[Freddie Potts](https://www.claretandhugh.info/big-freddie-potts-injury-update-tonight/) may be getting the headlines just now with a couple of super midfield performances highlighting the paucity of what came before- but there’s another West Ham player who is quietly writing himself in to the must-pick’ column of Nuno Espírito Santo’s team sheet.
Potts at 22 with his academy heritage is just what the Hammers faithful need – a homegrown youngster made good always resonates but at the same time it highlights yet another woeful Graham Potter choice – it was the sacked Hammers boss’s decision not to ‘risk’ Potts in a relegation crisis which now just a couple of months later looks frankly ridiculous. Remember Potter’s reasoning? I’ll remind you: When asked about playing Potts, West Ham’s former Manager confirmed he wanted to protect Potts, not play him:
_“The Premier League is a competitive league. So of course we want to integrate players. l look at my previous record,_ \[giving youngsters a chance\] _is something I am very proud of. But you have to do it at the right time for the club, the team, and the individual.”_
Which, all in all, looks pretty terrible judgement right now.
West Ham’s new look midfield has a steely determination about it
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Alongside Potts, **Mateus Fernandes,** youngest of West Ham’s new look midfield, looks the real deal and as already established himself as a ‘must-pick’ after being left out of Nuno’s starting XI’s against Brentford and Leeds.
Coming on as a late substitute at Elland Road, Fernandes grabbed a headed gaol and in the last two matches has proved why West Ham spent big on him in the summer.
He has the capacity to step up and play in a forward role or sit back and offer defensive solutions: Some of his crunching tackles yesterday left me wincing and hoping both players got up and walked away: Combining absent Hammer Alvarez’ tackling ability with mobility and creativity that ‘El Machin’ could only dream of, the Portuguese u21 captain represents every bit as exciting a West Ham ‘find’ as the higher profile Potts.
Between the two of them, with Magassa coming up behind, West Ham have found some steel to add to their midfield which will stand them in good stead for the difficult fixtures ahead. Even with Paquetá’s typically flea-brained yellow card earning him a suspension next time out, the Potts – Fernandes duo have shown that West Ham have new-found resources now to cope both defensively and creatively in the centre of the pitch.
Which bodes well for the rest of the season. Perhaps Hammers fans can start looking up the table instead of staring into the abyss,.