Chris Sutton baffled by ‘crazy’ West Ham decision as Potter overhaul mooted
Chris Sutton has shared his thoughts on Graham Potter’s struggles since taking charge as the West Ham United head coach.
West Ham have had a nightmare of a season after deciding to move on from David Moyes last summer, as they sit 17th in the Premier League with four games left.
The East London appointed Julen Lopetegui as their head coach at the start of the season with the hope that he could take them to greater heights, only to be forced to sack the Spaniard in January.
David Sullivan and Co. then turned to Potter, who has also struggled to improve the Irons’ form, managing only three wins in 15 matches so far.
Sutton cannot believe West Ham appointed Lopetegui
Assessing West Ham’s situation, Sutton said that he cannot believe West Ham hired Lopetegui as their head coach in the first place.
The Sky Sports pundit described the appointment as ‘crazy’, explaining that the Spanish tactician was not equipped to change the Hammers’ playing style as they wanted.
He believes West Ham are now in for a big summer under Potter, who he expects to demand several new signings ahead of next season.
| Manager | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | Points | Points Per Match |
| Lopetegui | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 26:44 | 26 | 1.18 |
| Potter | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 16:21 | 13 | 0.87 |
Sutton went on to suggest the possibility of a squad overhaul at West Ham this summer.
“Bringing Lopetegui in, that was a crazy appointment!”, Sutton said on the It’s All Kicking Off podcast (28 April).
“Crazy appointment because they wanted to go down a different route in terms of the way that they played.
“He was never going to do that, and I think they were hoping that Potter would come in halfway through the season and sort of rejig things, but that hasn’t worked out.
“Interesting summer ahead because what’s he going to say to the hierarchy at West Ham over the summer? ‘I want my own players in’.
“Was it £120m last summer? They spent a lot of money anyway, well over £100m, and so there will be decisions to be made.
“Is Potter the right man? Is he going to get a tune out of this group of players? We can let him bring one or two in, or are they going to need to be wholesale changes?”
Potter under pressure at London Stadium
West Ham find themselves in a pickle amid their ongoing struggles under Potter.
Sullivan reportedly wanted to employ the Englishman on a short-term deal initially, and there is no doubt that he will surely regret not being able to do that.
The former Chelsea manager would have certainly faced the sack at the London Stadium had he not been contracted to the East London outfit until 2027.
Potter’s existing contract means that West Ham are likely to give him some more time to turn things around.
Meanwhile, the head coach will be determined to strengthen his squad significantly, having brought in long-term ally Kyle Macaulay as the Hammers’ head of recruitment.