West Ham United play host to Brentford on Saturday afternoon, with Thomas Frank and Graham Potter set to face off against one another.
Thomas Frank has been in charge of Brentford for seven years now, whilst Graham Potter is in the very early stages of his West Ham tenure.
Potter has made big changes at the London Stadium already, including the January addition of Evan Ferguson.
The Hammers head coach has warned the fans to be patient with Ferguson.
And that message works for his entire setup really. Things will take time to improve, and positive progress never happens overnight.
Brentford will represent a real test for West Ham this weekend.
However, Frank clearly thinks his side will be in for a tough afternoon as well.
Thomas Frank makes bold Graham Potter prediction
The Dane has done a great job since taking over as Brentford boss in 2018.
So anything he says always carries real weight in the game.
Frank has absolutely raved about Potter when speaking to the press ahead of the clash at the London Stadium on Saturday.
And the Bees boss made a big prediction about the Hammers gaffer, as quoted by Brentford’s official
“I like Graham a lot; he is a great guy and a fantastic coach. He has shown what he is capable of in the past with Östersunds, Swansea and Brighton.
“Of course Chelsea was difficult in many ways, but he has proven more than enough that he is a good coach.
“You can already see that in his West Ham team. His first step was to change the shape; I have a feeling he won’t stick to that shape throughout his spell at West Ham, but there’s some clear structure in what they’re doing now.
“West Ham, in my opinion, offensively and defensively, have clear principles in all phases, they want to control more and more of the ball.“
So Frank thinks Potter’s current system and formation will change in time.
And you know what, I actually agree with him.
What we could see under Graham Potter at West Ham
He has favoured a 3-4-3, or 3-4-2-1 system since taking over at the London Stadium.
I feel like he’s only using that right now because his options are limited.
If Potter does stick to the 3-4-3 system, there won’t be enough room for Evan Ferguson, Crysencio Summerville, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen to all fit into the side.
The former Brighton boss is incredible flexible from a tactical standpoint, so his system will always evolve.
He has been known to use EIGHT different formations during games in the past, and I expect we’ll see more of that at West Ham.
Saturday’s clash with Brentford will be a vitally important one for West Ham, and Graham Potter will have to get his tactics spot on to get one over the brilliant Thomas Frank.
I expect to see the Hammers head coach think outside the box with his formation and tactics for the clash with the Bees – there might just be a surprise or two.
