For a long time – from Syd King through to John Lyall – the primary architect of a club’s success was its manager. In the 21st century – for all the fetishisation of our Jose Mourinhos, Pep Guardiolas and Xabi Alonsos – money speaks louder than managers. The vast majority of projects last only as long as they can be bankrolled. Short-term success is no guarantee of long-term job security. Just ask David Moyes. Growing up, I was vaguely aware of Terry Brown but I don’t think I could have told you the majority shareholder of any other club. Then came the Premier League, Jack Walker, an old-fashioned benefactor, and Roman Abramovich, motives somewhat murkier. Having bought, sorry, brought a Premier League title to his beloved Blackburn Rovers, Walker couldn’t compete with the influx of foreign cash and the subsequent sale to Venky’s soured his legacy.
From Boleyn Ground to London Stadium: Judging the Legacy
Which brings me round to David Sullivan and what his legacy might look like. For many he will forever be the shyster who sold the Boleyn. I’ve gone on record plenty of times stating that both the romanticisation of Upton Park and the animosity towards the London Stadium is somewhat OTT. Approximately half of Premier League clubs have swapped stadiums since its inception, with many more looking to do so, although nobody else has ‘upgraded’ quite so dramatically.
The London Stadium: A Halfway House and Squandered Legacy
The 2012 London Olympics taking place on the club’s doorstep rather forced the board’s hand but what grates with me is the squandering of the feelgood factor that swept the East End and much of the nation that summer. I was in the thick of it, enjoying my final days as a resident of Newham by attending athletics, boxing and even synchronised swimming. When I returned south in the summer of 2016 for the Europa League qualifier against NK Domžale, quickly followed by the official opening against Juventus, the atmosphere was more muted, soon to turn hostile. It would be grossly unfair to blame the curse of Astra Giurgiu on Sullivan alone, although it’s symptomatic of a small-club mentality that the Olympic legacy was supposed to dispel. ‘Legacy’ has become a buzzword for Olympic hosts and the bureaucracy of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is at fault for many of the stadium’s current ills, but the deal-makers should have seen that coming. If, in the years to come, Sullivan and/or Křetínský can wrangle more control from the LLDC or, ideally, acquire outright ownership of the stadium, then they could yet build something special from the ashes of 2012. For now, it’s no more than a halfway house.
The Problem with Investment: Shaky Foundations and Lack of Blueprint
Investment, of course, is key. And I find it difficult to judge Sullivan’s record on squad investment. It’s unjust to characterise someone who’s splashed out £12m up front and £125k per week on Danny Ings as penny-pinching but to call them imprudent would be perfectly fair. Again, Sullivan is not solely to blame for the West Ham striker curse but the pattern of questionable signings throughout his tenure is not pure coincidence. What it does perhaps show is the lack of a blueprint. Which is where an experienced project manager comes in. David Moyes’ economy of style has twice come to Sullivan’s rescue, and the Scot spoke earnestly about putting foundations in place, but ultimately his time in east London was the equivalent of painting over a damp patch.
Prague Glory Undermined by Relegation Fear
The stadium should have provided a foundation for success. And while it can reasonably be argued that our night in Prague would never have happened without crowds of 60,000, the groundwork was shaky at best. The Europa Conference trophy and three consecutive seasons of European competition should similarly have underpinned that promised assault on the Champions League, not a stumble towards the relegation trapdoor. We only need to look at Manchester United and Tottenham – Europa League finalists but below us in the final league table – to realise that building and maintaining success is easier said than done. And there’s more than three clubs facing a big summer rebuild.
Graham Potter: The ‘Project Manager’ Who Must Build
Which brings us to Graham Potter, who has a reputation as a successful project manager. He can certainly claim a lot of credit for Östersund’s rise from the fourth tier of Swedish football to beating Arsenal in the Europa League in the space of seven seasons. On his appointment to freshly relegated Swansea, he said: ‘This is a Premier League club from the last seven years and it wants to try to get back, but get back in a way that there is an identity and an understanding of what they want to be on the pitch. That was the interesting thing for me – the chance to build something.’ He abandoned that project when Brighton came calling, a club who’s upward curve is perhaps most directly attributable to Tony Bloom’s data-driven model, and whom Potter in turn abandoned for Chelsea’s crazy Todd Boehly funded rebuild. So, one bona fide success. Anyone who’s watched Grand Designs will understand why most people only have one big build in them. And those builders don’t have to deal with David Sullivan checking the balance sheets and suggesting fixes.
Why Sullivan’s Legacy Now Rests in Potter’s Hands
It’s in everyone’s interests, however, that Potter does have another build in him and is able to construct a team in his image à la Greenwood and Lyall. The current manager could well be responsible for the owner’s legacy because at Sullivan’s age there can’t be many firings and hirings left in him. Presiding over nearly half the managers in West Ham’s history during a 15-year reign may sound damning but is more a tale of the times – Sullivan is less trigger-happy than many of his contemporaries. Knowing the cost of sacking a manager could be construed as either a strength or a weakness but what’s obvious is that the club can’t afford to keep ripping up plans and starting again. We’re stuck with the stadium so we’re crying out for a manager who can finally realise the Olympic legacy and make good on the board’s sales pitch. Sullivan’s legacy is in Potter’s hands.
Be the first to comment