West Ham climbing out of rut from 'strange' decision says expert
West Ham United made a "strange" decision to appoint Julen Lopetegui last summer in pursuit of "sexy" football, according to Ian Darke.
The TV commentator, speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, claims he is a fan of the reassessment of the Irons' plans and subsequent call to appoint Graham Potter, whom he praises for his work at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Darke admitted there was little surprise proceedings went so badly under their former head coach, and he has gone on record since to predict Potter will fare better and start a "revolution" in East London.
"It was a strange appointment for Lopetegui anyway. Moyes went because everyone felt it was time for a change," he said.
"They wanted a sexier brand of football somehow, but Lopetegui had no reputation for that kind of football and the team never gelled under his tutelage. So it was no surprise they called it quits.
"Potter was a key figure behind what still exists at Brighton and the hope is that West Ham's new chapter can be shared with a like-minded coach who fancied the job when it came up, after a long time out of the game."
West Ham United under Graham Potter
Potter was an even more intriguing appointment at the London Stadium due to his sustained rejection of several job offers before agreeing to lead the mission under David Sullivan and co.
The Hammers are showing signs of a marked improvement and put in a capable performance away at Aston Villa last time out (26 January) to demonstrate their ability.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United are scattered among the upcoming five fixtures for Potter's side starting with Monday's trip across the capital to his old employers (3 February), with whom he wasn't so successful. The quintet of games coming up will be an interesting litmus test.
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