Former Arsenal and England player, and perennial West Ham critic, Paul Merson, has predictably suggested that Graham Potter might struggle at the London Stadium.
Merson, who previously declared Julen Lopetegui was the wrong choice for West Ham, has now performed a U-turn. Despite initially claiming Lopetegui wouldn’t win a trophy in 25 years, he’s now stating the Spaniard should have been given more time.
Clearly, the Sky Sports pundit doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. As such, I wouldn’t take his observations about West Ham too seriously. Merson seems perpetually offended that former manager David Moyes wasn’t given an extended stay at the London Stadium. Now, he’s predicting that Potter will struggle with the expectations of West Ham fans.
This insinuation—that we expect too much and demand flamboyant football—is far from the truth. The reality is that, during his final season, Moyes oversaw the worst defensive record in the club’s Premier League history, conceding a staggering 74 goals. Lopetegui, for all his experience, managed to coach a team even more porous than his predecessor’s.
Unfortunately, instead of accurately reporting why previous West Ham managers struggled, pundits like Merson lazily blame fans’ expectations and the mythical notion of playing ‘The West Ham Way.’
In truth, West Ham fans simply grew tired of seeing our team suffer humiliating defeats on a regular basis
