Former West Ham United defender Glen Johnson believes Graham Potter is the right man to steer West Ham back towards calmer waters.
The 49-year-old is set to be confirmed as the club's new full-time manager within the next 24 hours, with current incumbent Julen Lopetegui set to be fired having been in charge for just half-a-season.And Johnson, who began his career at the Boleyn Ground believes Potter would improve not only West Ham's points tally, but also provide greater entertainment for the fans.
"Potter would get West Ham playing better football, but they don’t have that luxury," he told BetVictor. "They just need to win games and get points on the board as they are struggling.
"It’s disappointing as they spent quite a lot of money in the summer, and they were expecting to kick on under Julen Lopetegui. The situation is madness.
"The blame must come down to the manager and the players. If Lopetegui’s trying to implement a style on the side that suits them, then it comes down to the players on the field to execute the tactical plan. He can’t do much about that, so if it’s not working then you needs to adapt the system."
Despite agreeing that Lopetegui's race at West Ham has been run, Johnson believes the impending management change should have been kept under covers - and not leaked to the media, as was the case.
"Of course, clubs will talk to managers and players, even if they have someone under contract in the same position at the time," Johnson added.
"But you cannot let the information out to the press - that the club are looking at Graham Potter - when Julen Lopetegui is turning up to take training. It’s a poor look."
And he believes it is now time for the first team squad to step up to the plate and give the fans something to cheer in the second half of the 2-024/25 campaign.
"The players need to roll their sleeves up and pull together now," he said. "Let’s face it, the board can’t help them now.
"They’ve already put their hands in their pockets and invested in the squad, whether they’ve signed the right players is a different conversation. It’s down to the players on the field to improve their performances."
* Something to say about this story? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.
