Potter 'excitement' short lived - but West Ham find 'positives'

A quirk of destiny meant Graham Potter's past crippled successful guidance was a 2-0 conclusion to Aston Villa.

It costs him his occupation astatine Chelsea successful April 2023, arsenic the Blues acted little than 24 hours later to extremity his little Stamford Bridge reign.

Almost 2 years later the 49-year-old returned to the dugout to suffer different nonaccomplishment to Villa, this clip successful the FA Cup, successful his first crippled arsenic West Ham boss.

At his Thursday unveiling, he said astir accepting some the successes and the setbacks, his spell astatine Chelsea a cleanable example.

Potter said the Hammers felt for illustration the "right one" aft antecedently coming adjacent to the jobs astatine Ajax and Leicester.

He besides said he was now good rested - but, aft Friday's crippled astatine a freezing Villa Park, location is apt to beryllium a small frustration.

Lucas Paqueta's goal, during the Hammers' agleam start, had the caller head celebrating connected the sidelines conscionable 9 minutes in.

At full-time, however, he was locked successful speech pinch adjunct head Bruno Satler connected the touchline aft Villa's comeback had knocked retired his caller side.

"The emotions were excitement," said Potter erstwhile he was asked really he felt earlier the crippled astatine his post-match news conference. "Friday night, Villa Park, afloat house, 6,500 West Ham fans who were amazing.

"Our capacity gave maine a batch of encouragement, the measurement the players tried to do what we asked them to do. We're conscionable disappointed now because we're retired and wanted to spell through.

"We conscionable effort to get the squad into a bully shape. The talent is location but it's conscionable astir trying to get the squad together arsenic a collective. That's what we're trying to do."

After the last whistle, he walked complete to salute the travelling fans who will beryllium hoping Potter will present the style and constituent they are demanding

It is thing Julen Lopetegui was incapable to do successful his six months successful charge and Potter becomes the club's 5th head successful 9 and a half years, counting David Moyes' 2 spells.

Given time, Potter has shown he is capable to enact alteration successful the semipermanent aft his awesome spell astatine Ostersunds successful Sweden, taking them to the Europa League and a 2-1 triumph complete Arsenal, earlier improving Swansea City and past building a ace squad astatine Brighton.

Lopetegui was handed important costs but it is Potter who needs to find really to animate an expensively assembled squad.

In the summer, striker Niclas Fullkrug arrived for £27m but has scored conscionable 3 goals during an injury-hit commencement - and now looks apt to beryllium retired again aft coming disconnected early astatine Villa Park pinch a hamstring injury, a problem Potter expects to beryllium "severe".

Max Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka costs a mixed £55m but the Hammers person the 3rd worst defence successful the Premier League, conceding 9 to Liverpool and Manchester City earlier Friday's conclusion successful Birmingham.

Crysencio Summerville - besides injured successful the first half - has besides managed conscionable 1 extremity successful 19 convention appearances aft his summertime move for complete £25m from Leeds and Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme has made minimal impact.

There is intelligibly talent but nary of it has been realised this play and Potter starts life astatine the Hammers without six-goal apical scorer Jarrod Bowen, retired for astatine slightest six weeks pinch a fractured foot.

Their wounded problems up beforehand could unit West Ham into the marketplace but Potter cautioned astir reacting excessively soon.

He said: "We person to spot the grade to the injuries and spot really agelong it will return for guys to travel back. We don't cognize the extent. If they are retired it's thing we person to look at.

"I'm conscionable reacting to a crippled which has conscionable finished. We person to deliberation pinch everyone connected and spot what we tin do, if we request to do anything."

Friday did, astatine least, supply immoderate shoots of recovery.

The Hammers arrived astatine Villa Park pinch 2 wins successful their past 8 convention games, against struggling Wolves and Southampton, but were agleam and inventive soon aft kick-off.

Paqueta had already gone adjacent wrong 2 minutes earlier his opener had the visiting chair disconnected their feet and Potter punching the air.

The Hammers grounded to support it arsenic Villa slow sewage a grip of the game, particularly successful the 2nd half, arsenic injuries to Fullkrug and Summerville robbed the visitors of important outlets and stunted their momentum.

Amadou Onana's equalising extremity came from a area which was wrongly awarded by referee Tim Robinson but Potter was philosophical, choosing to attraction connected his players instead.

"The consequence I've had successful our mentation clip and what the boys tried to do was really encouraging and positive," said Potter.

"The exertion of the players has been really good. They've carried retired everything we've asked them to do successful a short abstraction of time."

Since losing the 2006 FA Cup last to Liverpool, the Hammers person only reached the quarter-finals twice, defeats to Bristol City, AFC Wimbledon and Wigan the lowlights of a sorry caller history successful the competition.

Of course, Moyes took them to the Europa Conference League title successful 2023 but a home honour has eluded the Hammers since they lifted the FA Cup successful 1980.

The hold goes connected aft a 2nd successive 3rd information exit but pinch a caller head brings caller hope.