Nuno Espirito Santo was in a calming-the-expectations sort of mood during his pre-Burnley press conference, pointing out that both West Ham United and Freddie Potts still have a long way to go.
It is no secret that, in England, young, homegrown players tend to be subject to pretty lofty expectations once they have made their mark.
Yes, Freddie Potts was outstanding against Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, West Ham United’s first win in seven Premier League matches coinciding with his first ever start in the competition.
But, while the young midfielder deserves his flowers, the reaction to his breakout performance has bordered on the hysterical. Social media was full of hyped-up supporters tipping Freddie Potts to make a late charge into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Alan Pardew likened Potts to a young Mark Noble. Stuart Pearce probably did the 22-year-old few favours himself when suggesting that the Hammers had just uncovered ‘the new Declan Rice’.
No wonder Nuno Espirito Santo – a man who could keep his head level while bouncing on a trampoline in the heart of a hurricane – is keen to row back a bit and keep those expectations in check.
Nuno Espirito Santo issues Freddie Potts warning before West Ham United vs Burnely
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s proverbial six-pointer against likely relegation rivals Burnley, Nuno accepts that Potts more than warranted his place in the starting XI.
But, as he reiterated throughout his press conference, that Newcastle triumph is ‘one game’ and nothing more.
“He played really, really good. He did a fantastic match,” Nuno says. “He was balanced, almost all his actions were accurate, and he did what the team needed in the moment. His balance, his presence in the middle of the park…
“But he played one game. Freddie played one game.
“OK, he played 100 games in the Championship and League One [on loan at Portsmouth and Wycombe Wanderers]. That’s what made Freddie. Now, I think he is a good option for us. But he played one game.
“We are here to help all the players improve, and Freddie is one of those who has so many things. So much talent. We need to try and [improve him].”
Nuno knows West Ham must build on that Newcastle win
Then again, considering that even the travelling Newcastle fans were full of praise for Potts – he ran the show up against a £60 million Italian and two seasoned Brazil internationals – the excitement surrounding his belated breakthrough is probably justified.
What’s more, after that unsuccessful dalliance with an Andy Irving – Tomas Soucek partnership, Nuno may just have uncovered a potential replica of the Elliot Anderson – Morgan Gibbs-White partnership which inspired Nottingham Forest’s Europa League charge.
Potts in the Anderson role, all purpose, poise and power. And his more advanced teammate doing the Gibbs-White role. Mateus Fernandes exceeded Bruno Fernandes’ Premier League average with three ‘key passes’ against the Magpies.
But lose to Burnley, and West Ham will be straight back to square one.
“We have to realise where we came from,” Nuno warns. “We win one match but we made just a little step on what we have to do moving forward. It is the past. Newcastle is finished.
“Moving forward, [we must focus on] how tough it is going to be on Saturday, who we are going to compete against, who are the best options for the game.
“We are [still] in a tough position.”
Potts delighted to finally make his mark at the London Stadium
Only Lucas Paqueta and Aaron Wan-Bissaka touched the ball more often than Potts last time out.
With him in the deep-lying number six role, West Ham finally look capable of moving the ball smoothly through the thirds while also possessing the requisite intensity to protect an oft-vulnerable backline.
“I just wanted to fight for my shirt,” Potts told the official West Ham website. “I think it’s a saying, but you’ve got to do everything on the pitch to show the manager and show everyone that you want to be here and you want to play in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  LeedsLeeds | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 11 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 10 |
| 18 |  West HamWest Ham | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 7 |
| 19 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 6 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 2 |
“I just wanted to win every battle that I could out there and do everything I could for the team, and I think we all did that together as a team [against Newcastle].
“I think it wasn’t just me, but there were a lot of players, everyone did it. We all fought for the shirt, and we came away with three points, which I think was deserved.
“I feel like everyone showed that we’ve got the character and the challenge to come back from positions that we have been in the past, and we can win games, especially against teams like Newcastle who attack really well.
“We can definitely attack back and win games, and we showed that, that we’ve got that fight and desire. I feel like everyone showed that, and it was really good to see.
“The main thing was to come into the team and help everyone and do what I can. And, thankfully, we showed a performance and fight where we were deserving of three points.”
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