Puzzling, sometimes, being a [West Ham](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-united-0-1-brentford-final-whistle-first-impressions/) fan. The continued absence of anyone able to score goals, and worse, now, the’ norm’ having become the selection of just two front men, with the ensuing surprise when the Hammers can’t muster more than a couple of shots on target in each game.
Quite what Potter, Sullivan, or anyone supporting the team expects, with sometimes nine behind the ball – and Kudus and Bowen isolated up front chasing long balls inevitably kicked by the ‘keeper.
Most other Premier League teams start with three forwards, sometimes three plus a ‘number ten’ slotted in behind to pull the strings and hit the creative passes. Not West Ham. Just two forwards.
So why, exactly, do we have young Evan Ferguson on loan, cooling his heels on the bench. Graham Potter is protecting the youngster for all the world as if it’s a member of his own family coming back from injury not another team’s temporary signing. Check out Potter’s own words to whufc.com:
_“He’s where we expected him to be when he came in. He came in as a young player who has had time out with injuries, to come and help the squad, and that’s what he’s done._
_“He came on against Brentford and made a good impact, and he’s done well when he’s been in the games. He’s building himself up all the time, and we’re really happy with him.“_
Building himself up? To what end? For West Ham to just about ‘build him up’ in time for a return to Brighton at the end of the season, fit, strong, recovered and ready to go?
Potter’s words can only mean there’s a bigger picture here and Ferguson is being ‘prepped’ for a longer term mission at West Ham.
Handling the 20 year old with kid gloves is fine, if there is a plan to reap the harvest over the coming seasons for all of the ‘nurture’ going on. If he wasn’t fit, he shouldn’t have been loaned.
So the more I hear Potter speak, and more importantly see the way he treats his young ‘temporary’ striker, the more inclined I am to think there’s a bigger picture already agreed between the two clubs for Ferguson’s future.