There may not be too many West Ham United supporters sharing Anton Ferdinand’s optimism ahead of the dawn of a new Premier League campaign this weekend.
Yes, the signings of Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf, plus an impressive couple of pre-season performances, have raised the mood levels ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sunderland.
But still, after Graham Potter won just five of his first 19 competitive games in charge of the Hammers, a top ten finish feels slightly ambitious.
More pessimistic West Ham United supporters may prefer delusional.
Yet, while there are still concerns over a few gaping holes in Potter’s squad, Ferdinand is backing the manager to take that summer progress into the new campaign, while also backing Freddie Potts to become the latest Chadwell Heath graduate to make his mark on the big stage.
Anton Ferdinand predicts a big season for Freddie Potts at West Ham United
Of all the youngsters to feature during pre-season, particularly during the Premier League Summer Series campaign in the USA, Freddie Potts was arguably the stand-out.
Potts was a ‘class act’ as West Ham beat Everton in Chicago. He then retained his place in the starting XI for the 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth and the 1-1 draw with Lille last weekend in London.
Yes, his involvement was partly down to the absence of Edson Alvarez after Mexico’s Gold Cup winning campaign earlier – funnily enough, Potts likens himself to the former Ajax enforcer – but Ferdinand feels that the poor performances of Potter’s more senior midfielders leaves the door wide open for a 20-year-old to nail down his spot.
“I think it’s going to be tough, like for most clubs this year,” Ferdinand tells talkSPORT. “But I’ve got full confidence in Graham Potter and the squad he is assembling. We have got a lot of players who are going to feel like new signings this year, and I’ve got faith.
“[Pre-season was] really, really good. We’ve got some good young players coming in. Freddie Potts could go into the middle of that midfield and really stake a claim of being a first-team player this year.
“You know, doing things the ‘West Ham way’, which is going through the academy. Something we all want to see as fans.
“So having him and a few others in and around… I’m not going to mention their names yet because I don’t want to put pressure on them, but Freddie Potts has been on two good loans [Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth] and he can deal with pressure like that.
“So, I am looking forward to seeing him this year.”
Ferdinand backs Graham Potter to inspire top ten finish
Another who rose through the West Ham ranks like his older brother Rio, Anton Ferdinand made 163 appearances for the claret and blue club before going on to represent the likes of Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers.
He was part of the side which finished ninth under Alan Pardew back in 2005. A feat Ferdinand is backing Potter’s current vintage to emulate.
“I hope that what he’s put into the players, we get to see week-in, week-out. If we do, we’ll be OK,” a confident Ferdinand predicts.
“I think top ten. If we finish in the top ten, I will be very, very happy.”
In his pre-match press conference, Graham Potter confirmed only Crysencio Summerville and George Earthy are unavailable for the trip to Wearside. Potts will be a Premier League debutant if he features, meanwhile, either from the start or the bench.
“Every pre-season I go into, I try and showcase my ability, what I’m about and what I can bring to the team,” Potts, whose three senior appearances for the Hammers all came in Europe, told the club’s official website a fortnight ago.
“I learned the most that I learned in my career last year. It was a massive step for me to go into the Championship. Everyone knows it’s a big league, a competitive league, so to have 37 games under my belt at Portsmouth was a massive part of my development.
“I’ve learned how to become a man, especially in midfield. At the end of the day, I want to be playing at West Ham because that’s always been my dream.
“Hopefully, there are more opportunities to come.”
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