West Ham United succumbed to a loss to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium, leaving the Hammers in 18th place on the Premier League table.
West Ham’s home record makes for grim reading after two defeats, eight goals conceded, and just the solitary goal scored.
Unsurprisingly, West Ham manager Graham Potter has come under fire for the disastrous results. His failure to maximise the potential of the players at his disposal is a significant issue.
However, while former West Ham boss Alan Pardew agreed with that assertion, the 64-year-old also noted that the hierarchy has not helped Potter.
Pardew believes they did not provide Potter with enough quality players in the transfer window, despite adding eight new players to the ranks.
He said (via [talkSPORT](https://talksport.com/football/3555270/graham-potter-west-ham-alan-pardew-premier-league/)): “Definitely the transfer window that they’ve just had has been a bit of a let-down in my opinion.
“They really needed to do some work in that, and if I was him, I’d be disappointed with what I’ve been given.
“I’d have expected a little bit more investment, I think West Ham fans feel that as well.”
The Hammers shelled out £100 million in the transfer window, signing Mateus Fernandes, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mads Hermansen and [Soungoutou Magassa](https://westhamblog.co.uk/posts/soungoutou-magassa-deserves-to-start-for-west-ham-v-palace-after-impressive-spurs-cameo/).
Lukasz Fabianski, Callum Wilson, and Kyle Walker-Peters also arrived on free transfers.
However, the lack of a marquee striker remains the glaring hole in West Ham’s squad, and it is costing them dearly.
For all the money spent, the Hammers still lack a clinical forward capable of converting chances into goals and turning tight games in their favour.
Midfield quality is also lacking, with a need for both creativity and steel, while defensive reinforcements could have provided greater stability.
West Ham’s recruitment drive spread resources across the pitch but missed the vital spine of the team.
Without a proven striker and upgrades in key areas, Potter’s side looks destined to continue struggling near the bottom.