Finally there is football to talk about as the [Premier League](https://www.claretandhugh.info/premier-league-rivals-pip-west-ham-to-long-linked-target/) kicks off for West Ham this afternoon. Following weeks of the ebb and flow of moods over the transfer activity – and lack of it- which the club has undertaken, _events on_ the pitch take centre stage. At least a temporary respite from the failure to upgrade in midfield.
And almost unnoticed are the three likely three debuts today which signify hope and future optimism for Claret and Blue supporters. The likely PL debuts of Freddie Potts, Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf represent a maj0r change from the West Ham of May ’25, providing does the righty thing and gives all three their first PL start.
Potts as a home grown talent will inspire the most fan pride but all three are exciting additions to an as yet incomplete Potter rebuild.
Worth focussing on. Well we know the shortfalls of this side but today there are new arrivals to concentrate on: Let us hope before the window end there is another midfielder to slot in next to Freddie and complete the job.
One of JWP, Alvarez, Soucek is fine. Indeed of the trio, Potter seems to love Ward-Prowse and it wouldn’t surprise me to find him named vice captain.
But for today only, watching a threesome of newly capped West Ham players – all 25 or less- will be a treat in itself. All can have exciting futures at our club and hopefully they can add enough to the ‘old lags’ of Paqueta, Bowen, Fullkrug et al to see off a newly promoted Sunderland in what will be a supercharged Stadium of Light.
But first, Potter has to be adventurous enough to play the newly installed trio. No more Rodriguez, please. No more Areola. We scrapped to bring in Hermansen for the highest price West Ham have ever paid for a ‘keeper. Don’t keep us waiting. “Bite the bullet and embrace the change”in true Graham Potter management speak.