Graham Potter’s West Ham tenure reaches a new low as the Hammers throw away a 2-1 lead to lose to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ reserves 3-2 and exit the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle.
Another game but the same old story for West Ham United in the Carabao Cup second round clash at Wolves.
The Hammers have compounded their worst ever start to a Premier League season but exiting the League Cup at the first hurdle.
Graham Potter is under mounting pressure after losing 3-0 at newly-promoted Sunderland and 5-1 at home to Chelsea in the league to sit rock bottom on a minus seven goal difference.
Potter has not stopped telling anyone that will listen how much of a mess West Ham were in defensively when he took over from Julen Lopetegui.
Well whose fault is it that the Hammers are still conceding three goals a game eight months after Potter’s appointment?
Whose fault is West Ham’s leaky defence now Potter?
The Carabao Cup should always represent a realistic chance for a run at silverware and a trip to Wembley for West Ham.
Especially with nearly half the Premier League in Europe this season.
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But once again the Hammers exit stage left with a pathetic performance at Molineux.
Vitor Pereira made sweeping changes but Potter just the four as he knew he desperately needed a result amid the increasing pressure to save his job.
West Ham backed Potter ahead of the game, denying claims he could be sacked this week.
If defeat to Nottingham Forest follows this cup loss to a Wolves B team, it remains to be seen whether that changes.
Graham Potter applauds West Ham fans after the Carabao Cup defeat to Wolves
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
The jury was well and truly out on Potter heading into the new campaign.
The judge’s gavel may be about to swing after three defeats and 11 goals conceded in three games.
This was another typically incoherent, weak and meek display for the most part.
West Ham are slow, immobile and lacking in any quality in midfield.
Their defence is awful and the Hammers have next to no options up front.
Potter’s solution was to play Lucas Paqueta as a false nine.
David Moyes and Lopetegui have both done similar in the past with mixed results.
This had mixed results too.
Sign all the players you want West Ham, Potter is not the one
West Ham went in at the break 1-0 down after the leggy Guido Rodriguez gave away a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Headed goals from Tomas Soucek and Paqueta got West Ham ahead in the second half.
With an incessant stream of links to new signings in the last 24 hours, things finally started to look up for West Ham.
It did not last long, though.
West Ham can sign all the players they want, because Potter is not the one.
Potter has been at West Ham for eight months now and most Hammers fans could not tell you what he is trying to achieve.
The team has no discernible style of play, no identity, no character, no fight, no – as Troy Deeney would say – cajones.
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen tried to confront angry Hammers fans at Molineux
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
And it all stems from their softly spoken, mild-mannered manager who is struggling to shake his “PE teacher with a psychology degree” image for good reason.
We could sit here all day and go through the long list of Potter’s ridiculous decisions.
Like starting young, tigerish midfielder Freddie Potts all pre-season and then ditching him for human tortoise Rodriguez, who is on his way out of the club this week.
Or getting rid of seven of the club’s senior leaders and then bemoaning a lack of leadership.
Potter’s obsession with James Ward-Prowse is bordering on insanity in repeating the same mistake endlessly.
Potter could sign a prime Zinedine Zidane and he may just choose Ward-Prowse ahead of him.
The most baffling of all Potter’s actions – or inaction – was what he did in the second half.
After going 2-1 up, West Ham quite literally sat back and invited pressure.
West Ham’s meek surrender is all on the manager
This went on for a good 15 to 20 minutes. Tony Gale on commentary echoed what every West Ham fan watching would have been saying – Wolves are going to score in a minute.
Andy Irving was readied to come on. Then Potter sat him down and cancelled the substitution.
West Ham desperately needed fresh legs to try and get a foothold back in the game.
But Potter was completely unmoved.
West Ham went into their shell, retreated in the timid image of their head coach and quite literally handed the tie to Wolves on a plate.
West Ham’s owners are clearly the club’s biggest problem and signings are an absolute necessity if they are to have any chance of survival this season.
But make no mistake, it will be no guarantee – regardless of who or how many the Hammers sign – while Potter remains in charge.
This defeat was down to tactics, team selection and game management and Potter is just not the one.
The mood at the club was then summed up perfectly by captain Jarrod Bowen half-heartedly confronting angry fans at Molineux.
West Ham player ratings vs Wolves:
Areola 2/10, Walker-Peters 7/10, Todibo 4/10, Mavropanos 6/10, Aguerd 6/10, Diouf 5/10, Soucek 6/10, Ward-Prowse 5/10, Rodriguez 4/10, Paqueta 6/10, Bowen 6/10.
Subs: Kilman 3/10, Fullkrug and Wilson not on long enough due to Potter’s dithering.