Paul Merson ripped into his so-called friend Graham Potter and West Ham in a scathing attack – but the Hammers boss and his team have left the pundit looking utterly ridiculous.
After being completely written off, Graham Potter and West Ham responded in the best way possible with Paul Merson made to eat his harsh words.
Pundit Merson is paid to give his opinion and should be celebrated for doing so in a forthright and honest manner.
But his latest criticism of West Ham under Potter went a step too far.
Merson’s brutal West Ham and Potter blast went a step too far
Merson has stated previously he knows Potter on a personal level.
It is a case of who needs enemies with friends like Merson off the back of his brutal assessment of the Hammers and their under pressure boss.
Earlier in the summer Merson said West Ham would be relegation contenders and Potter could be sacked.
There was little to suggest that prediction would be proved wrong when the Hammers opened the season with a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland and 5-1 home loss to Chelsea before bowing out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle at Wolves.
That saw dark clouds gather over the London Stadium once more as negativity engulfed the club.
There were calls in some quarters for Potter to be sacked.
Claims even emerged that the Hammers boss could be relieved of his duties.
West Ham’s owners stood steadfastly behind Potter, telling Hammers News those rumours were ‘total rubbish’.
A trip to Nottingham Forest looked daunting ahead of the first international break.
And Merson stuck the boot in on West Ham and Potter when he went one further in his Hammers assessment.
Not only did Merson make it clear Forest would win the game comfortably, he predicted West Ham would not win a single point between that match and the November international break.
Potter makes Merson look foolish for savage attack
Merson then belittled the ‘West Ham way’, ridiculed the club over letting David Moyes go, questioned what the point of the Hammers is.
That was before stating Potter would be sacked by the October international break if he wasn’t sacked in this current one in September.
“Nothing but a Nottingham Forest win,” Merson said on Sportskeeda.
“I like their team, they have bought well in the transfer window. I’d be shocked if they failed to beat this West Ham team. The Hammers are in trouble; they’ve conceded 11 goals in their last three games!
“I don’t understand West Ham. They keep searching for the ‘West Ham way’ of playing and it’s getting worse day by day. What is the ‘West Ham way’? David Moyes won them a trophy but they didn’t like the way his team played and let him go. You can only play with what you’ve got!
“Whatever the result this weekend, Graham Potter will be under pressure during the international break. The problem is that Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley have already registered a win this season. You don’t want to be giving these teams a head start in the battle to avoid relegation.
“West Ham have to face Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Everton, Arsenal, Brentford and Leeds between the first and second international breaks in the coming months. By the time they get to that game against Leeds, how many points can West Ham win? Based on their current form, I’d reckon none!
“If Potter isn’t sacked after this international break, he may well be gone by the second one in October. Comfortable win to Forest, 2-0.”
If Potter and Merson were personal friends they probably aren’t now.
The West Ham head coach has made Merson look totally ridiculous with his over the top assessment.
Even angry, deflated Hammers fans were not being that pessimistic about the situation.
Potter’s revitalised West Ham proved “friend” Merson wrong
The signing of Mateus Fernandes looks a masterstroke from Potter and the manager changed his setup and tactics at Forest, realising the wingback formation wasn’t working.
Other managers, such as Ruben Amorim, refuse to adapt their style and philosophy. But Potter showed he will and can.
The players showed they were playing for their manager as they earned the right to play by digging in and being defensively solid.
It was Potter’s substitutions which won the game too with Crysencio Summerville playing a crucial role in all three goals and fellow sub Callum Wilson opening his account.
Lucas Paqueta also pledged his future to West Ham under Potter, putting in a man of the match performance.
Merson wrote West Ham and Potter off far too early and was over the top in his comments.
Now he has egg running down his face with West Ham totally revitalised by their 3-0 win, Forest’s biggest home defeat for over 25 years.
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