West Ham supporters wave to Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters during the Premier League match. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Outspoken pundit Stan Collymore has come to the rescue of misguided West Ham fans and suggested Graham Potter would have been better off going to Everton.
Tuesday night he saw the writing on Lopetegui’s wall and on Thursday morning it was announced that Potter had taken over, despite what is known West Ham had spoken to Paulo Fonseca.
The former Brighton and Chelsea boss has been out of football since being sacked by the Blues in April 2023, and will surely be looking to prove he still has what it takes to coach a club at the highest level.
West Ham fans need a reality check
His style of football was always pleasing to the eye and this is likely to be what West Ham fans have come to expect.
West Ham fans Stan Collymore says have ideas way above their station.
“With West Ham, I think their supporters, and I say this with the most affection, hold their own,” he told CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.
“West Ham fans talk and act like they are one of the most successful clubs in England, but with one of the smallest trophy cabinets in this club size group.”
The former Forest and Liverpool hitman didn’t stop there with his condemnation of the east Londoners either.
West Ham are the wrong choice for Graham Potter
“Everton would be the best destination for him, moving to a new stadium, new ownership etc,” he added regarding Potter’s appointment.
“At the moment I don’t think anyone at West Ham is going to turn things around and become anything like what Unai Emery has done at Villa.
“West Ham are not an attractive enough catch for an Unai Emery type and the prestige is still not there, even with the Conference League win.
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“Graham Potter and his style of coaching… he’s just a pure coach and not a coach, not a ‘come and follow me’ type.
“Everton, with a new stadium, a new start and given they haven’t played great football there for a while… if Graham Potter could get them to play something like he did at Brighton, Evertonians would once up.
“West Ham are just a club that need to look at themselves and where they’re really pitching themselves.”
While not exactly a scathing assessment of the Irons, it’s certainly a rant from a pundit who’s known for speaking his mind.
Potter certainly has his work cut out for him in trying to find success at the London Stadium, and he is probably at the club’s lowest ebb for a number of years.
David Moyes, by his first safety approach, ensured his team were European regulars and brought silverware to the table.
For Potter to be considered a success, he will have to build on that and reverse the views of the likes of Collymore.
