We are slowly limping to the finish line after a painful season of football, and the less time we spend on this season the better. And so thoughts are starting to turn to the changes needed in the squad to ensure next year isn’t a repeat of the poor form and worse results that we have seen all season.
When it comes to who Potter should build the team around next year, we may not be overwhelmed with options after a season in which very few players found a light to shine in. We’ve been pedestrian, sloppy, depressed and unmotivated. Ideally, we’d carry as little of that forward as possible – which means we might need a real shake up on the team sheets going forward. Players don’t love being part of a losing outfit either, so it may not take much motivation for players to pack their bags and make their way out of east London to greener pastures.
The Expiring Contracts and Squad Value
Practically speaking, five West Ham players are out of contract at the end of the season; Danny Ings, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Lukasz Fabianski and Aaron Cresswell. Coufal, Fabianski and Cresswell have all played this season and haven’t particularly been better or worse than their peers. They add value as squad players, and Cresswell, in particular, enjoyed a strong surge in form under Potter as he reached 300 Premier League appearances.
Fabianski has an option for one more year on his contract, and at nearly 40 years of age, he may wish to finish his career at a club where he’s largely been well-respected and successful. Danny Ings has been a useful sub, but we simply cannot afford his wages – especially when considering how few goals we’ve had in return. When it comes to Antonio, it’s not something we can speculate on when it comes to his recovery from a car accident that he was lucky to survive.
Defensive Dilemmas and Scouting Reinforcements
For the players still contracted to a future in claret and blue, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the chips will fall. It’s hard to be a goalkeeper at a losing club, and Areola’s wife’s social media has hinted at some frustration at the club in previous seasons. West Ham are reportedly already scouting goalkeeping reinforcement and the slightly-more-youthful Areola is less likely to want to play second – or third – fiddle to anyone – and his rumoured £120k a week could be spent on a multitude of players for the club.
In defence, Kilman must be scratching his head after leaving Wolves to move just one place above them in the league table. From the back, Todibo and Kilman do have the potential to be successful, if Todibo stays at the club, as he’s on loan from Nice. Should he want to stay in London, he’s done more than enough on the pitch to justify the remainder of his £27million fee, but his rumoured attitude leaves room for doubt. A rumoured bust up with previous manager Julian Lopetegui did the rounds and the rumour mill churns again with some West Ham fan sites reporting he’s had a similar falling out with current manager Graham Potter.
Cover, Errors, and Young Talent
Whether he stays or not, the centre-backs do also need some capable cover. Mavropanos seems like such a nice man but he strikes terror in the hearts of many when he’s on the pitch. He’s got so many critical errors in him. Lest we forget, as it’s so easy to forget, we also have loaned-out centrebacks who remain on our books. We haven’t really missed Kurt Zouma or Nayef Aguered, and there’s no evidence they’ve missed us either.
Scarles, on the other hand, is a player to keep on the books and invest heavily in. He’s put in a strong shift that belies his young age and doesn’t seem phased by the senior stage he plays on. He will get better and better. Emerson will hopefully also be a squad player going forward as he has a lot to offer – but he does seem to get reduced game under Potter, and he’s unlikely to be happy with his increased time on the bench. The fairly-newly signed Aaron Wan-Bisska shouldn’t have many complaints about his time on the pitch, other than he’s signed for a losing side, so shouldn’t be going anywhere come the transfer window.
Midfield Dynamics: The Kudus and Paqueta Conundrum
Edson Alvarez also warrants some continued faith and investment in east London. His disciplinary record is, quite frankly, appalling, but he offers a lot of strength and intelligence in shaping the direction of play on the pitch. Then it gets tricky. Kudus and Paqueta are the Gerrard and Lampard of this current West Ham side; you cannot have them on the pitch at the same time. Both are incredibly skilled individuals but both also have a tendency to play a selfish game that doesn’t lead to the goals they are both capable of.
Kudus has a stronger work ethic; Paqueta has more flair. Paqueta also still has the worrying potential for a lengthy football ban looming over his head for betting, making him harder to sell and potentially unavailable for months. Even though both are contracted to West Ham, both also have high opinions of themselves and it’s uncertain that they’ll want to continue to play football in the bottom half of the table. It’s very possible for both to be keen for a move away from east London.
Established Faces and Misfiring New Boys
Soucek has good years and bad years at West Ham. He has largely been found out by other clubs, but he still knocks in the goals and seems to be a player Potter wants to use. It’s been great to have Ward-Prowse back for free-kicks, and he’s been a regular in the squad since his return. Potter seems to value him – and given he’s contracted until 2027 – we will likely see him continue on in east London.
When it comes to new boys Carlos Soler, Luis Guilherme and Gudio Rodriguez, neither manager has played them with regularity and consistency – making it tough for fans to weigh up their future value in claret and blue. It’s been a tumultuous year to break into the team with multiple managers, and you’d have to feel that the players won’t have enjoyed their first year at the Olympic Stadium. While no one likes to throw in the towel early, the shelf-life of a professional footballer is too short to spend time on a bench when another club could offer you regular playing time. Maxwell Cornet is also still somehow on the books at West Ham.
Building Around Jarrod Bowen
Up front is where Potter has the most potential – which is ironic given that one of our main issues this season is the lack of goals scored. Potter’s key man to keep and build around is the one and only Jarrod Bowen. Even in a team that’s been drowning, Bowen mostly kept his head above water, even when being played out of his strongest position.
He’s been kept out of his best position by ill health (Summerville, Füllkrug, Antonio) and the general lack of impetus (Ings, Fergusson) of those around him – leaving the fate and the fulfillment of the entire front line resting on his shoulders. Putting Bowen out wider with Fullkrug playing in a striker’s role against Bournemouth changed up the game and gave fans something to cheer, with a quick return of two second half goals and a number of created chances. Summerville and Fullkrug have potential – they just need a run of injury-free games to show what West Ham could look like with a fully fit squad.
Bowen’s the star of the team, and the best thing Potter can do is set up a squad to play to his strengths. There’s potential in all parts of the pitch, but it will take a lot of chopping and changing to get the best out of this rag-tag bunch of misfiring misfits. There’s no actual wildcard to play in Premier League football, and it’s rare that full teams change during transfer windows – so it’s likely we’ll be seeing a lot of the same faces pulling on claret and blue next season. It’s up to Potter to make the most of it and turn this team into one which can compete and win.
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