West Ham boss Graham Potter was keen to speak about the ‘positives’ following a spirited defeat for the Hammers at Anfield.
Ultimately, West Ham suffered yet another loss, and if we’re honest, the one time Liverpool needed to change gear and get a goal, they did so. However, Potter was absolutely correct to say that there were reasons to cheer—eleven shots in a single game is more than the Irons have managed for a while.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s stint on the left-hand side was a big plus, as was the continued gradual improvement of Mohammed Kudus.
Lucas Paquetá was arguably West Ham’s best player for the third game in a row, and the manager’s decision to play Carlos Soler gave the midfield some semblance of control.
Niclas Füllkrug once again impressed from the bench but will be disappointed that wise old fox Virgil van Dijk got the better of him for Liverpool’s winner.
Graham Potter has done a lot of talking in recent weeks and has maintained that, despite only three wins in 13 games, his team have been able to keep within touching distance of the opposition.
To that end, the Hammers boss will be pleased that for the duration of the fixture, there was never more than one goal in it and his team remained in the game.
Potter will be fully aware that anything less than a victory next week against Southampton will bring even more media pressure on him. But if he can start Niclas Füllkrug, get Jarrod Bowen back in his favoured position, and keep Paquetá purring, he should be able to get his first win since February.
Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United
Player recruitment concerns me for next season, how many clubs rely on how many players they can sell, and if the club purchasing the new player from takes our owners’ Milk Tokens or Green Shield Stamps?
Green Shield Stamps – surely you don’t still have those in the UK? LOL
The Green Shoots?
This was the 3rd meeting with Champions-elect Liverpool this season,
In Sept Liverpool won 5-1
In Dec Liverpool won 5-0
Conceding just 2 at Anfield represents progress
Worth celebrating?
There is no manager on earth that could get a tune out of this squad . Thanks mainly to Moyes, backed up by Sullivans arrogance , we have a squad of geriatrics and free transfers brought in to shore up the gaping holes left behind by Moyes. . 3 or 4 players max worth perservering with and whoever thought Kilman was worth £40m needs a good talking too . Not sure Potter is the man for the job . He was doing ok but seems incapable of learning from the results of his experiments . I find myself keep saying that they were better in the second half but the same players are rolled out in the next game and then changed back in second half . Why do Hammers continually buy decent strikers and then ruin them by playing a different system or playing them out of position only to give them away to clubs who miraculously turn them back into the player they were before we ruined them . Moyes did it numerous times and although Potters intetions were good Ferguson is a fish out of water in a claret and blue shirt . We are very lucky that the bottom three are so poor but it is crucial we get recruitment right this summer as we might not get so fortunate next season .
Moring mate, I do agree with you on the striker issue.
I’m not sticking up for the squad here because it has been poorly constructed. But I think there are at least 15 managers in the Premier Lg who could get more out of the squad and Lopetegui actually did.
I said the same thing below but beware the rose colored glasses of the fans. The squad is rubbish and needs a complete overhaul
Why would Moyes care about the last January transfer window he was here for, he had already been told he was off transfers if he signed a new contract. He already knew he was leaving
Paqueta showed skill and was always harrassing their players. I thought JWP had a really good game and Mavropanos played well too (I hope he stays, becoming more reliable). Never appreciated JWP in the midfield (am sure others do), but he hit some testing passes, constantly showing for the ball, harrassing and influencing the game rather than drifting off to the sidelines hitting sideways passes. Maybe these two players who get quite a bit of stick are improving under Potter? Getting the most and best of the players you have, is something you really want your manager to be capable of doing – Maybe Potter is achieving this? I think it is a good sign when the manager can do this, otherwise a team falls apart and you have nothing to build from.
With you Peter, JWP and Dino have been much maligned on some fan sites, (Although not in MSM?), yet they both have parts to play and it’s up to the manager/coach to put the team in a position to win, or not lose, as it’s the individual players.
Selling JWP & Dino makes little sense, they’ll return little in transfer values, and cost more to replace.
Van dyke didn’t get the better of fulkrug he fouled him with a push just like isak did to kilman all this crap about its only a little nudge you do that anywhere else on the pitch it’s a foul I don’t get this leniency just because it’s in the box they still got an illegal advantage
Agree the goal shouldn’t have stood. I guarantee if West Ham.had scored that goal would have been ruled out ‘for a push’. But because Liverpool scored it, it was ‘only a little nudge’.
