So much for a fresh new start as West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Sunderland produced one of the lowest points of Graham Potter’s dismal reign so far as six players stunk out the Stadium of Light.
None more so than the Hammers boss himself with a disaster-class of team selection and tactics.
Anyone at West Ham who had deluded themselves the club were not relegation candidates for the new Premier League season got a big wake-up call in the 3-0 opening day defeat at Sunderland.
Journalists, pundits and some of the club’s own fans have been trying to warn West Ham.
Paul Merson said over the summer that Sunderland will fancy finishing above the Hammers.
They certainly will on this evidence.
Jamie Carragher believes West Ham are going down this season.
Graham Potter’s side did little to suggest otherwise in this typically impotent display.
West Ham need to realise what has just happened.
They have been comfortably beaten by a team being widely tipped to be relegated themselves.
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Six abysmal but none more so than Potter in disaster-class
It is a club which has spent decent money investing in the team but which still had a Championship defence.
Yet West Ham barely troubled them besides a few industrious Jarrod Bowen efforts.
The Hammers looked ok in patches in the first half, without being particularly exciting to watch or truly dangerous.
But the second half completely exposed all the serious worries many fans have had about this team, squad and manager.
The fact Sunderland have more pace, power, dynamism and greater strength in depth off the bench in attacking positions tells you everything you need to know.
Potter has started young Freddie Potts in most of West Ham’s pre-season games. But when the first game of the season rolled around, he was dropped for outcast Guido Rodriguez, who – it’s been reported – is leaving for Saudi next week.
Mads Hermansen endured a debut to forget for West Ham
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Alphonse Areola was also dropped for new signing Mads Hermansen, who has had a handful of training sessions with his new team.
That was always going to be a risk and so it proved. Hermansen started well with a great save. But he could and should have done better for all three goals.
Potter’s most infuriating decisions have been to naively think he can turn James Ward-Prowse and Nayef Aguerd into legitimate Premier League players.
They have both proved they are not up to it, hence being shipped out on loan last season.
Potter’s obsession with starting Ward-Prowse in particular will lead to a relegation battle for the Hammers.
Hammers set for relegation battle after opening day shocker
And of course when there are goals to be conceded Aguerd is not far away, being beaten in the air pathetically for the first goal.
Lucas Paqueta has been linked with a move away. On this continued evidence, there won’t be any shortage of volunteers to drop him off at his new club.
Paqueta has been nowhere near the levels expected and needed for the best part of two years. But now he cannot use the spot-fixing case as an excuse.
It was poor form that Fabrizio Romano was leaked information – presumably by Paqueta’s camp – on the eve of the first game of the season. If Paqueta was looking to impress potential suitors he failed miserably with another anonymous display from West Ham’s record £51m signing and highest paid player.
James Ward-Prowse struggles as West Ham lose at Sunderland
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Niclas Fullkrug looks like a striker who is about to turn 33 and lacks pace.
Callum Wilson, who turns 34 this season, was West Ham’s only attacking option on the bench as Potter left out young speedster Luis Guilherme.
It was a complete disaster-class from the manager who had the team playing incessantly in triangles and slowly working their way across the pitch when the quick switch was on almost every time.
Potter is not the tactical genius some have painted him out to be.
A paltry five wins from his 20 games in charge tell us that.
Signings needed Championship beckons for West Ham
That’s now 15 wins from 58 Premier League games for West Ham since January 2024. That screams relegation.
If this is how badly the Hammers struggled against Sunderland then imagine what it will be like against quality opposition with half the Premier League spending vast amounts improving their squads this summer.
Potter and West Ham need to wake up and smell the relegation coffee.
With no help imminent from the transfer market, the Hammers look all ends up relegation candidates with their slow, immobile side that lacks any real cutting edge, any pace or power in midfield or any defenders willing to put their heads on the line for the cause.
Never mind, it’s only world champions Chelsea next.
West Ham vs Sunderland ratings
Graham Potter, 2/10: After all the talk it is simply not good enough.
West Ham boss Graham Potter looks focused
Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images
Mads Hermansen, 5/10: Looked like being an excellent debut from the big Dane, made a brilliant save to stop Sunderland going 1-0 up in the first half. Apart from a couple of errant big kicks, Hermansen’s distribution with both feet was next level. Great composure on the ball too. But he should have done much better with the first goal as he strangely reacted so late to the ball bouncing slowly into the corner. There were then big question marks over Hermansen for the second and third goals too.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 6/10: Picked up where he left off last season, one of West Ham’s better players as always. Should have done better when getting in great positions to send over crosses. Caught up the pitch for the third when the Hammers simply had to go for it.
Jean-Clair Todibo, 6/10: The best of the three centre-backs, great on the ball and looked fitter than last season. Played the ball forward with purpose and found some excellent passes into the forwards. Not massively tested defensively but was nowhere to be seen for either of the headed goals and caught up the pitch for the third. Didn’t last the whole 90 yet again.
Max Kilman and Nayef Aguerd, 4/10: Along with Nayef Aguerd, Kilman was targeted by Sunderland. The Black Cats kept curling the ball in behind the two centre-backs who were exposed for their lack of pace. Aguerd was bombed out on loan last season because he proved he was not up to it in the Premier League. There was more evidence that remains the case as he was beaten in the air to a long looping cross he could see coming for 50 yards for the first goal. The softly spoken duo need to liven up and have more authority.
El Hadji Malick Diouf, 6/10: Plenty of promise in Diouf’s competitive debut. Came close to opening the scoring after West Ham’s best move of the game in the first half. Showed glimpses of what he will bring going forward. Solid defensively. Much more to come from the Senegalese. But struggled in the second half as the pace of the Premier League really hit him.
James Ward-Prowse, 3/10: Abysmal. Another bombed out on loan brought back by Potter. But he is not a magician because Ward-Prowse is not a Premier League quality central midfielder anymore. When he wasn’t passing sideways or backwards, he was being run over by Sunderland. Even his set-pieces were woeful. West Ham had two free-kicks in brilliant positions and Ward-Prowse sent them sailing over the box on both occasions. If Potter persists with Ward-Prowse West Ham will be in a season-long relegation battle. Subbed off on 70 minutes and not a moment too soon.
Lucas Paqueta, 4/10: Apparently the Brazilian now wants out of West Ham according to Fabrizio Romano. If someone really wants him at anything over £40m, the Hammers should snap their hands off. Paqueta has been terrible for West Ham for far too long now. He had an excuse over the last two years. But not anymore and his display against Sunderland was typical, doesn’t shield the defence, doesn’t create chances for the strikers. So what does he do? To rub salt in the wound he was at fault for the second goal, switching off and failing to challenge Dan Ballard’s header which again came from a looping cross.
Jarrod Bowen, 7/10: Excellent first half and unlucky not to score. But the skipper was poor in the second half and he will be well aware of the struggles which now await. The scary thing is, when Bowen isn’t doing it, West Ham literally have nobody else to fall back on.
Niclas Fullkrug, 5/10: He may try hard but Fullkrug has nowhere near the mobility and pace needed to be a decent Premier League striker. Spent most of his time on the floor and if Potter genuinely thinks West Ham don’t need a pacy, young forward then you have to question his judgement.
SUBS: Wilson and Soucek, 6/10: Tried hard but just added to the lack of pace and athleticism on display.