Graham Potter understands the comparisons to David Moyes, but the current West Ham manager is not interested in drawing parallels, as he feels he has yet to match the longevity of the Everton manager’s career.
Both arrived at prestigious clubs—Chelsea and Manchester United—only to be quickly dismissed despite inheriting challenging situations. They have both sought improvement abroad, and now Potter is following in Moyes’ footsteps by aiming to silence critics at West Ham.
Although Potter has never lost to Moyes in their seven previous encounters, he holds great respect for the Scot, who brought major trophies to East London.
“I get the comparisons, but he’s older than me and has had far more games,” Potter said. “His longevity is incredible, the career he’s had, his long stint at Everton, his time at Manchester United, his experience abroad and coming back. He was written off at times, but he proved that sometimes people underestimate the quality someone has. David is a top professional.”
Potter, however, stopped short of suggesting that British managers receive less time than their foreign counterparts, joking: “David is sexier than Graham, isn’t he? Graham’s not a sexy name.”
“It doesn’t bother me. It’s part of the game and society. When things go wrong, people are quick to write you off, and criticism is part of the noise. That’s just how it is everywhere. But when you think about David and his career, I have a huge amount of respect for him.”
Before taking over in early January, Potter had planned to speak with Moyes, who left the Hammers at the end of last season. However, Moyes was busy returning to Everton, where he has quickly turned their fortunes around. “I realized he’d be quite busy,” Potter added.
Potter is fully aware of the legacy left by Moyes at West Ham. “He achieved a lot, won a major trophy, and had a competitive team near the top of the Premier League for several seasons. I know how tough that is. We all want to improve, and we aim to do that, but he set a high standard here.”
Graham Potter’s 5-word reply to David Moyes comparison before West Ham face Everton
