The reaction from losing to Crystal Palace was predictable, the ‘boos’ were evident again at London Stadium after Graham Potter’s second Premier League game. Hardly fair.
Lopetegui’s West Ham produced week in, week out toothless performances with disorganised chaos at the back that were far worse. I need hardly run through the massive scores racked up against us by Liverpool, Arsenal Manchester City and Spurs.
Graham Potter was working with the thinnest of squads today, None of it his own choosing, assembled by Steidten, Sullivan and Lopetegui and coached, until last week, towards Lopetegui’s chaos-ball.
Look at the names who were missing: Antonio, Bowen, Fullkrug, Todibo, Areola, Summerville – more than half a starting eleven out injured.
So cut him some slack. Unlike Lopetegui where this became the norm, as he stuttered without a plan from game to game, Potter has already integrated young players, evolved the playing style and coaxed decent performances out of some of the ‘want away’ players alienated by Lopetegui and sidelined as a result.
When he has a full squad to choose from, along with a new recruit to carry an attacking threat, results will come. And you won’t have to “wait ’til Christmas” again for any sign of improvement – as we were told we needed to do under Lopetegui.
Bowen, Summerville and co will be back soon enough. So don’t panic just yet. The past doesn’t have to equal the future!
