After a summer of change and with renewed hope within the Hammers fanbase, West Ham United’s 2024–25 season turned into a very mixed affair. At points it was gritty, and almost comical, yet in other moments they showed their potential brilliance before it all petered out again and ended with a very average 14th place league finish.
It was a season that threatened to promise so much, but actually delivered very little and the seeds were sown right from the beginning.
Pre-Season and Squad Changes
West Ham’s approach to the summer of 2024–25 was all about change, and the board backed their new manager to the tune of just shy of £110 million as he looked to reshape the first team options available to him so that they could better adapt to his preferred tactical approach.
New style and tactics: New boss Julen Lopetegui brought in a more tactical, possession-first style. Although he did hand over the reins to Potter later and as the weeks went by and fans were scrolling through social media, a change of manager became inevitable.
The goal of the summer wasn’t a full rebuild. Rather, it was a reset, with clearer ideas under new, capable leadership.
Early Season Performance
In their first five matches, they faced three teams that had beaten them last year. Nevertheless, this time they arguably looked slightly sharper, more confident, and composed.
Here’s what stood out early on:
Tactical discipline seemed to be tighter.
Set-pieces were good, giving them an improved threat.
A strong mix of seasoned leaders and rising young talent brought a foundation of some balance.
The early run did spark some hope, however it did not last, two wins from the first three games quickly became a run of two draws and three defeats before they tasted victory again, and their form never really improved after that.
Mid-Season Challenges
The early optimism quickly gave way to the grind of winter. The next few months saw a complete lack of any consistency, and although there were some notable victories, they developed a soft defensive belly and defeats were usually pretty comprehensive.
Vital points were dropped against sides that fans would have seen as winnable opportunities and in early January the board had seen enough and they wielded the axe given there was little sign that Lopetegui’s philosophy would ever turn their form around.
Graham Potter became the replacement, and despite his spell at Chelsea, at Brighton he had shown he could play an entertaining, development style of system that created foundations to build from, and his job was consolidation at core and at that point ensuring that they did not really get dragged into the battle at the bottom.
Ultimately he did achieve that with their 14th place league finish, but consistency still eluded them and Potter only managed to pick up five wins from his 19 games in charge, and he only registered back to back victories once.
This will be a huge summer for him personally as unless he can show the improvement his predecessor failed to, West Ham may well find themselves looking for yet another gaffer in pretty quick succession.
Statistical Overview
Here’s what the West Ham United stats for the 2024-25 season say:
League Position – 14th
Matches Played – 38 (full season)
Points Total – 43
Wins–Draws–Losses – 11–10–17
Goals Scored – 46
Goals Conceded – 62
Top Scorer – Jarrod Bowen (13)
Most Assists – Jarrod Bowen (8)
Clean Sheets – 7
Conclusion:
With well voiced grumbles from the fans about Lopetegui’s style of play, and even some questioning whether even he knew what he was trying to achieve, fans are more largely on board with what Potter is trying to do. With a particularly quiet January with only loanee Evan Ferguson coming in (without actually making an impact), most are wanting to see what Potter now does in the coming weeks before making a more firm determination on what his future at the club should be.