Where is Graham Potter? When evaluating Crystal Palace and West Ham’s alternatives if their respective spirals continue, this thought arose and bubbled away with considerable curiosity.
Some out-of-work managers maintain a public profile, but Potter has preferred a low-key existence since being fired by Chelsea in April 2023.
Except for a few public appearances. The first was discovered using a journalist’s best tool, the Getty photo archive, which shows Potter in the stands at Tottenham’s Premier League match against Burnley on May 11, this year. Notably, it is Potter’s sole Getty shot since his Chelsea career ended.
The second and third appearances as a Sky Sports pundit were more obvious, first on Monday Night Football in place of Gary Neville on September 30, and then on Super Sunday against Arsenal and Chelsea on November 10.
After a long absence, these appeared to be timely indications of intent, of the shroud being lifted and the desire to return to management now burning, with MNF in particular providing an ideal platform for scrutinising every answer and plastering it across sports news sources across the country.
Potter was belatedly questioned in the Sky studios about his Chelsea exit, such was the interest surrounding his tenure as the first hire and second fire of the Boehly-Clearlake era, and he was also asked about the possibility of becoming England or Manchester United manager.
At a time when England was still deciding on their post-Gareth Southgate choices and United was staying with Erik ten Hag, Potter declared, “I’m open to anything.
“As an Englishman, of course it’s a fantastic job but I’m supportive of whatever the FA decide to do and whoever the coach is.”
Potter declined to comment on the idea of reuniting with United’s sporting director Dan Ashworth, stating that he is the only coach in the world to be connected with both Stoke City and Napoli simultaneously.A lot of what I’ve read in the media is inaccurate or false. I don’t believe everything the media says. I’ve had a number of chats with various people. For everyone’s sake, I’d rather keep it quiet.”
Such conversations were indeed withheld from the baying press, but we now know for certain that the two gigs passed him by.
FA chief Mark Bullingham revealed that 10 candidates were interviewed for the England job, including some Englishmen, and it is safe to presume Potter was one among them before Thomas Tuchel was chosen.
Meanwhile, I reported Ashworth’s interest in reconnecting with Potter at United in March, but once Ruben Amorim emerged as the prime candidate to replace Ten Hag in late October, all other names fell out of consideration.
Though Potter is not alone in being the bridesmaid for such duties, reservations at United and inside the FA about her must definitely extend to Palace and West Ham, and possibly elsewhere as well.
Palace chose Oliver Glasner in February when Potter was available, whilst West Ham chose Julen Lopetegui this summer.
So, if Potter was not judged the solution, what has changed in the intervening months? His sole saving grace could be their separate results and performances thus far this season.
At West Ham, Lopetegui’s underwhelming start smacks of a club that knows they’ve picked the wrong route but remains afraid to admit it, having made the major decision to move on from David Moyes’ brand of play.
Nonetheless, Hammers chairman David Sullivan may have reservations about Potter, who appears to be an obvious replacement but clearly has problems.
Potter was unable to carry his Brighton magic to Chelsea, and he was fired after only seven months and 31 games in command, with a record of 12 wins, eight draws, and 11 loses.
That was an improvement on his win rate at Brighton (39 percent versus 32 percent), but he was defying expectations on the south coast, while failing to meet them in London.
Now that Potter has been out of work for 19 months in a fast-paced industry, we may soon find out if he is truly obsolete, especially if owners attribute his Brighton success to their revered recruitment method rather than his coaching abilities.
It appears that West Ham or Palace will make a change soon, and if not, then one of Southampton or Wolves, and if Potter is not being seriously considered, the blemish on his record must be larger than initially imagined.
And the longer it goes on, the blotchier it gets, which means Potter may have to drop down a tier to reclaim his position in management.
However, a relocation abroad is equally likely. Potter, who rose to prominence at Ostersund in Sweden before joining Swansea, may see value in a European job.
After all, he has clearly loved his time away from the spotlight and the British back pages, and his chances of re-climbing the ladder in England may be enhanced by a trip to Europe.
Recent Premier League appointments imply that this is also the case. United nabbed Sporting Lisbon’s manager, Liverpool hired Feyenoord’s and Brighton St Pauli’s, and Potter, who keeps a close eye on such issues, will have taken note.
What awaits Potter could be addressed in weeks, but if the Premier League’s struggling pack takes a different path, such questions will arise by the New Year.