Ridiculous how the big clubs get their special treatment!!
The squad is championship level at best. I am not sold on Potter but no manager could do more with that squad. We need a complete overhaul. Defence is always suspect, midfield has nothing, up front we have two great wingers who are constantly played out of position with no striker.
This is all Moyes fault for depleting the squad and aging them out.
Bowen kudus pacqueta fullkrug Sumerville AWB todibo kilman Alvarez soucek Emerson JWP areola . Are hardly championship level players . Compare that to Ipswich Leicester and Southampton who genuinely do have championship squads .
I said we had two great wingers. The rest are not good. Thats the problem with people they just cant see the truth. I agree Fulkurg is a good striker but he cant even get on the pitch and he is 33, come on
He is 37, coming on 39.
To Leon,
I’m saddened to hear that you are feeling so negative about the current WHU squad.
Your bitter reticence does us no favour, and doesn’t align with my view of the current state of play.
For example, you say “midfield has nothing”
Of the ‘midfielders listed in the official site, West Ham have 10 midfielders (One out on loan – Cornet) only one is not a full international, Luis Guilherme, who has represented Brazil at U-20’s (When he was 18)
Nothing?
Eat my biscuits.
I guess most readers are too young to forget that with one of our better teams, with Moore, Hurst and Peters in, we finished 17th and 15th a few times in the 60s and 70s..
This reader is old enough to remember those days and we also had some glory too. As a schoolboy I was going to watch at Upton Park from the early 60’s and was at Wembley Stadium to see us win the European Cup Winners Cup Final in 1965. I was back at Wembley in 1966 to watch England in the World Cup and was there to see the West Ham 4 West Germany 2 Final in which Moore, Hurst and Peters starred. Those truly were the days!
I was also Bobby Moore’s newspaper delivery boy in Barkingside, Ilford for a while and was in awe when he occasionally came into the Cranbrook Road newsagent’s early morning to pay his bill while I was marking up paper’s for the rounds. He was and still is my all time West Ham and England hero.
Glad to hear there is someone else as old as me on here then!
Yes, the epic League Cup semi-final matches against Stoke spring to , when Sir Robert actually saved a penalty!
My first trip to Wembley was the 1980 Cup Final! What a day out that was!
I must be the only person who does not buy this “green shoots” theory. We lose against strong teams and we lose against weak teams. A loss is a loss. And we are now in 17th place. If the three teams below were not so bad, we would be in relegation mode.
Potter has not done any better than previous coaches. We need a new team next season and I am not sure the money for that is there.
Off topic but from a lifelong hammer I just want to pay tribute to both sets of fans who observed the minute’s silence impeccably to remember the 97 fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough. I’m sure there were millions watching the game from around the world onTV and it was a fitting tribute to the fans and their families ahead of the 36th anniversary.
Aaron Cresswell also laid a wreath at the stadium’s Hillsborough Memorial before the game to pay respects on behalf of our club.
Absolutely
Not sure why the saints would sit deep they are already relegated and might as well have a go against a poor WHU team it might be their last chance of a win plus the pressure is now off. As for us lets hope we can play as well as we did today and pick up some much needed points.
Not sure why the saints would sit deep they are already relegated and might as well have a go against a poor WHU team it might be there last chance of a win plus the pressure is now off. As for us lets hope we can play as well as we did today and pick up some much needed points.
The bottom line is that were one place above the relegation places and next seasons promoted teams might not be as bad as this seasons.
Yep and man utd and spurs are down there with us .rest assured the media will whitewash that fact come the end of the season. Notts forest finished 17th last season and are currently now 3rd which shows there’s no correlation between one season and the next.
We have to give Potter the Summer window – yes, we have some decent players but a lot of poor ones too and ones past their sell by date. He hasn’t had a chance to put his own stamp on the team so the bloke needs to be given a chance.
Of course, no guarantee it will work out but once it’s HIS team then he can be judged.
Agreed though, Gonzo, we need to put in a performance against the Saints and go for it. They are bound to sit deep so be a challenge as we are obviously not great at breaking teams down. Only a win acceptable though, obviously !
Morning Kenny mate, he’ll get the summer window at least.