by Staff Writer
Sunday, 10th August 2025
Graham Potter reflected on West Ham's pre-season with a healthy degree of satisfaction after the Hammers ended their mini campaign with a record of four wins and one defeat.
With the only blot on the copybook coming in the opening fixture of the Premier Series against Manchester Utd (1-2), Potter was pleased to secure wins against Grasshoppers (3-1), Everton (2-1), AFC Bournemouth (2-0) and OSC Lille yesterday - by virtue of a penalty shootout - in the five-match programme.
And the Head Coach was happy to accentuate the positives from pre-season - even though he maintains next week's season-opener against newly-promoted Sunderland with provide a different kind of test altogether.
"Generally, the four or five weeks we’ve had in pre-season have been really positive," Potter told West Ham's website. "I couldn’t have asked for any more in terms of how open and responsive the players have been to what we’ve been trying to do.
"Everyone’s been trying to connect - staff and players - and it’s a good feeling - but we also know we’re going into the Premier League now and we have to regroup and focus again. There’s a week to go, and we’re all really looking forward to the match up in Sunderland which is going to be a totally different challenge.
"Lille rounds off a positive pre-season for us. It’s been a tough week in terms of getting back from the US and everything but it was a good workout, good minutes for the boys and we move forward."
And even though he has only been able to call upon two new signings during the summer workouts - Kyle Walker-Peters and Malick Diouf - Potter insisted he was happy with the club's business so far, with at least two more players set to arrive before the 12 September transfer deadline.
"Malick was a real plus for us - you can see his quality, and what he brings in terms of his energy down the left-hand side of the pitch," Potter said of the marauding Senegalese international, who has made an instant impact both on and off the pitch.
And on his latest signing, Danish stopper Mads Hermansen, he added: "Mads is a goalkeeper who has good experience in the Premier League and I think he’s got his best years ahead of him as well. He’ll come into the group with Alphonse [Areola] and Wes [Foderingham] and add real competition, which is what I think we need. It’s a good signing for us."
Reflecting on Saturday's win over Lille, Potter was keen to emphasise the quality of the oppoition who led until the 87th minute before Niclas Fullkrug - fully fit and firing once again, with three goals in pre-season - sent the game into a penalty shootout which West Ham, recovering after a poor start eventually won 5-4.
"We suffered at times because we were playing against a good team, who played Champions League football last year," clarified the boss. "They’re a talented side with the ball in possession, so that did force us back a bit.
"But I like the spirit of the team and we were better in the second half. Overall, the pleasing thing is that the team kept going, and we had opportunities to score. I thought we created some good chances, and it’s obviously nice to finish pre-season off with a good feeling.
"It was great to see Fülle get his goal. I think he’d be the first to say - like the team - that he could maybe have done more towards the start of the game, but again his response to keep going was great and he got his goal.
"I thought he was unlucky with a couple of other opportunities, as well. He shows what he brings to the team, which is a focal point, and he’s also a goal threat with great quality and intensity, so he’s a big asset for us.
"Today probably rounds off a positive pre-season for us. It’s been a tough week in terms of getting back from the US and everything, but it was a good workout, good minutes for the boys - and we move forward."
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