West Ham start the new Premier League season away at newly-promoted Sunderland this weekend but there is an ominous feeling after an official announcement ahead of the clash.
The jury is very much out on Graham Potter as he leads West Ham into his first full season in charge, starting at Sunderland.
West Ham won just five of their 19 games under Potter in the second half of last season.
While the Black Cats were heading to promotion, the Hammers were fighting to avoid being the team that finished 17th.
That was about West Ham’s only notable achievement as they ended up 14th in a season to forget and regret.
Sunderland had one they’ll remember for a long time as Regis Le Bris led them back to the big time, where many feel they belong.
West Ham go to Sunderland touted as relegation strugglers
It will be up to Le Bris and his new-look Black Cats side to prove that is the case this season.
For Potter it is about proving he is the right man to lead West Ham long-term after failing to convince with the squad he inherited last season.
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West Ham have made four new additions so far and have seen eight players leave the club permanently with more expected to follow.
The desperate sale of Mohammed Kudus to bitter rivals Spurs shows where West Ham’s finances are at right now.
Potter desperately wants to add at least one, if not two, quality midfielders but simply doesn’t have the money to do it until further players are sold.
West Ham have had a positive pre-season overall but there is a feeling among many fans that they are in for a rude awakening when the competitive action resumes.
West Ham head coach Graham Potter in the dugout before the pre-season clash with Lille
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
The last place any established Premier League team wants to go on the opening day of the season is away to one of the newly-promoted clubs.
There will be a partisan atmosphere at the Stadium of Light for Sunderland’s return to the top tier.
That is already a daunting enough prospect for the Hammers.
Life may be even more difficult for the long journey north, though.
And West Ham will be furious about a Premier League announcement for the Sunderland clash.
When you have doubters, it is vital to get off to a good start.
West Ham will be furious about Premier League announcement for Sunderland
The Hammers certainly have plenty of those this season.
Paul Merson believes Sunderland will be licking their lips at finishing above West Ham this season.
Hammers legend Tony Cottee has warned Potter could be sacked if West Ham don’t start well in the first six games.
talkSPORT duo Tony Cascarino and Darren Ambrose think West Ham are relegation candidates under Potter.
Saturday’s big curtain raiser will give some indication of where these two teams might be aiming this season.
But there is an ominous feel about the match for the Hammers following a decision regarding the match officials for the game.
Referee Rob Jones oversaw one of the most controversial matches in recent years in a 4-3 defeat at Newcastle in March 2024
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Jones and Attwell have history with Hammers and it bodes well for Black Cats
Because Rob Jones has been named as referee for West Ham’s trip to Sunderland while Stuart Attwell is in charge of VAR.
Back in December Jones failed to send off Pervis Estupinan for a terrible red card challenge on Max Kilman in West Ham’s 1-1 home draw with Brighton.
The defender was only booked, sparking outrage among fans and Hammers players.
It was not the first time West Ham have felt wrong by Jones failing to send a player off.
West Ham had to go away to Forest for the first game of the season when they were promoted back to the Premier League three years ago to the day.
Jones was the ref that day and was guilty of a series of ridiculous decisions including failing to give a host of fouls on Michail Antonio, ruling out a perfectly good West Ham goal and failing to send off Scott McKenna for handball.
The then Forest defender used his arm to deflect Tomas Soucek’s shot away from goal in the second-half of the Hammers’ 1-0 defeat.
Jones awarded the Hammers a penalty but only following a pitch-side VAR review.
And he then proceeded to only caution McKenna with a yellow card.
Declan Rice missed the penalty and David Moyes was far from happy after the game.
The game Hammers supporters will remember Jones for above all others actually came when they played Sunderland’s bitter rivals Newcastle.
Because it is regarded as one of the worst refereeing performances of a West Ham game in Premier League history.
Jones was man in the middle for West Ham’s infamous 4-3 Newcastle defeat
West Ham went to Newcastle at the end of March last year knowing a win would leave them well placed to seal a European spot.
The Hammers led the game 3-1 with 13 minutes to go. But inexplicably the east Londoners lost 4-3 and it spelled the beginning of the end for Moyes.
The Scot suggested at the time that referee Jones played a ‘huge part’ in Newcastle’s win.
It was easy to see why Moyes was so angry.
Newcastle’s first and second goals that day both came from the spot. Anthony Gordon was brought down by Vladimir Coufal for the first, following a VAR check for offside. Both calls were seen as hugely controversial but went in favour of the hosts.
Gordon was also deemed to have been fouled by substitute Kalvin Phillips for the Magpies’ second penalty late on after Jones went to his pitchside monitor to make the call.
But it was clearly a foul on an insighted Phillips by Gordon, who tackled him from behind to try and stop the midfielder clearing the ball.
Moyes and then assistant coach Kevin Nolan also went apoplectic at the officials when Dan Burn’s overly aggressive shoulder barge on Kudus went unpunished late in the first half.
West Ham will be hoping for a much improved performance from Jones when he takes charge of the big season opener at Sunderland this weekend.
If decisions in the game are referred to VAR then there’s bad news for West Ham there too.
Attwell was on VAR when West Ham were smashed 3-0 by Chelsea last season. But he failed to give a clear penalty for a blatant foul on Crysencio Summerville.
Attwell was upgraded to referee for the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge under Potter.
West Ham played well and deserved to win the game. But comical refereeing from Attwell saw Chelsea score after the official failed to bring play back for a clear and blatant foul on Jarrod Bowen which stopped him from getting to the ball first.
The combination of Jones and Attwell is the last thing Potter needs as he looks to prove he’s the right man for West Ham.
The Hammers could be in for a long afternoon at the Stadium of Light.