IN THE WAKE of the victory against Newcastle United, it is easy to get a little carried away, if you are a beleaguered [West Ham](https://www.claretandhugh.info/exclusive-west-ham-provide-huge-george-earthy-update-this-morning/) fan who has waited nine months for a home victory. It was, after all, one decent performance and seasoned Hammers watchers will wait another few weeks before pronouncing ‘panic over’ at London Stadium.
The plaudits received by West Ham’s rebuilt midfield of Freddie Potts, Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta have, if anything, been a little one dimensional in their praise of Potts. Fernandes and Paquetá were outstanding. How good would it be to see an action replay of that intensity every week.
Former Hammers coach, player and all-round hero Stuart Pearce, however, hasn’t held back and reckons he’s seen enough to pass judgement on young Freddie Potts already. Speaking on the Premier League’s dedicated commentary channel, the former England international made his opinion clear. Reported by [_tbrfootball.co.uk:_](https://tbrfootball.com/stuart-pearce-reckons-west-ham-may-have-now-found-the-new-declan-rice/)
‘Psycho’ Stuart Pearce didn’t mince his words:
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_“Freddie Potts came in and played extremely well. I’m proud of him. Knowing his dad and working with the young man himself, a smashing young lad, maybe they’ve found someone there who is the new Declan Rice at West Ham.”_
If Freddie can keep his feet on the ground and live up to the hype, West Ham look as if they do have an answer to their midfield mobility issues: Man of the Match Potts needs to keep this performances going for a couple of seasons and then comparisons to Declan Rice will undoubtedly become commonplace.
But counting no chickens just yet – let’s see the midfield trio do it all over again against Burnley.