Despite all the best (or worst) laid plans to strengthen West Ham’s midfield, it looks as though Graham Potter will head into the Premier League opener in all-too-familiar territory.
The team is in an odd position as we enter the new season of Saturday. I can see a scenario where our fortunes could swing either way. If the club manage to sign Mateus Fernandes, I believe we’d avoid a relegation struggle this season. Sign two midfielders, and we might even have a balanced, competitive team.
However, the midfield Potter is likely to select against Sunderland will struggle over the course of the campaign if it isn’t reinforced. It might just be functional enough to get past the Black Cats, but the Stadium of Light will be buzzing with new signings—one of whom, Habib Diarra, was snatched from right under West Ham’s nose.
Sunderland will be fired up in a raucous atmosphere, desperate to give Potter’s side a bloody nose on opening day. Midfield remains the glaring concern, and I can’t help but feel we wasted too much time chasing Jacob Ramsey, a player who had already indicated he wasn’t interested in moving to the London Stadium.
If West Ham are to act, they must do so quickly. The midfield that might just survive in the North East is almost certain to be overrun against Chelsea the following Friday.
I’m struggling to understand why, without signing a midfielder or two, we’re relegation candidates. Paqueta? Potts? Alvarez? Soucek? 2 great wingbacks? Bowen? How are those players alone playing in a relegation threatened team? Liverpool won the title last season with almost exactly the same team as the year before, when they didn’t. New signings don’t instantly mean new saviours. Let’s all get a grip and stop being doom mongers, I’ve never known such a negative bunch
unfortunately with Ward Prowse named as vice captain no matter who you bring into the midfield with Ward Prowse involved you’ll continual to get sideways, backwards, slow labouring build up play. All Potter is interested in is ball retention. With Ward Prowse’s sideways, backwards play that’s what you get. So another season of dull, boring, nothing football just like the six months previous under Potter.
I hope we get stuffed this weekend then the following weekend then you will see a vast amount of money Suddenly appear for transfers because as soon as Sullivan starts realising we are going to be into it up to our necks if he does not then it will be a long 5 months before the Jan window and by then our fate could be sealed.
Unbelievable to think yet again we’ve failed to address midfield and the need for a striker. And yet it’s so West Ham and therefore totally expected.
Spending too much time chasing players that aren’t interested or we can’t get then settle for Josh Brownhill on deadline day as the PR team pass it off like we’ve signed Salah.
It’s the West Ham Way
A whu trait spending to much time chasing players who are never coming, obsession is the word.
Steve Cooper signed 21 players at Forest, to many, hoping to fix a problem and it didn’t.
Sunderland have signed 11 hopefully it’s to early that they are going in same position not having enough time to gel.
Can only but hope.
Fernandes looks like a move on situation the bid and what they want is a bridge to far.
You are right Gonzo as soon as Ramsey said I’ve got no interest in coming to West Ham we should have moved on.Now we are probably going into the game against Sunderland with the same carp midfield we had last season.
I can only agree Gonzo. We’ve brought in keepers and defenders when the broken part is midfield. It should have been our first priority.