A Premier League aspect with a brand new supervisor and a brand new type – a again three, attacking wing-backs and a pair of No 10s behind the entrance man.
No, not that one. Whereas Ruben Amorim has spent his opening video games attempting to mould his gamers into his philosophy at Man Utd, Graham Potter is doing the alternative in east London.
Lastly, Potter is offering what West Ham followers had been promised when Julen Lopetegui took over from David Moyes in the summertime.
Let’s not dwell too lengthy on his ill-fated 22-game reign, however it took weeks for Potter’s predecessor to point out greater than glacial indicators of development in direction of a brand new method. In 4 video games, the brand new man has already begun to tear up the script and begin once more.
As you’ll anticipate from a Potter staff, passes are up. Common possession has risen nearly 10 per cent. The variety of sequences of 10 or extra passes has rocketed by nearly half.
Monday third February 6:30pm
Kick off 8:00pm
It’s not a lot a couple of set type although, as a lot because the adaptability inside that Potter framework. The tactical nuances which followers felt Moyes lacked, and which Lopetegui, for one cause or one other, by no means acquired to point out. No shock when his Brighton aspect lined up in 13 totally different beginning formations throughout 38 video games in his closing full season on the membership.
It took simply 9 minutes of his opening West Ham recreation for Lucas Paqueta, enduring a wretched season to that time, to ghost into the field and hearth them forward at Aston Villa. Even after a single coaching session as head coach, he had not been scared to make important tweaks.
Potter performed a notional again 4 in that first recreation, handing Oliver Scarles a full debut at left-back. A daring transfer in itself. Bolder was how Cryscensio Summerville and Scarles performed successfully as wing-backs, stretching Villa in huge areas as Aaron Wan-Bissaka tucked in as a 3rd centre-back in possession.
A half-time reshuffle after Summerville’s harm in the end dampened West Ham’s hearth to a degree they by no means recovered however it offered sufficient encouragement that Potter might – and would – make a quick influence.
After all, it hasn’t been fairly that plain crusing. West Ham have received solely one in all three within the Premier League since, however the route of journey is obvious, and Potter has blended issues as much as good impact.
The Hammers scored three targets from 4 photographs – however two ‘large possibilities’ of their subsequent recreation, a 3-2 win over Fulham.
They struggled in opposition to Crystal Palace, not helped by a second-half pink card for Konstantinos Mavropanos, however recovered with their finest efficiency but in a second journey to Villa Park final weekend, the place after a gradual begin they had been annoyed to go away with solely some extent.
Paqueta has continued after that brilliant begin and appears again to the participant he was final season. With Nicklas Fullkrug injured, Potter has deployed him as a False 9 and is getting him again to the sort of harmful areas he thrives in, over the confused and unsettled position he was handed by Lopetegui.
From extensively reported muddled coaching classes and team-sheets revealed to gamers solely hours forward of kick-off, Potter’s gamers already have a look at residence inside his strategies.
Simply as he did so usually at Brighton, Potter could make flip sq. pegs in spherical holes – a again three of Vladimir Coufal, Max Kilman and Aaron Cresswell, for instance – right into a well-oiled machine.
They aren’t essentially the most convincing trio on paper, however the huge centre-backs’ overarching focus was to help Emerson and Wan-Bissaka out huge, even when it meant leaving a one-vs-one up in opposition to Ollie Watkins or latterly Jhon Duran.
That helped play an element within the largest showcase of Potter’s adaptability to this point. Paqueta loved extra opposition-box touches than in any recreation all season, however it was the supervisor’s bravery to determine Aaron Wan-Bissaka as his most potent artistic risk that made the distinction.
Precisely 50 per cent of West Ham’s assaults got here down their proper flank as Potter made the wing-back West Ham’s major out ball in opposition to Villa’s compact construction, with Coufal in help to occupy Jacob Ramsey and create an everyday overload.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (circled proper) has area one-on-one within the build-up to West Ham’s equaliser in opposition to Aston Villa final weekend, with underlapping centre-back Vladimir Coufal (circled left) occupying Jacob Ramsey’s consideration
Six crosses – once more, a season excessive – and two possibilities adopted from the wing-back in addition to a supporting position within the Hammers’ objective which teed up Emerson, who was equally stretching the hosts on the far aspect, to nod in a deserved second-half equaliser.
What is going to observe subsequent as Potter returns to his outdated membership Chelsea on Monday Evening Soccer? Not like Moyes, and even Lopetegui, his fluid tactical type is difficult to pinpoint forward of time and even throughout 90 minutes. That in itself is the entire thought.
As a result of what has Potter modified on the London Stadium? Within the area of lower than a month, slightly little bit of every part. Not as a result of he’s wedded to implementing a set type, however exactly as a result of he is not.
Watch Chelsea vs West Ham dwell on Sky Sports activities Premier League from 6.30pm on Monday, kick-off 8pm.
