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‘He’s a great man’ – Karren Brady backs Graham Potter as ‘uninspiring’ manager questioned after shock West Ham defeat
West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady has defended manager Graham Potter after their woeful opening day defeat to Sunderland. She joined talkSPORT to discuss the shocking 3-0 defeat to a team back in the Premier League for the first time in eight years. GettyPotter is facing backlash after a terrible opening day defeat to Sunderland[/caption] Brady joined talkSPORT to discuss all things West HamtalkSPORT Potter has come in for plenty of criticism since arriving at the London Stadium to replace Julen Lopetegui in January. Since starting the role, he has only managed five wins and five draws with 10 losses in his opening 20 games. They ended last season in 14th and fans would have been hoping for significant improvements. However, headers from Eliezer Mayenda and Daniel Ballard were followed by a late Wilson Isidor strike to condemn them to an embarrassing opening day defeat. Potter’s position was quickly questioned, but Brady is insistent that with time he can get things right in east London. She told the Sunday Edition: “I wish yesterday could start all over again. It’s so tough to take. It’s never easy for the supporters, the players, or the manager to lose 3-0, particularly in the opening game of the season. “I spent a lot of time with the manager and the squad in America on the preseason tour. The spirit amongst them is fantastic. I know that they’ll be more disappointed, that they’ll be the most disappointed people this morning. “I know we’ll see a reaction and I know they want to turn it around and they’ll want to turn it around quickly. “Graham is a forward thinking manager. He’s sort of calm under pressure. He’s very detailed in his approach. He’s a great man, manager of players. “He builds a special relationship with players and they understand where he’s coming from. GettyPotter needs reinforcements if West Ham are to improve on last season’s 14th place finish[/caption] “He has a modern mindset and all of those things mean it does take some time to put a team together, to get the team playing the way that you want. “West Ham is not a club that panics about its managers. We tend to stick with them, tend to support people, stick with them and see it through. “I really hope he does well. He’s a pleasure to work with. He’s incredibly professional. I know the players respect him. “I know his relationship with the players is good. I know he’ll be sitting down with them today to have a long, hard think about what went wrong yesterday, expecting a reaction and expecting to put it right.” Tony Cascarino’s verdict One man who thought the opposite, though, is former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino. And he was damning in his assessment of the Hammers – and Potter. GettyMads Hermansen conceded three goals on his Premier League debut for the Hammers[/caption] GettyMeanwhile, Jarrod Bowen couldn’t help them get on the scoresheet at the Stadium of Light[/caption] “I think the players might be thinking also maybe our management maybe has to push us forward a bit more,” he told the Weekend Sports Breakfast. “It’s a very one-paced midfield at West Ham. West Ham fans found it really hard work. “If you ever want to go to a football match and have a little bit of a doze, especially last season and coming in this year, I looked at West Ham because I I’d gone there and worked on two or three games and I found it hard work actually being trying to be positive about what I’m watching. “Graham’s interviews are not very inspiring to me because he questions the players and maybe what they should have done or shouldn’t have done. But you set your team up. You set them up to try and be more aggressive. And they were overrun in every area. “Only Bowen stood out yesterday for West Ham. Only he looked like he had anything about him. And Graham has to instill that into his team. “Look at Arne Slot or look at Sir Alex Ferguson, they all drove their teams. You look at the passion that managers have. I just don’t see that with Graham Potter. “Yeah, and he might have his own way. There’s not one way to be successful. “Do you know what? I can imagine training being a real drag this week. The way they’ve played, this is a continuation of the end of last season. You look at the games last year and how they ended. “They were really poor West Ham.” Queried about if Sunderland’s first game back in the Premier League may also have been a factor in the result, he continued: “Sunderland are back this season. I get it. The Stadium of Light rocking, sold out. I get all of that. “But if you are an established Premier League team and you have got a number of players [having quiet games], [Lucas] Paqueta was non-existent yesterday. I watched him for one of the goals, I think it’s [Dan] Ballard’s goal, where he’s picked up and he’s not even track the run. He’s just let him have a
West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady has defended manager Graham Potter after their woeful opening day defeat to Sunderland.
