West Ham United

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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New West Ham boss Graham Potter had his first press conference as the new head coach at the club on Thursday morning.

It is his first job since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 and in that time he has been linked with a number of jobs that he has not taken.

I asked Potter whether he felt like he had something to prove following his time out of the game and how it ended with the Blues.

He replied: "When I hear [Pep] Guardiola say he's got something to prove then we all have."

He went on to say he thinks he is "a better coach for the experience" too.

Potter does not have much time to implement changes to West Ham's play before the FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa on Friday and the ex-Brighton manager will take charge of his first training session on Thursday afternoon.

West Ham's technical director Tim Steidten had a difficult relationship with David Moyes and last week kept away from the training ground as speculation over Julen Lopetegui's future intensified.

Potter was asked about whether he will be happy to work with Steidten and although he didn't answer directly, he said that there has to be a "collaborative" approach.

"There'll be lots of talented people, I'm sure," said Potter. "Part of our approach is to be collaborative, to work together. As I said, we need everybody to be pulling in the same direction. We need to be aligned, we need to use the resources we have.

"In the Premier League, there's lots of good players, lots of good coaches.

"So unless you're together, unless you're moving forward together, it becomes very difficult.... and my first impressions for everybody has been really positive."

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Former Stoke City head coach Narcis Pelach has been appointed first-team coach at West Ham United as part of new Hammers' boss Graham Potter's backroom staff.

Pelach was sacked by Stoke on December 27 after just three months in charge during which they won only three of his 19 games at the helm.

"Narcis Pelach is a really young coach who is excellent on the grass, excellent with the players," Potter told his first West Ham news conference, having been confirmed as Julen Lopetegui's replacement.

"We need everyone to be pulling in the same direction, we need to be aligned and using the resources we have."

Pelach had been appointed Stoke head coach in September having held previous assistant roles at Huddersfield Town and Norwich City.

He joins Billy Reid and Bruno Saltor as part of Potter's coaching team at The London Stadium.

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Pundits and experts have been having their say on Julen Lopetegui's sacking and Graham Potter's appointment at West Ham on a bonus episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown:

"How does Graham Potter go in? What does he do differently?

"I think he is tactically very good, he is a good coach, but you can only work with what you've got and West Ham are a side lacking in confidence.

"He will go in straight away and try to set a standard but he will be under so much pressure to deliver that type of setup - what does he go and do? How does he approach it? And will the fans take him onside straight away?"

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague:

"Julen Lopetegui will be feeling frustrated. The way it gets analysed right now from the coaching staff is that they have the same points as Manchester United, one less point than Spurs.

"I don't know where fans got the impression that West Ham were aiming for European places - that was never the target.

"The target was to change the style of the team and get the team playing in a completely different way and I get the impression that Lopetegui had started to see things that were going to happen in the second half of the season and things were going to be better."

Listen to the full episode on Lopetegui's sacking and Potter's appointment

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Graham Potter has been speaking to the media for the first time as new West Ham boss before Friday's FA Cup game away against Aston Villa (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Potter began by saying he is "very excited and very proud" be to named the new West Ham boss, adding "it just felt right" and is "a good fit" after his 20 months away from management after leaving Chelsea.

• He added everyone at the club is "aligned in terms of what we want to achieve and how to play football".

• Potter said: "My experience is if you can build a team that's identifiable on the pitch, the supporters are proud of and enjoy watching. If that alignment is there and there's that connection between club and fans, then why put a ceiling on anything?"

• On his time away from football: "It's been 20 months, a good break. I've had conversations with different directors, owners, but it think it was important I chose the right option at the right time."

• Potter confirmed he will be joined by former Brighton captain Bruno Saltor - who coached alongside him at both the Seagulls and then Chelsea - as his assistant and Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach as first team coaches. He said: "That's the core group and I'm looking forward to working with the staff here at the club."

• Asked if he feels lucky to be at West Ham, he said: "I consider myself lucky to be here, thankful to be here. I apologise that my name has been linked [with lots of clubs], everybody is sick of it. I'm here now, very happy and proud and privileged to be in this position."

• On taking over mid season: "My focus is on meeting the players and preparing for a game in third round of the FA Cup against Villa. Every situation is different, but the experience I've had is good because I'm a bit wiser. I've had the experience of coming into a job at a time like this. There's no good or bad time, and when the right opportunity comes up you have to take it."

Follow all of Thursday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Aston Villa v West Ham at 20:00 on Friday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Managing West Ham is "a different job" to what Graham Potter has previously experienced, former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam has told a bonus Football Daily podcast discussing the appointment.

"Graham Potter needs to win football matches first and foremost," he said.

"The rest of it will come if he can build on that. He'll have to build confidence in the players because ultimately it will be really low with some. He has to get the best out of players like [Lucas] Paqueta and [Mohammed] Kudus - your match winners.

