Graham Potter’s debut with West Ham highlights the urgent need for new signings after a tough FA Cup exit against Aston Villa
London: So, Graham Potter is back in the game with West Ham. His first match was a real rollercoaster, just like the Hammers hope this season will be. They started strong, but things took a turn.
It kicked off with Lucas Paqueta almost scoring right away, and then he did find the net just nine minutes in. But after that, Aston Villa really turned up the heat. West Ham seemed to be hanging on for dear life in the second half.
Things went south when Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers scored, knocking West Ham out of the FA Cup. Not the start Potter wanted, right?
He kept the same front four as the previous manager, but he switched things up a bit. Crysencio Summerville was on the right instead of his usual left, and Paqueta was drifting infield. It caught Villa off guard for a bit.
Potter must have been thrilled watching the team work the ball up the pitch. It was a beautiful play that led to Paqueta’s goal. He was pumped, fist-pumping and all that.
But West Ham fans know better than to get too excited. Niclas Fullkrug went down with what looked like a nasty hamstring injury, and that’s a big blow. With Bowen and Antonio already out, they really need to find a striker now.
Summerville also had to come off, which isn’t great news either. Potter’s got his work cut out for him.
West Ham set up defensively, but they kept pushing. Young Ollie Scarles made his debut and did well, earning cheers from the fans. But as the game went on, Villa took control.
They had most of the ball but didn’t do much with it in the first half. In the second half, though, they were a different team. West Ham struggled to keep possession, and they missed a couple of late chances that could have changed everything.
So, no silverware this season for the Hammers. Now it’s back to the Premier League for Potter, and he’s got to get this team moving. No quick fixes here, that’s for sure.