She joined talkSPORT to discuss the shocking 3-0 defeat to a team back in the Premier League for the first time in eight years.
Potter has come in for plenty of criticism since arriving at the London Stadium to replace Julen Lopetegui in January.
Since starting the role, he has only managed five wins and five draws with 10 losses in his opening 20 games.
They ended last season in 14th and fans would have been hoping for significant improvements.
However, headers from Eliezer Mayenda and Daniel Ballard were followed by a late Wilson Isidor strike to condemn them to an embarrassing opening day defeat.
Potter’s position was quickly questioned, but Brady is insistent that with time he can get things right in east London.
She told the Sunday Edition: “I wish yesterday could start all over again. It’s so tough to take. It’s never easy for the supporters, the players, or the manager to lose 3-0, particularly in the opening game of the season.
“I spent a lot of time with the manager and the squad in America on the preseason tour. The spirit amongst them is fantastic. I know that they’ll be more disappointed, that they’ll be the most disappointed people this morning.
“I know we’ll see a reaction and I know they want to turn it around and they’ll want to turn it around quickly.
“Graham is a forward thinking manager. He’s sort of calm under pressure. He’s very detailed in his approach. He’s a great man, manager of players.
“He builds a special relationship with players and they understand where he’s coming from.
“He has a modern mindset and all of those things mean it does take some time to put a team together, to get the team playing the way that you want.
“West Ham is not a club that panics about its managers. We tend to stick with them, tend to support people, stick with them and see it through.
“I really hope he does well. He’s a pleasure to work with. He’s incredibly professional. I know the players respect him.
“I know his relationship with the players is good. I know he’ll be sitting down with them today to have a long, hard think about what went wrong yesterday, expecting a reaction and expecting to put it right.”
Tony Cascarino’s verdict
One man who thought the opposite, though, is former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino.
And he was damning in his assessment of the Hammers – and Potter.
“I think the players might be thinking also maybe our management maybe has to push us forward a bit more,” he told the Weekend Sports Breakfast.
“It’s a very one-paced midfield at West Ham. West Ham fans found it really hard work.
“If you ever want to go to a football match and have a little bit of a doze, especially last season and coming in this year, I looked at West Ham because I I’d gone there and worked on two or three games and I found it hard work actually being trying to be positive about what I’m watching.
“Graham’s interviews are not very inspiring to me because he questions the players and maybe what they should have done or shouldn’t have done. But you set your team up. You set them up to try and be more aggressive. And they were overrun in every area.
“Only Bowen stood out yesterday for West Ham. Only he looked like he had anything about him. And Graham has to instill that into his team.
“Look at Arne Slot or look at Sir Alex Ferguson, they all drove their teams. You look at the passion that managers have. I just don’t see that with Graham Potter.
“Yeah, and he might have his own way. There’s not one way to be successful.
“Do you know what? I can imagine training being a real drag this week. The way they’ve played, this is a continuation of the end of last season. You look at the games last year and how they ended.
“They were really poor West Ham.”
Queried about if Sunderland’s first game back in the Premier League may also have been a factor in the result, he continued: “Sunderland are back this season. I get it. The Stadium of Light rocking, sold out. I get all of that.
“But if you are an established Premier League team and you have got a number of players [having quiet games], [Lucas] Paqueta was non-existent yesterday. I watched him for one of the goals, I think it’s [Dan] Ballard’s goal, where he’s picked up and he’s not even track the run. He’s just let him have a free header.
“You know, I I think sometimes you have to go hardball. I have never been a manager and I have always liked to think I am really considered in the way I choose my words with managers sometimes. But I just feel like Graham himself has got quite a lot wrong since he’s been at West Ham.”
