to heal naturally will work. Supporters were devastated by the update on Summerville.
But a number of fans also voiced anger about the leak itself and the comments made, suggesting Summerville had been thrown under the bus over his decision to opt out of an operation.
Potter is a genial man and manager. Noble described him as a real people’s person this week. He was clearly irked by some of the questions in his pre-Everton press conference, though.
Spiky Potter reacts to Summerville leak with clear message
When probed about how he can improve results and performances, Potter took umbrage and defended his record thus far.
He then gave an update on Summerville, repeating his previous stance that the winger would not be available until after the international break.
Only for Potter to be challenged on that by a reporter citing the club leak about Summerville potentially being out longer due to refusing surgery.
It was then that the manager bit back.
“Look from my perspective, it was always clear (with Summerville’s injury), it was always after the international break,” Potter told the media when asked to clarify the attacker’s situation.
“Like with anything I think it’s only fair for the individual to treat the diagnosis and the treatment privately.
“And that’s always the case.
“But he certainly won’t be back this side of the international break.”
Potter doubles down on Summerville comeback timescale. West Ham actually clarified the comments on Summerville since the original report.
Potter is of course correct in his considered assessment. It is up to the player and medical staff to decide the best course of action.
Ultimately it is Summerville’s body, health and career, though, so he should be the master of his destiny in that respect.
West Ham could avoid a lot of this confusion by communicating injury news with fans like most of their Premier League rivals.
The Hammers will just have to hope the right choices are made and Summerville comes back ready to lead Potter’s revolution into next season.