"He'll have to make them stronger defensively because they have been leaking too many goals.

"Graham has done a very good job at Swansea and Brighton, earned the right to have the Chelsea job but it was tough with new owners, and now he will be delighted to be back in management.

"Coming into West Ham, it is a different job than what he has experienced. Potter did well abroad, Swansea knew how they wanted to play, Brighton were in a good place, Chelsea were a different beast. I think it is a good job for him to come back in to but they are starting from a lower point."

Technical Director Tim Steidten was asked to stay away from the training ground by former Hammers boss David Moyes and also fell out with Julen Lopetegui towards the end of his tenure, but Adam believes the relationship between him and Potter will be key going forward.

"He [Potter] has been pictured with the technical director while Lopetegui was still in the job, " he added.

"Potter has to say how he works and what he wants. He has to be strong about it. His relationship with the sporting director has to be key in terms of going forward, the manager has to have the trust in terms of how to make the team better and how to navigate signing the right players for what Potter is looking for."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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New West Ham head coach Graham Potter says the job "felt right" for him.

After being announced as the new Hammers boss on Thursday morning, he said: "It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me – and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United."

The former Chelsea and Brighton boss added: "The club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on.

"You don't win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a club that the supporters can be proud of."

Are you happy with the appointment?

Let us know what you think

Speaking to a lot of people around Graham Potter's appointment at West Ham, the general consensus is he is a good fit, in a way Julen Lopetegui wasn't.

West Ham have a reputation for being dysfunctional but owner David Sullivan does tend to give managers time - there is a school of thought Lopetegui was given more time than he would have got virtually anywhere else.

West Ham benefitted from David Moyes' patient squad construction. Fair or not, Potter is viewed as a more progressive coach than the Scot but he shares the value of patience.

He won't blitz everything in the way you would expect Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte to but he will piece something positive together.

It has been suggested Roberto de Zerbi improved Brighton after Potter left. I am not entirely sure that is right. He laid the foundations - and Brighton were fourth when he left for Chelsea.

Like so many have said, it feels like a good fit.

West Ham are interested in midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 26, and could push for a loan deal with Chelsea. (Independent, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Following the news West Ham are set to appoint Graham Potter as their new manager, we asked you to have your say on Julen Lopetegui's replacement.

Here are some of your comments:

Trevor: When David Moyes came back he really had a point to prove and managed to win us a trophy. Potter also has a point to prove and a career to save so hopefully he delivers a level of success for us in the same way.

Andrew: Moyes' departure was seen as a way forward for the club. Lopetegui made some improvements in attacking football but the new signings were clearly not of the quality required. The team need a clear vision and hopefully Potter will provide the coaching skills to start getting us back up the table.

Larry: He won't last six months - totally clueless.

Tony: To be frank, until the culture changes at the top of the club, it will not really matter who is wearing the manager's tracksuit. Time for a much bigger change if we want to really compete in the top six.

Dave: Potter's win percentage looks poor. He made Brighton relevant in the Premier League and they showed a lively style. There is some glimmer of hope that he can bring some 'progressive' approach to the Irons.

AW: Solid appointment - an experienced, young Premier League manager. Knows the league, knows the teams, knows the players. Let us hope he takes his career and West Ham to the next level.

Terry: He will probably last about as long as Lopetegui! Disappointing in the extreme. Should have held out for someone with more experience and a better track record. Come back, Big Sam!

So, it's going to be Graham Potter succeeding the sacked Julen Lopetegui at West Ham.

The 49-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal and returns to management for the first time since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.

He was dismissed after less than seven months in charge of the Blues, having replaced Thomas Tuchel following an impressive three years managing Brighton.

Potter, who also managed Ostersunds in Sweden and Championship side Swansea, has taken charge of 142 games in the Premier League - winning 41 of those and leaving him with a win percentage of 29%.

West Ham's next game is the FA Cup third-round tie at Aston Villa on Friday (20:00 GMT kick-off).

What do you make of it, West Ham fans? The right choice? What are his priorities to turn things around for the Hammers?

Let us know here

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Former West Ham midfielder John Moncur, who made over 170 appearances in claret and sky blue, believes it was "only a matter of time" before Julen Lopetegui was sacked by the club.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Moncur said: "West Ham fans were calling to have a more attractive style of play after David Moyes and that didn't really happen from day one.

"But the most alarming thing for us supporters is that, when we lost the ball in transition, we were so open and we have conceded so many goals from that, especially of late.

"So it was really only a matter of time before he did get the sack.

"David Moyes had done a great job but the fans had run out of patience... but we have been all over the place defensively. To leak so many goals against not even big teams is a problem."

