EVEN as West Ham fans are commenting endlessly upon Graham Potter’s blindness when it comes to young players who cannot get into the senior side, the clamour for their inclusion now seems to include previous Championship side Portsmouth, who had one young West Ham midfielder on loan last season and cannot understand why he’s been dumped into the under 21’s squad.
Freddie Potts was named player of the season at Portsmouth last season, and Manager John Mousino desperately wanted Freddie to sign permanently for the club. Potts returned to east London, had a pretty impressive pre-season along with other youngsters Callum Marshall and Preston Fearon – and none of them have been seen since. It is as if they’ve vanished with out trace.
Except they haven’t, all three have been ‘relegated’ to the under 21 side which put five past MK Dons last night. James Ward Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez, remember, started West Ham’s Premier League season ahead of Potts and co.
Portsmouth.co.uk’s article pulls no punches:
‘What’s going on?’: Questions asked as West Ham starlet’s season stalls after flying Portsmouth stay: He starred at Fratton Park in the Championship last term – now Pompey and West Ham fans are asking what on earth is going on with Freddie Potts?”
Your guess is as good as ours. It is as if Potter has succumbed to the siege mentality of sticking with the tried and tested (and failed) ‘names’ in his squad out of desperation, when the very opposite is required to improve results.
Potts, along with the newly signed Magassa and Fernandes, could offer a mobile, pacy, effective midfield but Potter simply doesn’t consider any of the youngsters who played such a big part in pre-season: None even made the bench last time out.
George Earthy at least was injured which would explain his absence early season. But anyone watching the game last night would be at a loss to explain why none of these talented Hammers even make the senior bench when top Premier League sides are blooding sixteen, seventeen or eighteen year olds.
Not good enough. If West Ham were flying there would at least be a case for giving game time in the ‘reserves’ to Potts, Earthy, Marshall, Fearon and Scarles (remember him?). But with heavy defeats in 4 out of 5 of this season’s outings, Potter will find this issue is just another stick to beat him with if Crystal Palace aren’t beaten convincingly on Saturday.
If we end up selling all of the youth team players, who will benefit most? Sully or Brady? What is the point of having a youth system other than to make a profit for the owners.
Yup agree with every word. He keeps picking JWP, Rodriguez, Soucek and Irving despite them all clearly not being good enough and getting worse if anything.
If he was picking academy players not only is there a good chance it would improve the team but they would get better with time.
Among a lot of tings I just don’t understand about Potter.
Why play Potts in so many preseason games then not at all, why play with no centre forward instead of at least trying Marshall.
West Ham fans love seeing academy players in the team and Lopetegui and Moyes also didn’t understand that.
Just sack Potter now please….
2 wins at home since January against Fulham and already relegated Leicester is an absolute disgrace,6 wins in total since hes been in charge…come on he needs to go.
The fact we have quality young players who would improve the team immensely and are being overlooked is criminal.
Potter is an absolute muppet.
I thought after having watched Pre-Season with young Freddy Potts being our best player in the Summer series,he was bound to start the season, and I was genuinely excited to watch him start as he is a quality player,but first game at Sunderland Potters bottled in and bought in Rodriguez who is one of West Hams worst ever signings,I’ve seen quicker turning Milk than him.
Potter has bottled the opportunity that he had,he talks a good game and says all the right things in his pressers yet come game time his team selections stink the place out.
How can you start the Spurs game with no forward on the pitch ? He should have started the team that finished at Forest.
He is the worst Manager in recant history at the club,up there with Avram Grant just look at that stats that prove this.
Unless he is sacked we are going down.
I can not understand Potters thinking
He said he wanted to build a team around youngsters
We now have a capable amount of young players which must be used to kick start our season
If we don’t use them we will loose them at a cheap price at least if we play them and they perform and the team is playing well, if another club comes in for them we can at least cash in at a good price if we have to.
Let’s not develop young talent, not to use
Complete madness
Makes me so angry. Potter lives in a world of his own, seemingly never held to account or willing to justify his reasons or acknowledge what tens of thousands of people are saying and want. WTF is wrong with this guy? Such promise. Such a disappointment.
Can someone please ask him: “Why are you sticking with failed old players, and ignoring our youth?”
Is it out of Potters hands maybe these young crew are earmarked to be sold on Sullivan and Brady are only interested in lining there own pockets
Most of our young stars (who aren’t out on loan) were part of a team which thrashed MK Dons 5-1 away this week. Fearon and Marshall both scored and Potts and Kante dominated the midfield. These players are good enough to be in the first team squad but, yet again, we have a manager who only pays lip service to giving youth it’s chance. The naysayers who say they aren’t good enough clearly haven’t seen them play and they would bring more energy to the midfield. Any other club would would have promoted them to the first team squad but West Ham are instead likely to lose a golden generation of Academy players. Use them or lose them.
Perhaps Potter needs to read the statement just issued by the Board – committing to develop Academy players to our first team!
Perfectly correct to give some of the youngsters game time against MK last night.
They will have enjoyed the outing and with a 5-1 win may have made a strong point to Potter.
Let’s hope that we see some of them on Saturday COYI
My opinion is that all should have had game time by now. It’s time for a massive shift. Change the whole midfield and let’s get this season up and running. That won’t happen of course as Potter is running scared.
Crystal Palace game looks like a do or die.
So much call to include academy players.
Potter needs to apply Sullivan’s cry ‘We tried’.
Win or lose he’s got nothing to regret and fans/other managers/media may even praise him.
Move on and get some pace in team for 90 minutes.
Even Sullivan/Brady may appreciate it.
The West Ham statement today clearly articulates the club, via Potter, is tasked with promotion of youth as a KPI. This is a stackable offence as he has shown a complete disregard to this. 27 games same players same result in the main. I’m not saying the Board shouldn’t act but think the crowd need to be fair more vocal in the game at Potter, personally I think he is club as sooner gone the better
Shocking
I said earlier today that I’m certain the midfielder who replaces soucek will be Guido and he will play alongside ward prowse and we will once again be over-run in midfield
Potter has always said he wants youth but has never followed through.
I don’t know why any player wants to join the West Ham academy when it’s clear you won’t get to play first team football.
You only get to play for West Ham if you are a slow past it has been.
Have they been relegated to the U21s or are they just keeping match fit ? Where are they training ?
If they’re not training with the first team squad then it is genuinely shameful.
Potts and Earthy cannot do more than be put out on loan and do well, you come back to the first team squad from that. Scarles was putting in first team appearances he should be training with the first team squad too.