Lineker ‘gets it totally wrong’ with Potter remark after West Ham v Southampton
Gary Lineker has leapt to the defence of West Ham United manager Graham Potter despite his dismal reign so far.
There was considerable fanfare when the Hammers appointed the former Chelsea man after sacking Julen Lopetegui in January.
However, the ex-Brighton manager has failed to turn around the East London outfit’s fortunes, winning just three of his 14 matches in charge.
His side sit 16th in the Premier League with just five matches left to play until the season concludes.
Lineker defends Potter despite Southampton draw
The Irons fell to a late strike to draw with bottom dwellers Southampton, which saw Niclas Fullkrug give a furious post-match interview.
However, Lineker believes that Potter deserves the chance to overhaul his team in the transfer window before judgement is made on his future.
Speaking on Match of the Day (19 April, 23:28pm), Dion Dublin said: “There’s not been a lot of progress. There’s [been] fewer points, fewer goals and they are better defensively. The West Ham fans want more and they have got good players – they should be getting more.”
Lineker responded: “They were playing a team at the bottom of the table today. You expect more but it is not his team as such yet, is it? He has not had a [transfer] window.”
Potter has underwhelmed at West Ham so far
Despite inheriting a squad that was low on confidence and that had several holes, Potter should have done better than he has done so far.
He obviously deserves a chance to right the wrongs that Lopetegui and Tim Steidten oversaw last summer, and therefore should not be sacked anytime soon, but the lack of progress is concerning.
| Stats | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Potter | 3 | 4 | 7 |
The 49-year-old was expecting to bring a significant uplift to the London Stadium but so far that has failed to materialise, and no progress has been made from the dismal start to the campaign under the former Wolves boss before he was dismissed.
The performances have made West Ham supporters question whether they will attend matches next season, and if they continue to serve up dross then they may even demand another change.
Potter came to the Hammers with a big reputation despite a poor stint at Chelsea and so far he has failed to prove that he warrants it.
That needs to change fast because if his side continue to get booed off the pitch at home, David Sullivan may be thinking of going in a different direction.
It remains to be seen whether he can get the Irons faithful to believe again, but the evidence is not encouraging right now.