Graham Potter would take West Ham United to next level in new manager verdict
Nigel Reo-Coker has claimed that Graham Potter would take West Ham United “to the next level” and should be hired instead of Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui is widely expected to be announced as David Moyes’ replacement following the culmination of the Premier League campaign when the Scot steps down following the expiry of his contract.
However, Reo-Coker feels the club have made the wrong choice and should have gone with former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (17 May), he said: “I think for me, West Ham getting Lopetegui in, I personally don’t feel that’s the right fit for the club.
“I don’t feel that’s the right hire, especially how they treated David Moyes.
“I felt for me their next step should have been, for me, the old Brighton manager, Graham Potter. I felt he should have been the next hire at West Ham United.
“I felt that’s the manager that takes them to the next level. Lopetegui for me is not the right hire there.”
Should West Ham United hire Graham Potter instead of Julen Lopetegui?
The chances of West Ham pivoting from Lopetegui to Potter at the eleventh hour are extremely slim, given a deal with the Spaniard is seemingly all but concluded.
However, Potter may have been a much more popular appointment with the fans.
At the age of 48, the Englishman is nine years younger than his counterpart and his Brighton side were exciting to watch – something which counts against Lopetegui, with few fans enthralled by the football on offer during the Spaniard’s time with Wolves.
Even if Potter’s stint at Chelsea did not go to plan, the struggles experienced by Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino since his departure suggest that the blame was not solely his.
However, in Lopetegui’s defence, his Wolves side was arguably the most pragmatic of his career, with controlled, possession-dominant football on display in his stints with Spain, Sevilla and Porto.
The Hammers will just have to hope their new manager produces that level of performance at the London Stadium.
In other West Ham news, Martin Keown has tipped David Moyes to go out with a bang against Manchester City.
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