Potter excited for challenge as he is unveiled as West Ham boss

Guardian Nigeria

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00:00Very excited, very proud, proud day to be head coach,

00:29manager of this amazing club, you know, it's a big tradition, big history,

00:35big expectation, big challenge.

00:36So I'm really excited.

00:38It's almost a bit like Christmas, Christmas for the adults, you know,

00:42excited, not the best of sleeps last night, but just from excitement

00:46and really looking forward to meeting the players today,

00:49really looking forward to meeting our supporters,

00:52getting going, just, yeah, brilliant.

00:55Yeah, it's been 20 months,

00:59I think 20 months of a good rest, of a good break.

01:05And I can imagine in that time you speak to lots of people,

01:09lots of conversations with

01:11different owners and different directors and different things.

01:15But it was important that I think I chose the right option for me at the right time.

01:20And as soon as I spoke to this club, it just felt right for me.

01:25Felt right, spoke with the board, spoke with everybody connected with the club,

01:30looked at the squad, looked at the academy.

01:33And yeah, this one felt the right one.

01:36And as I said, I'm really, really excited to be here.

01:39It's an amazing club with a tremendous, loyal fan base that is passionate,

01:44that's knowledgeable, that knows the football, that knows what they like,

01:47knows what they want.

01:48And I think it's a good fit.

01:50So, yeah, as I said, looking forward to getting started.

01:56Well, as I said, it's an amazing tradition here.

01:59There's expectation, there's demands, there's a recent history of success.

02:05And that's what we want to work towards.

02:08It's the first day, so my focus is on meeting the players

02:12and trying to prepare for a game in the third round of the FA Cup

02:15against Aston Villa, is the main focus.

02:17But I think my experience is if you can build a team that

02:23is recognisable on the pitch, that the supporters identify with,

02:27that the supporters are proud of, that the supporters enjoy watching.

02:33And you can get that trust between and that connection between the players

02:35and the supporters.

02:37And everybody's aligned because that's the key.

02:39Everybody being aligned in terms of what we're trying to achieve,

02:42how we want to achieve it, how we want to play football,

02:46how we want to use the resources that we have.

02:48If that alignment's there, then with that trust and with that connection,

02:53why put a scene on anything?

02:55Let's just go with the journey and be excited about it and go with a smile.

03:01Well, I spoke with Karen as a professional, as a member of the board.

03:06She was one of the people I've met and one of the people on the board

03:09that I've spoken to.

03:10And as I said, everybody I spoke to on the board, really, really positive,

03:14really impressed with their ambition, with their professionalism,

03:16with their desire for the club, desire for the club to improve,

03:22for the desire for us to work together and to be a family

03:26and to look after each other and to go forward with determination

03:31and striving for success.

03:33So, as I said, everybody on the board that I've met, I've been really impressed with.

03:38When you've had lots of time to think and you know in your head

03:42and you've gone through that process, sometimes it's a feeling

03:45and it's a combination of lots of factors.

03:50As I said, it was the board's ambition, the board's trust and belief in me.

03:57It was looking at the playing squads, it was looking at the academy,

04:03the work that Mark Noble does behind the scenes in there.

04:09I think the supporters, as I've said, passionate, knowledgeable,

04:14loyal, challenging, all that stuff.

04:17So when you add it all up, it's a massive club.

04:19This is a massive club, but it's a family club as well.

04:23So that appeals to me as well.

04:25I like that connection, I like that sense of fighting together.

04:32And then when you add all that up, it just made it a good feeling.

04:38I think you always have to build trust.

04:41I would sort of disagree.

04:42I think you've got to come in and you've got to, like I said,

04:47create a team that the supporters recognise and identify with.

04:54And that's the process of coaching, that's the process of working.

05:00Obviously, results help because no matter where you are,

05:04results are the best way to convince people that you're on the right path.

05:09So that's something that we've experienced in all my jobs.

05:13I suppose what I'm talking about is when it gets to the point

05:17where there's a real trust and connection between the team and the supporters,

05:22everybody knows what's expected and there's an atmosphere and expectation

05:26and a belief that when I speak about it now,

05:31it sounds quite straightforward and easy, but it isn't.

05:34It isn't. And that's where the work is.

05:36And we need to show as a team

05:39what we're about and we need to show that personality,

05:43that togetherness and that fight and that quality.

05:46Because we know the supporters will buy into that and they'll give us everything.

05:50So that's the job.

05:51It isn't easy, but that's the exciting thing.

05:56Well, I consider myself lucky to be here.

05:59I'm thankful to be here because I appreciate the club.

06:04I appreciate the opportunity.

06:07I apologise that my name has been linked and everybody's flipping sick of

06:12Graham Potter linked with this job.

06:13You know, that's life.

06:15And believe you me, part of the 20 months is,

06:20you know, you reflect on or you witness the rumours that are quite strange,

06:26but there's nothing you can do to control that. That's what it is.

06:30I'm here now, very happy, very proud,

06:34very privileged to be here in this position.

06:37So I hope that I can do a good job and the supporters will be

06:42positive to me.

06:43I have to say, so far, everything's been great.

06:46The support has been brilliant.

06:48Words of encouragement have been really, really touching.

06:52So that's nice.

06:53And now it's just to meet them all and crack on.

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