West Ham boss Graham Potter has been slammed by a top Sky Sports pundit over his treatment of Brighton striker Evan Ferguson.
Graham Potter is sorely in need of friends as he struggles to convince at West Ham.
But he’s not making many with his handling of his only Hammers signing so far.
West Ham’s terrible first half of the season suggested the club needed to do business in the January transfer window.
Yet Potter – new in the job and keen to give the Hammers’ underachieving squad a clean slate – elected to only sign Evan Ferguson on loan from Premier League rivals Brighton.
Potter gets first West Ham signing all wrong
With West Ham regressing from 13th to 17th after just three wins from Potter’s 14 games, that has clearly been a big mistake.
Ferguson was allowed to move from Brighton having fallen down the pecking order under Fabian Hurzeler.
The fact the 20-year-old Irishman has made just one start and played only 142 minutes in three months tells the story of a disastrous loan spell for all concerned.
Especially when you factor in that Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen have all been out injured during that time.
Ferguson, once rated at over £100m by Brighton, chose West Ham from a reported queue of 20 clubs because of his relationship with Potter from their time together at the Amex.
But that relationship has almost certainly soured.
And Brighton probably won’t be doing business with the Hammers again anytime soon either.
First West Ham’s owners and fans, then the Ireland and Brighton management and Ferguson himself have criticised the way Potter has integrated the striker in east London.
Now a top Sky Sports pundit has called out the Hammers boss too.
Ireland assistant boss John O’Shea slammed Potter’s treatment of Ferguson last month.
The ex Man United defender couldn’t believe Ferguson isn’t starting up front every week for West Ham as he scored for the Republic during the March internationals.
Dawson slams Potter’s ‘strange’ treatment of Ferguson
West Ham’s owners aren’t happy with how Ferguson’s loan has panned out and have poured cold water on any chance of making it permanent.
Ferguson criticised Potter and vowed to prove him wrong after his goal for Ireland.
That has not transpired, though, as he’s barely been on the pitch since.
However, the striker has received some support from a leading pundit.
Michael Dawson has slammed Potter for his ‘strange’ treatment of Brighton’s Ferguson at West Ham.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Dawson questioned Potter’s handling of Ferguson in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.
“I found something strange,” Dawson when assessing Potter’s decisions during the game, after which West Ham were booed off.
“(Niclas) Fullkrug has come off, surely it’s going to be a straight swap (for Ferguson).
“No, Tomas Soucek comes in.
“That says it all for Evan Ferguson, really disappointing for the young man not to get the opportunity.
“For me it was an easy straight swap.”
Many West Ham fans reported seeing Ferguson make his disgust clear for all to see when Soucek was called over to replace Fullkrug ahead of him.
Disastrous loan move for all parties
Can anyone really blame him?
It’s been a disastrous move for him, the Hammers and Brighton.
Ferguson has played less football than he would have if he’d remained with the European-chasing Seagulls.
Whether Brighton wanted him to get much-needed game time in his comeback from injury or to put him in the shop window, neither has transpired.
As for West Ham – Potter’s first big transfer call has left a lot to be desired.
And the club’s long search for a top young forward continues after yet another flop to add weight to the West Ham striker curse theory.
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