Graham Potter made team more than the sum of their parts; West Ham 3-2 Fulham
It cannot be overstated how miraculous a job Graham Potter has done in reinvigorating morale at West Ham.
Whilst the Hammers’ 3-2 victory against Fulham at the London Stadium had elements of fortune, the win was firmly rooted in hard work and team spirit.
Far too often during Julen Lopetegui’s short reign as West Ham head coach, it felt like goals came from individual brilliance rather than cohesive team efforts. However, in Graham Potter’s first game against the Cottagers, the determination and collective ethic from the entire squad were unmistakable.
No doubt, Potter’s ultimate ambition is to implement technical and attacking football, but there’s no question that he is also a pragmatist. He would have fully recognised that his first two tasks in the Hammers’ hot seat were to shore up a leaky defence and unify a dressing room that had too often been fractured this season.
While the Irons’ victory over Fulham wasn’t a masterclass in technical skill, it was a display of a manager making the most of his resources and bringing the squad along with him.
Under Lopetegui, it often felt like no one truly understood the team’s identity. In stark contrast, West Ham’s performance against Marco Silva’s side had clarity and purpose from the very outset. Potter’s game plan was clear, and the players never wavered from their task
