All that remains now is for Graham Potter to be officially unveiled by West Ham after signing on the dotted line.
West Ham finally officially announced the departure of Julen Lopetegui on Wednesday.
Next on the agenda is the unveiling of Graham Potter as West Ham’s 19th permanent manager.
Hammers News has exclusively revealed the highly unusual 2.5-year deal Potter will sign to take over West Ham.
That came after talks stalled yesterday over the contract length – with the Hammers initially only willing to sign off on a six-month deal.
West Ham made a breakthrough with Potter overnight after positive talks.
Now Potter has signed his deal, the press conference is set and the Coaches’ Voice outlines exactly what West Ham can expect.
Potter signs West Ham deal as press conference set
Sky Sports’ senior reporter Rob Dorsett has been first with the breaking news on Potter over the last 24 hours.
And he has now confirmed Potter has this evening signed the contract to become the new Hammers boss.
Potter’s formal unveiling will come at a press conference at 9am on Thursday morning – which Dorsett says will be held at the London Stadium.
Potter’s appointment has divided opinion among some West Ham fans.
Not only because his win ratio is nothing to get giddy about but also the way things unravelled for him at Chelsea.
There are also doubts as a result of the fact Potter has been out of work since being sacked by the Blues back in April 2023.
That’s almost two years out of the game.
Coaches’ Voice outlines what West Ham can expect
Potter has allegedly turned down the likes of Ajax, Milan and Leicester since as he ‘waited for the right opportunity’.
He clearly thinks that is West Ham after agreeing to replace Lopetegui in east London where – realistically – the only way is up in the second half of the season.
But what can West Ham supporters expect from their new manager?
The Coaches’ Voice offers educational content and tools for coaches, clubs and associations.
It features a variety of content including detailed tactical analysis.
The long read is well worth a look for Hammers fans, particularly those who may not have focused much on Potter’s style or career.
The site has re-posted it’s in-depth feature on Potter in light of his imminent appointment by West Ham.
In a social post they have picked out five key tactical and stylistic features West Ham can expect under Potter.
- Penetrating passes to break lines
- Attacking midfielders drifting wide
- Aggressive pressure to move play wide
- Flexible use of 3-5-2 and 3-4-1-2
- Double pivot to cover behind attacking full-backs
“Potter’s hugely impressive Brighton side got the plaudits they deserve, so it was no surprise to see him given a chance at Chelsea,” the Coaches Voices states.
“He joined a club at that time in a state of flux, and experienced the first major setback of his coaching career, being dismissed after only 31 games in the job.
“No doubt conscious that he needed to choose his next role carefully, he has been in no rush to take another offer. So it will be fascinating to see how he performs when he returns to management.”
Fascinating indeed.
And that return could see him take charge of West Ham against Aston Villa on Friday night in the FA Cup.
Realistically it’s all that West Ham have left to play for this season.
Although a fast start in back-to-back home games against Fulham and Palace in the next week might just reignite a flicker of hope of a European spot in this most wide open of seasons since 2013.
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