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The flawed thinking that shouts ‘time’s up’ at West Ham

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Somehow Graham Potter has managed to overcomplicate the role at West Ham. Score more goals than your opponent and everything else looks after itself. But the failed recruitment of successive windows and the lack of replacement for an ageing Michail Antonio is nothing new: West Ham relied on him for two years past his sell-by date when the time to replace him was upon the side after the Conference League win, two years ago.

Potter’s utterance that ‘he didn’t need a striker’ in the summer window should have shown everyone exactly how muddled his thinking. Instead of which, we have had to watch our West Ham side take the pitch without a goalscorer in the side.

Talk about handing the initiative to an opponent. Lowest number of gaols last season – fewest wins at home since- I don’t know when. Graham Potter has somehow mixed up messages and now cannot, seemingly, fix a defence to whom the ball just keeps coming back.

Without a hold-up player on the pitch this was always inevitable. Awful enough to watch last season, Graham Potter had a summer window to go and buy an Idrissa Gueye, a Brian Brobbey or anyone of a dozen linked strikers who would have given West Ham the opportunity to move up the pitch and keep possession. But he opted for a goal keeper and a left back, and then 33 year old Callum Wilson rocked up on a free- which wasn’t even Potter’s choice.

Says it all really. Flawed.

Defensive-minded thinking is all very well if you create an iron-like back line. But he’s failed at that too.  Time’s up.

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From the old Bobby Moore Upper to the Billy Bonds' stand these days - sometimes- have to admit I have not renewed my season ticket... I've been watching since '03 and a supporter since about 1970..
Favourite player - Dean Ashton: Still watch YouTube repeats of the Cup Final of 2006 hoping in vain that Shaka Hislop grows six inches and stops Steven Gerrard's injury time equaliser. Can tell I'm getting old knowing I saw both Mark Noble's debut and his last game at West Ham.
Pulling on a Claret and Blue replica shirt still makes me feel the same butterflies as when I was seven years old. Magic.

6 comments

  • KJ says:

    Just watched the U21 highlights against MKDons. Marshall looks like a striker, moves like a striker and scores like a striker.

    Honestly don’t understand what harm there would be in playing him as a striker in a PL game – he might score some goals, he might not, but we have zero reliance on our striker position so it’s low risk.

  • OLIVER says:

    Sullivan is the main problem him and Brady Potter is not good enough but if he has not got the players that are good enough he will struggle as will any manager that defensive is a joke them center halfs are useles

  • D says:

    Another masterclass from the man who should have been sacked back in April

  • AM says:

    100% agreed I still do not think he was EVER the right choice and how many more chances can he get Brady has a lot to answer for She MUST GO TOO

  • Albert says:

    “Gaols” was that a Freudian slip Martin?

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