Graham Potter is back! The Englishman has not managed since being sacked by Chelsea F.C. early in 2023. According to multiple reports, in numerous outlets all over the world, Potter is putting pen to paper on a new deal that will see him take charge of West Ham United, with his debut reportedly coming Friday, in the FA Cup against Aston Villa.
Earlier in the day, West Ham sacked their now former manager Julen Lopetegui.
🚨⚒️ BREAKING: Julen Lopetegui has been sacked by West Ham, confirmed.
Graham Potter set to become the new head coach with contracts being checked. pic.twitter.com/ca5EuLCSG3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 8, 2025
FA Cup 3rd Round FYIs
Kickoff: Fri. Jan. 10, 8pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Team News: West Ham United Aston Villa
Starting XI Predictions: West Ham United Aston Villa
Lopetegui, a controversial choice from the beginning, lasted just 8 months and only 20 Premier League matches. The decision to remove David Moyes, for the second time no less, was considered questionable by numerous supporters and media members alike.
Not many people out there regarded the idea of replacing Moyes with Lopetegui to be a true upgrade.
Lopetegui’s short stay in east London can only be regarded as disastrous. You can easily say the same for Potter at Chelsea, whose tenure in southwest London was just shy of seven months. That’s even shorter than Lopetegui at WHUFC.
However, Potter didn’t get this gig because of what he did at Chelsea.
It’s how he performed at Brighton that got him this job. Potter took the Seagulls to new heights that they had never seen before.
When he left for Chelsea, a foundation was in place so that his successor, Roberto de Zerbi, didn’t miss a beat, and took them ever further. De Zerbi led the Seagulls to their first ever UEFA competition berth that season.
And as everything is connected, in all those little coincidences that we love about sports, we must flash back to Championship Sunday, 2022. Potter led Brighton to their then highest top flight finish ever, ninth place by winning on that Sunday 3-1.
The opponent that day was, wait for it, West Ham.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.