Graham Potter was, just a couple of years ago, the most talked-about English manager in football. He’d risen from the bottom, seemed to possess great knowledge of the game and was beloved by many.
In 2025, he became the manager of West Ham. He’s helped the team comfortably avoid relegation. But results have been a mixed bag lately.
What are the tactics that Potter has tried to implement, how is he putting his stamp on the Hammers’ style of football and what’s next for him and the beloved club? These are the things that I’ll be discussing today.
Career Prior to Managing West Ham United
Graham Potter’s career is nothing short of something that might happen in an ideal Football Manager save. He started at the bottom and gradually built his reputation. His reward was one of the most coveted and difficult jobs in the Premier League (no, not manager of West Ham!)
Potter had a 12-year career as a player. He was the dependable left-back, usually, for English clubs in the lower tiers.
However, most football nerds will have first heard of him as the manager of Swedish side Östersund. A lowly Scandinavian club, Östersund, was guided by Potter well. The club became noteworthy in European competitions and also won the Swedish Cup.
With these achievements on his resume, Graham Potter was entrusted with a job at Welsh club Swansea in the EPL. He impressed enough that Brighton & Hove Albion came knocking. Potter also made changes here and established Brighton as one of the best EPL sides outside of the money-loaded top teams.
This convinced Chelsea, who’d recently been acquired by wealthy American owners, to offer Potter a job and a colossal contract. Potter accepted, but inherited a squad filled with so many star players that some of them, it is said, weren’t granted access to the changing rooms. Poor results led to Potter’s first dismissal of his career.
In January of 2025, the manager finally accepted a new role. West Ham is one of the established Premier League teams. However, at the time of the appointment, they were battling relegation, as was the norm.
Potter quickly guided the team away from that battle. However, results were typically poor in the final weeks of the 2024/2025 season.
Tactical Philosophy
Potter’s are versatile and easily adaptable. The manager works a lot with players in order to make them comfortable in a variety of systems. These systems are implemented at various moments of a game.
In fact, Potter’s greatest two qualities are his tactical acumen and his ability to get players to buy into his plan.
Östersund was a fourth-tier club. Playing a dynamic, attacking 4-2-3-1 with plenty of width, Potter guided the team toward the top tier and into European competitions.
Still, Potter has also experimented with a three-at-the-back approach, or played a slow, patient side in 4-4-1-1 when he was manager of Brighton.
Injuries and an unbalanced squad made the task of creating a fast, attacking Chelsea team impossible at the time for Potter.
Formations and Adaptability
Few managers work to have their team capable of playing in this many number of formations. Since joining The Hammers, Potter has started games in a 3-4-2-1, 3-4-1-2 or 4-2-3-1. He’s made these choices to counteract the opponents’ strong points.
However, it is nearly impossible to speak of a favoured formation. Potter will switch the shape of the team and player roles throughout a game based on the evolution of it.
West Ham in Defence
One of the things that Potter’s demanded of his players is for them to be comfortable playing in various roles. Full-backs, for example, have been encouraged, at various times, to play almost as attacking wingers. It’s why youngster Ollie Scarles, for example, received so much game time.
Potter prefers more traditional centre-backs who can cover when the wing-backs move into attack. A defensive partnership between Maropanos and Kilman has been the norm. But Potter has also improved with a back three, which has included the highly experienced Vladimir Coufal, typically a midfielder.
It’s easy to assume that Potter will want to change a lot about West Ham’s defensive options if he’s manager of the team for next season.
West Ham in Transition
Typically, West Ham’s attacks develop on the wings, particularly the right flank. One of the central defenders or midfielders will move in a more lateral position to create overloads.
This has worked well, for example, in The Hammers’ 2-0 victory over Manchester United. Coufal was brilliantly assisted by central defender Jean-Clair Todibo down the right flank. Meanwhile, Wan-Bissaka used his crossing ability to destabilise the defensive stability of his former side.
In central midfield, Potter favours experience. Ward-Prowse, Soucek or Edson Alvarez have been important players who are also capable of playing in multiple roles.
West Ham in Attack
West Ham has a number of highly talented attacking players in its squad. However, the team has struggled to score this season. Was it a case of trying too many different things?
Potter has partially solved these issues while getting the very best out of Jarrod Bowen. The striker fits the profile well. He’s a powerful, hard-working striker. His experience and stamina mean that he can get to the end of a cross.
But Bowen also has the ability to take on a less advanced role in the centre, or even play on the right side of the pitch. This means that ideally, Bowen can, for example, change places with Mohamemed Kudus in a bid to destabilise the opposition.
What’s Next for Potter and for West Ham?
Graham Potter is a great manager. But is West Ham the job appointment that will carry him even further in his career?
This remains to be seen, but at the moment, both the club and the manager appear to want something different, something more attractive.
If Potter does stay for the 2025/26 campaign, he’ll naturally demand changes. This will be a risk for the club, but it may also prove to be the decisions that help West Ham finally move outside of its typical bottom-half of the table position.
