EXTRA TIME

New managers here & there

January 11, 2025 at 3:17 pm Leave a comment

Graham Potter and…

David Moyes…

have been appointed as new managers at West Ham United and Everton respectively this week.

Graham Potter was announced as the Hammers’ new gaffer on Thursday. He said that he was very excited and very proud to be appointed as new manager of West Ham and compared the day to being like “Christmas for adults”.

Potter started into his new job with an FA Cup tie at Aston Villa on Friday after a 20-months-absence from football following his sacking by Chelsea in April 2023.

The 49 years old Englishman very successfully managed Brighton from 2019 – 2022. The “Seagulls” were fourth when Potter left for Chelsea, but he couldn’t succeed there as Thomas Tuchel’s successor and his tenure with the Blues ended after just seven months, when Potter was released from his duties following a 0-2 defeat by Aston Villa.

This time another loss to Villa, albeit in the FA Cup, did not provoke any danger for the manager’s job. Graham Potter said after the 1-2 at Villa Park that “our performance gave me a lot of encouragement, the way the players tried to do what we asked them to do. We’re just disappointed now because we’re out and wanted to go through.

“We just try to get the team into a good shape. The talent is there but it’s just about trying to get the team together as a collective. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

“Friday night, Villa Park, full house, 6,500 West Ham fans who were amazing,” the new manager said in his post-match news conference. After the final whistle, he walked over to salute the travelling fans who will be hoping Potter will deliver the style and substance they are demanding.

Something that Julen Lopetegui was unable to do in his six months in charge, and following the Spaniard’s sacking after only six wins in twenty league games, Potter becomes the club’s fifth manager in nine and a half years, counting David Moyes’ two spells.

The latter though is also back into managing, as Everton confirmed on Saturday that David Moyes (61) had been appointed as Sean Dyche’s successor. Moyes managed Everton from 2002 to 2013 and led Everton to the Champions League qualifiers in 2005 and the FA Cup final in 2009. His first silverware though the Scot won with West Ham when the Hammers beat Fiorentina 2-1 in the Conference League final in the Fortuna Arena in Prague in 2023.

Graham Potter will be joined at West Ham by former Brighton captain Bruno Saltor – who coached alongside him at both the Seagulls and then Chelsea – as his assistant and Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach as first team coaches.

West Ham’s supporters feel that the new manager has the knowledge to stabilise the squad and bring back the team spirit that’s been missing for a while, but they also know that they need to be patient and give Graham time. Let’s see how he gets on at the end of the season.

Come on you Irons!

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