West Ham stars Mads Hermansen and Jean-Clair Todibo have publicly shamed Graham Potter over the club’s desperate bid to stay in the Premier League.
It may have taken the majority of the season but the Hammers are finally showing signs they can get out of relegation danger under Nuno Espirito Santo.
From being cut seven points adrift in the relegation zone, a rejuvenated West Ham have pulled themselves level with Nottingham Forest in the safety of 17th with nine games to go.
It is fair to say Nuno has turned things around after inheriting a mess from former Hammers boss Graham Potter.
Hermansen and Todibo highlight how bad things were at West Ham under Potter
While the club’s under-fire owners must ultimately take the blame for all the big decisions leading to this point, it is becoming increasingly clear just how bad things were under Potter.
Especially after star West Ham duo Mads Hermansen and Jean-Clair Todibo became the latest to shame Potter for his role in the club’s dire predicament.
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When Potter came to West Ham to replace Julen Lopetegui he spoke ad nauseum about creating ‘unity’ and ‘being a family’.
But Hermansen and Todibo have made it clear that the reality under the now interim Sweden boss was very different.
West Ham’s 1-0 win at Fulham in midweek owed much to the brilliant performances of Hermansen and Todibo.
The vast improvement in the duo, as well as a host of other Hammers stars, is a testament to the job being done by Nuno.
It has taken the Portuguese longer than many would have envisaged or liked to get a tune out of this West Ham team.
Now the scale of the job he had to do behind-the-scenes to clean up the mess left behind by Potter has been made clear.
And it comes after similarly damning comments about Potter’s management from former Hammers heroes Michail Antonio and Vladimir Coufal.
Todibo admits he has only started pushing himself at West Ham under Nuno
In what is a rather shocking – but refreshingly honest – admission for a highly-paid Premier League footballer to make, defender Todibo makes it clear he was demotivated under Potter.
Because he says he has only started pushing himself since Nuno took over from the ex Hammers boss.
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“Now we just want to keep fighting for the fans and everyone around the Club,” Todibo told West Ham’s website after the win at Fulham.
“I think they deserve good results, and so does the team because everyone is working so hard…
“For me, the red card slowed me down a little bit, but the guys did a brilliant job and I’m really pleased to have been able to come back and perform like this.
“I think since the coach has been here, I’ve performed quite well and gone into every week trying to increase the level, so I just hope that can continue.”
Hermansen makes it clear West Ham dressing room was divided under Potter
Hermansen’s comments are even more damning.
He used a Danish saying to make it clear West Ham’s dressing room was completely divided under Potter.
“I think there is a feeling of togetherness compared to the beginning of the season, and we’ve become a better group this way,” Hermansen told West Ham’s website.
“We’ve really moved together as a group. In Danish we say, ‘Vi rykkede tættere på hinanden I bussen’, which means ‘We moved closer in the bus’!”
Potter’s handling of West Ham’s squad over the summer has been highlighted by many as a big factor in the team’s struggles this season.
West Ham’s owners doubled down on the fact Potter refused to sign another striker when they praised Nuno for addressing the glaring issue the moment the January window opened.
He then left West Ham with a severe lack of depth and experience by releasing Antonio, Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski.
Coufal slammed Potter over the way his West Ham exit was handled, saying he was told in a 30-second conversation having gone into the meeting believing he would be offered a new contract.
Coufal has since been one of the best performing full-backs in the Bundesliga after leaving for Hoffenheim.
Potter went with his tail between his legs to embarrassingly bring Fabianski back when Wes Foderingham left while Cresswell has been excellent for Stoke.
Earlier this week Antonio revealed Potter snubbed his plea for a West Ham farewell, a revelation which has angered Hammers fans.
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