Manchester United are set to appoint Graham Potter as their new manager following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, marking a stunning twist in the career of a coach who was once written off after high-profile failures at Chelsea and West Ham.
Once considered England manager material, Potter had watched his reputation unravel after two brutal sackings in under two years. Now, after months out of the spotlight, he’s been handed a dramatic Premier League lifeline at Old Trafford.
Potter was dismissed by West Ham United after only eight months in charge, with the team sitting 19th in the Premier League and having suffered four defeats in their last five games. His exit from the London Stadium mirrors the abrupt end of his seven-month stint at Chelsea, where he was sacked in April 2023.
At Chelsea, Potter blamed a “perfect storm” for his struggles. Appointed by new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who had just sacked Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel, Potter had to manage a bloated squad following a staggering £323 million January spending spree. The team lacked cohesion, and the dressing room was so overcrowded that it reportedly couldn’t accommodate all the players.
His fortunes didn’t improve at West Ham. Despite taking a 637-day hiatus after leaving Chelsea , hoping to make a carefully considered return to management, Potter again found himself engulfed in instability. He won just six of his 25 games in charge, succeeding Julen Lopetegui with high hopes but failing to inspire either performances or fan support.
His calm, measured personality “once praised at Brighton” did little to win over West Ham’s passionate fan base, and poor results only intensified the pressure. His final game, a home loss to Crystal Palace, was preceded by fan protests targeting not just Potter, but also chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady. Potter’s reputation was built during an impressive spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, where he thrived under the steady guidance of owner Tony Bloom and technical director Dan Ashworth. Brighton offered an environment of patience, smart recruitment, and trust, qualities starkly lacking at Chelsea and West Ham.
At Brighton, Potter led the club to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League and helped develop talents like Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister. He was known for tactical flexibility and an organised, disciplined approach, traits that seemed to disappear amid the chaos of his later roles.
Potter left Brighton when they were sitting fourth in the table in September 2022, having just beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford in the opening week of the season.Despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with Chelsea, Potter appeared increasingly overwhelmed in both of his recent jobs. Set-piece weaknesses, lack of tactical clarity, and a subdued touchline presence led to growing disillusionment.
Former England defender Martin Keown remarked:
“Potter was at Chelsea not so long ago. He could have been an England manager. Now you look at his win percentage at Chelsea and West Ham… his next job in the Premier League, if he gets one, is really very important for him.”
Indeed, Potter’s win percentages tell a worrying story:
- Brighton: 34 wins from 120 games — 28%
- Chelsea: 7 wins from 22 games — 32%
- West Ham: 6 wins from 25 games — 24%
For a coach once celebrated for methodical team-building, Potter’s inability to implement structure at West Ham was glaring. His team looked particularly vulnerable at set-pieces, prompting Keown to liken their defending to “a set of schoolboys.”
What Next?
Potter’s fall from grace has been rapid and unforgiving. The serene exterior that defined his time at Brighton gave way to a visibly burdened figure at West Ham, a man carrying the weight of back-to-back Premier League failures.
A return to top-tier English football now appears unlikely in the short term. A move abroad, perhaps to a more stable or patient club on the continent, may offer the best route for Potter to rebuild his career.
His story serves as a cautionary tale: even the most promising managerial careers can falter when mismatched with volatile environments. The qualities that once had him in serious contention for the England job may still be there, but for now, Potter faces a long road back to the top.
