WEST HAM boss Graham Potter doubts Newcastle will be distracted by dreams of Wembley when they head to the London Stadium tonight.
Newcastle will be back in the capital again at the weekend when they face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final looking to end the club’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.
However, before then Eddie Howe’s side will hope to keep themselves firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification in the Premier League, where they sit sixth heading into the weekend.
And Potter rejects the notion Howe or any of his players will already have one eye on their Wembley trip.
“I don’t think any time is a good or bad time (to play a team) – there is just the time to play anybody,” Potter told a press conference.
“If you look at the table logically, they are in the top six, and are fighting for Champions League points.
“They will be looking for the best way to prepare for a cup final, which will be to win a Premier League game, so I am expecting a tough game against a highly motivated team.”
Potter added: “Eddie has done a fantastic job there. They are well organised and play with huge intensity.
“They are not fighting for Champions League places for nothing and we expect that challenge.”
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Like Howe, Potter took a break from the game after he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.
The former Swansea and Brighton boss had plenty of offers to return, but decided to hold off until accepting the approach from West Ham to replace Julen Lopetegui in January.
Potter, 49, believes Howe – who took over at St James’ Park in November 2021 – deserves great credit for making his mark again in the top flight second time around.
“I have a huge respect for him for what he has done, at Bournemouth, how many years he has had in the Premier League, the type of teams he has produced and what he has achieved,” Potter said.
“He had a bit of time off after Bournemouth to refresh and to regenerate, and I think he has come back in a stronger way.
“The job (he has done) at Newcastle speaks for itself, from where they were to where they are now.”
Potter added: “When Eddie left Bournemouth, he probably recognised he needed a break, needed a rest and a recharge.
“Maybe from the outside, he is sort of not written off, but you are not quite seen in the same regard, so then you have to prove yourself again.
“The reality of it is you are still a really, really good coach throughout – but things change and circumstances happen.
“He is someone for everybody to look up, certainly from an English perspective and from a longevity perspective, of how he has worked at the highest level for such a long time, and the way that his teams play, how organised they are and how he goes about his work.”
