West Ham United: Positives for Graham Potter after Aston Villa FA Cup defeat

Graham Potter's last match in his coaching career was, fatefully, a 0-2 loss to Aston Villa. This defeat directly led to his dismissal by Chelsea in April 2023, with the Blues ending his brief tenure at Stamford Bridge in less than 24 hours.

Nearly two years later, the 49-year-old coach returned to the sidelines, only to lose again to Villa in his first match as West Ham United manager, this time in the FA Cup. During his introductory press conference on Thursday, he spoke about embracing both success and setbacks, with his experience at Chelsea being a prime example. Potter stated that after previous near-misses with jobs at Ajax and Leicester City, he felt West Ham was the "right fit". He also mentioned that he is now well-rested, but might feel a bit deflated after Friday's match at a cold Villa Park.

Lucas Paqueta scored a goal early in the game, prompting the new manager to celebrate on the sidelines, but it was short-lived, lasting only nine minutes. However, by the end of the match, he was seen in conversation with assistant coach Bruno Saltor on the sidelines after Villa's comeback eliminated his new team. "The feeling before the game was excitement," Potter said when asked about his feelings in the post-match press conference. "Friday night, Villa Park, sold out, 6,500 West Ham fans were fantastic."

"The performance gave me a lot of encouragement, the players tried to do what we asked of them. We are disappointed now because we are out, we wanted to progress." Potter continued, "We just want to get the team into a good place. The talent is there, but it's about getting the team together as a collective. That's what we are working on." After the final whistle, he went to acknowledge the away fans, who hope Potter can bring the style and strength they are demanding.

This is what Julen Lopetegui failed to do in his six months in charge, and Potter has become the club's fifth manager in nine and a half years, counting David Moyes' two spells. Given time, Potter has proven he is capable of long-term change, with his impressive stint at Ostersund in Sweden, where he led them to the Europa League, including a 2-1 win over Arsenal, followed by his improvements at Swansea City, and then building a strong team at Brighton. Lopetegui was given significant funds, but now it is up to Potter to find how to motivate this expensively assembled squad.

Striker Niclas Fullkrug arrived in the summer for £27 million but has only scored three goals in an injury-hit start and now looks likely to be out again after going off early at Villa Park with a hamstring injury, which Potter expects to be a "significant" problem. Max Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka cost a combined £55 million, but West Ham have the third-worst defense in the Premier League, having conceded nine goals in losses to Liverpool and Manchester City before Friday's defeat in Birmingham. Cresencio Summerville also went off injured in the first half, having only scored one goal in 19 league games since his summer move from Leeds United for over £25 million, while Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme has had a minimal impact.

Clearly, the talent is there, but it hasn't been delivered this season, and Potter has begun his tenure at West Ham without his six-goal top scorer, Jarrod Bowen, who is set to be out for at least six weeks with a fractured foot bone. The forward's injury problems might force West Ham into the transfer market, but Potter has cautioned against a premature reaction. He said: "We have to see the extent of the injuries, see how long the players are going to be out. We don't know the specifics. If they are out, it is something we need to think about."

"I am just reacting to the game that has just finished. We have to think with all the people involved and see what we can do and if we need to do anything." Friday's match at least offered some signs of recovery. West Ham have only won two of their last eight league games, against struggling Wolves and Southampton, but showed energy and creativity in the opening exchanges. Paqueta almost scored within two minutes, before his goal got the away dugout on their feet, with Potter punching the air in celebration.

West Ham failed to maintain the momentum, and Villa gradually took control of the game, especially in the second half, with the injuries to Fullkrug and Summerville robbing the away side of crucial attacking outlets and hampering their momentum. Amadou Onana's equalizer came from a corner that was wrongly awarded by referee Tim Robinson, but Potter was magnanimous, choosing to focus on his players. "The feedback we have got in the preparation and what the players tried to do was really encouraging and positive," Potter said. "The players' commitment was fantastic. They did everything we asked of them in a short space of time."

West Ham have only reached the quarter-finals twice since losing to Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup final, with losses to Bristol City, AFC Wimbledon, and Wigan Athletic representing low points in their recent poor history in the competition. Of course, Moyes led them to the Europa Conference League title in 2023, but West Ham have not won a domestic honor since lifting the FA Cup in 1980. After a second consecutive third-round exit, the wait goes on, but the new manager brings fresh hope.