Soccer

Graham Potter’s in-tray as he looks to salvage West Ham’s season

Friday’s FA Cup third-round trip to Aston Villa, albeit a difficult tie, is the perfect chance for Potter to provide an immediate pick-me-up.

Graham Potter is West Ham’s new head coach
Graham Potter is West Ham’s new head coach (John Walton/PA)
By PA Sport Staff

West Ham have named Graham Potter as their new head coach.

Here, the PA news agency dips into the former Brighton and Chelsea manager’s in-tray at the London Stadium.

Salvage the season

West Ham’s season already looks like a write-off. They are probably not in relegation danger and are certainly not troubling the European places in the Premier League.

But Friday’s FA Cup third-round trip to Aston Villa, albeit a difficult tie, is the perfect chance for Potter to provide an immediate pick-me-up for a disillusioned fanbase and potentially give the club something to aim for over the remainder of the campaign.

Stop the leaks

The defence which Julen Lopetegui rebuilt, bringing in Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at a cost of more than £55million, is still full of holes.

Only Southampton, Leicester and Wolves have conceded more goals than the 39 West Ham have leaked this season.

They have let in three or more goals on nine separate occasions, including five against Liverpool (twice) and Arsenal.

Find some leaders

The West Ham dressing room is, according to insiders, far too quiet.

Jarrod Bowen leads by example with his performances, having comfortably been the team’s best player so far, but he is not a natural captain.

Previous Hammers skippers like Billy Bonds and Julian Dicks would not have stood for some of those capitulations this season. The senior players; Kilman, Lukasz Fabianski and Tomas Soucek, need to step up.

Fergie time?

Could Evan Ferguson be an option for West Ham?
Could Evan Ferguson be an option for West Ham? (Adam Davy/PA)

West Ham need a new striker this month with Bowen ruled out for six weeks with a fractured foot and Michail Antonio facing a long road to recovery from the injuries he sustained in a car crash.

Potter could raid former club Brighton for a loan deal for Evan Ferguson, a player owner David Sullivan admires.