Denied a full debut by Graham Potter and yet immediately started by Nuno Espírito Santo, one of West Ham’s summer acquisitions has been roundly complimented for his Everton performance: At just 21 he is far from the finished article but on first showing, it is a complete mystery why Graham Potter kept him on the bench whilst choosing James Ward Prowse to start instead.
The real head scratcher is that Soungoutou Magassa appeared to have been a Macaulay / Potter pick in the summer window. The inconsistency and lack of logic in shelling out £17 million for a player an then not starting him is baffling: Especially considering Mads Hermansen went straight into the team with no pre season.
West Ham’s debutant showed much – needed physicality in midfield
West Ham’s new – look midfield suddenly seems more mobile and stronger with both summer purchases- Magassa and Fernandes – looking every inch the part in Nuno’s first game: Thewesthamway.com report that Espírito Santo selected Magassa for one good reason:
” Physicality. He can bring physicality in the middle of the park. He can help with the build up, we want to know the players out there.”
Magassa’s physicality was sometimes overcooked with a couple of tackles – he was lucky to escape a yellow card – or worse – for one challenge and was withdrawn sensibly as the referee got closer and closer to reaching for his pocket.
Certainly no half hearted debut: Magassa alongside Fernandes looks to be a stalwart in the making and it will be interesting to see if Tomas Soucek can even force his way back into the starting XI once his three match suspension is served.
I watched Soucek in the U21s game against Reading… he had a shocker. No surprise that he struggled for all the same reasons he struggles in every game. It passed him by and probably cost us a game we dominated till half time, despite his woeful contribution. He played the full 103 minutes which can only be because Mark Robson was following orders or he would have been a half time sub. He weakens any time, put him next to JWP and you have a the recipe for most of our problems with a double pivot incapable of protecting the back line and unable to give meaningful support of the attack.
I am not sure about Magassa and Fernandes deep lying should try Potts and Magassa maybe swap Paqueta for Fernandes as a trial and if it works sell Paqueta in January to fund other buys. Fernandes has passes like Paqueta that can unlock defences.
Magassa also had been booked, might have missed it MT ? I think that’s why Nuno subbed him. He was good dispossessed a few times and some misplaced passes but very promising first start put his foot in, added much missed physicality in midfield and looks to have good ability to progress the ball.
Fernandes / Magassa is just so much higher energy than any combination of JWP / Rodriguez / Soucek. It was the slowness that was killing us.
Magassa wasn’t great but he’s only young. Give him some game time off the bench. We need Souchek back in the team for his goals and his arial ability in both boxes.
Maybe Potter was being cautious and because of his age wanted him to settle in before throwing into a struggling side especially after what happened to Hermansen?
As for Potts he was definitely better than the Chelsea game where if the finishing had been more clinical at least errors should have gifted Chelsea two more goals. I might be in the minority but, think he will be at a Championship team after the Summer window
And what was your opinion on Freddie Potts performance Martin?
Great to see him get time, thought his was as good as any, helped see out the draw. Have been writing about Potter not picking him since the summer series.