Graham Potter's managerial style is all about being adaptable, developing players, and pushing the boundaries of what it means to play football in a modern way.

This makes his move to West Ham United pretty interesting.

He'll be taking over a team that's had a lot of changes under Julen Lopetegui and a squad that's still finding its feet in a relegation battle.

As we will see in this tactical analysis, Potter has a history of adapting his systems to maximise his players' performance.

Therefore, he will need to do that here while working on the weaknesses.

This analysis looks at how Potter could change West Ham's approach, including possible system changes, how he'd use key players, and the challenges he might face in trying to stabilise the club and lay the foundations for future success.

Graham Potter Coaching Profile

Potter has a reputation for being a forward-thinking coach who's meticulous about tactics and player development.

His big break in management came in 2011 when he moved to Sweden to take charge of Östersunds FK, a fourth-tier side at the time.

Over the following seven years, he led the club to the top flight, Allsvenskan, and then to the UEFA Europa League.

Leading the club to legendary wins over top European teams like Arsenal and Galatasaray, Potter demonstrated his tactical skills and ability to maximise the performance of his players.

His success caught the attention of Swansea City, who appointed him as manager in 2018.

Although he only spent one season at Swansea, he made a good impression by showing that he could bring a team together even when things were tough.

But it was at Brighton & Hove Albion, between 2019 and 2022, that Potter really made a name for himself.

While at the Amex Stadium, he transformed Brighton from a side that was always doomed to relegation to a stylish, competitive side that could beat the Premier League's top teams.

They had their best-ever top-flight finish, and Potter received much praise, even from Pep Guardiola, who called him "the best English manager right now."

Then, in 2022, he took on the challenge of managing Chelsea during a rough patch for the club.

While it was a short stint with challenges, it was a valuable learning experience for the ambitious coach.

As the new head coach of West Ham United, Potter is bringing all his experience, tactical know-how, and commitment to developing players to the London Stadium.

He's got a reputation for adapting, inspiring, and building strong squads.

With a track record of achieving great results and a solid leadership foundation, West Ham fans can be optimistic about an exciting new era under Potter.

Graham Potter's Playing Style

Graham Potter's tactical approach is all about being adaptable, fluid and big on positional rotations, making him one of the most tactically versatile managers around.

Now at West Ham, Potter brings a system-centric yet highly flexible philosophy that caters to his players' strengths while maintaining a clear identity in both attack and defence.

At the heart of his playing style is his commitment to possession-based football.

His teams usually try to control matches through clever build-up play and positional exchanges, focusing on fluidity over rigid formations.

At Brighton, for example, the team often started in a 3-5-2 formation, but the structure changed depending on the phase of play.

This system lets them have attacking width through advanced wing-backs while keeping a solid midfield core.

Two advanced midfielders operating behind a lone striker provided creative overload in central areas, while the wide centre-backs often pushed forward to support build-up play.

This meant that Brighton could give some of the Premier League's strongest teams a run for their money, as we saw when they beat Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool.

Brighton & Hove Albion Formations 2021/2022

One of Potter's signatures is how he uses players in different roles.

At Brighton, players like Pascal Groß, Leandro Trossard, and Alexis Mac Allister were deployed in various positions, showing their versatility.

This wasn't just a move to counter the other team's tactics but also a way to keep things fresh and the opposition on their toes.

The wide areas were a big deal in Potter's system.

Wing-backs like Marc Cucurella and Tariq Lamptey provided consistent attacking thrust, often running into advanced positions to stretch defences.

Potter liked his wide players to play on their natural sides, which allowed them to attack from wider positions and make diagonal passes infield rather than crossing directly into the box.

This created opportunities for short passing combinations and sharp runs through central channels, which were made possible by the movement of attacking midfielders and strikers.

Another thing Potter's teams always do is make rotations and positional interchanges.

His teams often used fancy patterns to get the ball through the middle, with the double pivot being like the fulcrum for moving between defence and attack.

At Brighton, he often used a midfield "box" structure in the 3-4-2-1, where two central midfielders worked together with the two attacking midfielders to overload the opposition's midfield.

This helped them keep the ball but also allowed them to play quickly, exploiting the other team's defence.

When it comes to defence, Potter's teams use a mix of zonal defence and pushing the opposition back in wide areas.

At Östersunds, for example, his team played a compact 4-4-2 shape when they didn't have the ball, focusing on blocking central passing lanes and forcing opponents to play wide.

Östersunds FK Defensive Territory 2017/18

Once the ball moved into those wider areas, his players really went for it, doing intense man-marking that reminded me of Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds.

The idea was to win back possession as quickly as possible and get the ball down the pitch and into the opposition's half.

At Brighton, he used a counter-pressing system that focused on quickly getting the ball back high up the pitch without falling into a low block.

The forwards and midfielders were important in stopping the other team from building up play, often running towards the touchline to trap the opposition.

One interesting thing about Potter's defensive setup is the role of his centre-backs.

When he played with a back three, the wide centre-backs were encouraged to push into midfield or join the attack when the opportunity arose.

Players like Ben White excelled in this role, which allowed Brighton to keep up the pressure higher up the pitch while still having a solid defence.

This fluidity also extended to transitional moments, when Potter's teams excelled at counter-pressing and used compact, narrow defensive shapes to compress space and regain possession.

But even with all that tactical smarts, one thing that kept coming up during Potter's time at Brighton was his team's struggles to score.

Their strong xG metrics show they had many chances, but their finishing was poor.

He'll probably want to work on this at West Ham to make the team more clinical in the final third.

Having players like Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, who are skilled at finding gaps behind defences, could improve his team's attacking performance.

Graham Potter's managerial style is all about adapting and developing new ideas.

He can adapt his tactics to different opponents, and he's all about having players who can play in different positions.

That makes him an excellent fit for a club like West Ham United.

I reckon his time there will be defined by a blend of attacking football based on possession, solid defending and a commitment to getting the most out of his squad.

How Graham Potter's Tactics Will Change West Ham

Graham Potter's approach will likely show how flexible he is regarding tactics and how he can adapt systems to make the most of the players he's got.

At Brighton, Potter often used a 3-4-2-1 formation, emphasising fluidity, positional rotations and effective use of the wings.

But his squad has been shaped by Julen Lopetegui's 4-2-3-1 system and a summer of big spending, so he'll need to make some thoughtful adjustments to integrate his ideas without destroying the team's existing structure.

West Ham United Formations 2024/25

West Ham's midfield is solid, with a double pivot, and Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek do a great job of defending.

This duo would be very different from Potter's Brighton midfield, which often featured technically gifted players like Pascal Groß, who could dictate play and creatively progress the ball.

Potter would have to change his possession-oriented philosophy to suit a more combative midfield.

Instead of relying on fancy passing moves from deep, he could focus on quick transitions and use Alvarez and Soucek's defensive skills to win back the ball and protect the defence.

One interesting tactical move could be to bring in Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Potter might use him as a hybrid right-sided centre-back, using his defensive skills and athleticism.

This could make the back three more interesting, with a solid defence and the option of having a wing-back or wide midfielder join the attack.

It would showcase Potter's talent for repurposing players to maximise their strengths and align with his tactical ideas.

Conclusion

Potter will focus on getting a solid defensive foundation and keeping West Ham in the league.

This might mean being more down-to-earth than idealistic, ensuring the team doesn't get relegated, and slowly introducing his preferred style.

Finishing mid-table will allow Potter to rebuild the squad in the summer and align it more with his tactics.

He's adaptable and tactically smart, and he can get the most out of the players and the club, even with the money issues and the limited squad.