Graham Potter used his influence to help West Ham beat 20 clubs to the signing of Evan Ferguson but the striker may be regretting his choice.
Heading into the winter window West Ham desperately needed to sign a striker.
A host of forwards were linked with the Hammers the run-up to the window.
But West Ham then sacked Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten.
As a result, targets changed.
Graham Potter arrived and Evan Ferguson was suddenly strongly linked.
The 20-year-old Irishman, once valued at over £100m by Brighton, joined West Ham on a straight loan for the rest of the season.
Brighton were reportedly very open to selling Ferguson, who had dropped way down their pecking order.
The Seagulls were also reportedly open to agreeing an obligation to buy as part of the loan.
But West Ham did not want to commit and a “dry loan” was a compromise.
A close relationship with Potter, the man who brought Ferguson to the Premier League from Ireland, was one of the big reasons the Hammers were able to win the race for his signature.
Another was game time.
Ireland coach shocked by Potter’s treatment of Ferguson at West Ham
The Irons finally went out and signed the kind of young striker the fans have been desperate for. Albeit on loan.
The big hope among the West Ham faithful was that Ferguson would hit it off in east London and then sign in a permanent deal in the summer.
That looks a million miles away after an inauspicious first six weeks in east London.
Ferguson is yet to start a game or register a shot on target.
He has been so sparingly used by Potter that fans have already decided they need to look elsewhere in the summer.
Ferguson looked good in a second half cameo in the home defeat to Brentford.
But since then when given minutes as a substitute he has looked understandably rusty.
Potter has insisted Ferguson’s game time needs to be managed carefully after problems with ankle injuries.
The counter argument is that he won’t get fit without the game time.
The situation is made all the more farcical by the fact West Ham have struggled in front of goal since Potter’s arrival.
In fact the Hammers have scored just 10 goals under him – one per game thus far.
And Ferguson still can’t get any meaningful action.
The situation has not gone down well in his homeland either.
Republic of Ireland assistant boss John O’Shea has been shocked by Potter’s treatment of Ferguson at West Ham.
Despite his lack of minutes for the Hammers, Ferguson has been called up for a Nations League double-header against Bulgaria.
O’Shea says ‘sharp’ Ferguson must prove Hammers boss wrong
O’Shea told the Irish media that Ferguson has been so sharp in training, he can’t believe he’s not playing more for the Hammers.
He admits he is shocked at Ferguson’s lack of game time under a manager that knows him so well.
And he has called on him to prove Potter wrong when he is given chances in the claret and blue.
“Hopefully that (not playing games for West Ham) will improve for the rest of the season and we’ll see what happens over the course of these next two games, but he looked very sharp in training this morning,” O’Shea told The Irish News.
“Especially (surprising considering Potter is) a former manager that obviously knows him well.
“But listen, there is big competition for places at Premier League clubs and obviously they probably felt there was a little niggling injury where they had to build up fitness too…
“It’s a learning curve. And he has got to knuckle down in training and prove to us this week and to West Ham when he goes back that he deserves a start.
“If he gets the chance, whether it’s five minutes, 20 minutes or half-an-hour, that you show why you should be in the team.”
Potter may change his approach after the international break after news from the corridors of power at the London Stadium.
Because West Ham’s owners are frustrated with the lack of goals and have called for improvement.
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