On Graham Potter, who currently looks in pole position for the managerial job, Moncur added: "A lot of fans would have probably said he was the one we all would've chosen from the off.

"He is a young English manager, he has done a great job at Brighton, he is interested in bringing young players through as well. You have got to remember that West Ham won the FA Youth Cup not so long ago, so we have got a lot of good young players here."

Earlier on Wednesday, we published your suggestions for the next West Ham United manager.

One supporter suggested that Julen Lopetegui "should be given the season" in charge, but Will Pugh from the We Are West Ham podcast, external says he was not convinced about Lopetegui "from the moment he arrived" at the club.

Will also revealed who he would like to see take charge of the Hammers next - and there are no prizes for guessing who his top choice is.

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West Ham have sacked Julen Lopetegui after just six months in charge.

He departs alongside assistant head coach Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, head analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja de Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio.

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West Ham have got to work with what they have got - and that is regardless of whether manager Julen Lopetegui stays or is sacked.

With no additions, there is a squad there that is good enough to compete and do something with.

There is an argument that they need another striker given Michail Antonio's accident because it is clear to see they are struggling in that position. They create lots of chances but just can't convert them.

More than anything, though, there needs to be a mentality shift from the players because they lack the ability to run and work hard in and out of possession.

I don't think the overall attitude has been good enough and teams are just rolling them over. That is what is disappointing the fans.

I don't know if there is a lack of respect for the manager or understanding in what he expects, but there doesn't seem to be any leaders.

The players are showing no demands on one another to be better so in this window it seems more important to regroup and get that right.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

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The pressure is mounting on Julen Lopetegui - so we wanted to know who you think the club should be looking at appointing as the next West Ham United boss if the Spaniard leaves.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Ben: Graham Potter is the best option, especially given the West Ham board's usual criteria of Premier league experience and being unemployed. He will also have something to prove, much like David Moyes did. As for Lopetegui, he can have no complaints about being sacked.

David: Potter is not the right man for the job needed at West Ham. We need a total rebuild from the academy through to the first team. The bigger picture is that a cultural change is needed in the running of the club. Sullivan, Brady and Steidten all need to be replaced.

Glen: The obvious choice is Wayne Rooney.

Ant: It should be Moyes, obviously, but he won't come back after the way he has been treated twice now. Plus a fair-sized chunk of the fanbase still don't see that he was our best manager since John Lyall. He is proven in the Premier League and in European competition.

Tim: I believe Lopetegui should be given the season. There have been glimpses of what he is trying to achieve and binning managers so quickly is unsettling for any club. We are not bad enough to go down so I think we should wait to see how things pan out.

Lee: We should go for Edin Terzic. Potter's win percentage is the same as Lopetegui's whereas Terzic's is over 60%. Originally I wanted Ruben Amorim, but that obviously hasn't really worked out for Manchester United, so I guess we could be in a worse place. But I feel Terzic would work well for us, especially with director Tim Steidten.

Martin: In a nutshell, it has got to be Ange Postecoglou.

Geoff: The club is run like a complete circus and no manager worth his salt would touch the job with the proverbial barge pole. The next appointment will be someone who has fallen off the managerial merry-go-round and is currently, therefore, available.

Image source, Getty Images

Under-pressure West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been training on Wednesday despite growing question marks over his position.

The Spaniard had been scheduled to take a news conference at the club's training ground at 13:15 GMT, but that has since been cancelled.

It is understood former AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca and ex-Paris St-Germain coach Christophe Galtier, now managing Al-Duhail in Qatar, have both been spoken to by the Hammers.

However, the belief from both camps is that ex-Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter will get the job.

So, if Lopetegui is to exit, who should they appoint next, West Ham fans? Is Potter the right man for now? Or should they not go for any of the three names above?

Let us know here

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Former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp says the club approaching and talking to Graham Potter while Julen Lopetegui remains in charge is "disrespectful".

"No doubt about that," Redknapp told BBC Radio London. "If you want to get rid of him then you call him and say I'm sorry it's not worked out, but obviously talks have been going on with Graham Potter."

Wednesday's FA Cup media conference has been cancelled by the club as speculation around the Spaniard's position grows.

"Potter seems to be the number-one target," added Redknapp. "But it's not an easy place to manage West Ham. The expectation there is very high.

"Whoever goes there, not only do they have to produce a winning team, they've got to produce a team that plays what West Ham fans see as the West Ham way."

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West Ham have cancelled today's scheduled press conference with Julen Lopetegui.

He was due to speak to the media at 13:15 GMT in preparation for Friday's FA Cup tie at Aston Villa.

On Monday, BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone reported the Hammers have held talks with Graham Potter about possibly replacing the Spaniard.

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui cancelled a team bonding meal that had been planned for Tuesday night as he waited to hear if he had been sacked by the club. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

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