Back in August during the Florida tour and pre-season friendlies, West Ham fans who were prepared to sit up half the night were ‘treated’ – in the loosest sense- to glimpses of early Lopetegui strategy and a squad made up of established players and academy ‘hopefuls’. The games in the Sunshine State may have been ill planned at the start of the rainy season and starting at about midnight, but for those who made the effort to stay up late enough there were some signs of pressing, playing through midfield and keeping possession which were encouraging.
Plus some youngsters who grabbed the opportunity of appearing and did themselves no harm at all.
One of the academy players who featured in Florida and impressed me at the time was Freddie Potts. Industrious and hard working, the youngster from the West Ham family has carried on his development this season but away from London Stadium. I must admit to being initially disappointed to see him go out on loan: However with the depth of talent on display at West Ham just now he’d not even make the bench, so a sensible decision was made to loan him to Championship side Portsmouth for the season.
Speaking to portsmouth.co.uk, his manager this season, John Mousinho, is particularly upbeat about his development since arriving: “He’s very calm and composed on the ball, positionally very good, and also strong enough in the tackle and in his challenges to emerge with a lot of credit as a holding midfielder.
His overall game has been very, very solid. I can see him growing – we need him to and I expect him to. I expect him to improve, he improved a huge amount last season when he was in that Wycombe side from the beginning of the season to the back. I expect him to do the same with us.
And as for Potts’ future:
‘Freddie’s head is screwed on, he comes from a really strong footballing background and is doing all the right things to give himself half a chance of becoming a top-level professional.”
With West Ham’s midfield in a state of flux – Soler only at the club on a season’s loan, Ward-Prowse away for the season, Paquetá’s future uncertain – a holding midfielder learning his craft is definitely an asset The Irons could welcome back next season with open arms.