When picking his way through another West Ham defeat – this time at home to Crystal Palace – former Manchester United and Premier League superstar Wayne Rooney might not have known exactly where to start.
In the end, he highlighted three stand-out issues. Three problems the Hammers faithful will need no introduction to.
Wayne Rooney could barely believe West Ham’s defending as Jean-Philippe Mateta became the seventh player to score from a set-piece against Graham Potter’s side in just five league matches. Max Kilman was easily out-jumped by Marc Guehi. And, as his header rebounded off the crossbar, Konstantinos Mavropanos failed with a desperate attempt to clear Mateta’s follow-up off the line.
And as rumours surrounding Potter’s seemingly-inevitable departure went into overdrive at full-time – the head coach trudging down the tunnel to a chorus of boos – Rooney urged the Hammers to follow Brighton’s lead.
The identity of their next manager is less important, he suggests, than putting a clear, coherent plan in place while building around a consistent recruitment model and a firm identity.
There doesn’t appear to be much chance of that happening, however. Not with Brighton operating in an entirely different century to their sepia-tinged rivals.
Now, speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney also feels that this is a West Ham United side crying out for leadership and legs in the centre of the park. The days of Mark Noble and Declan Rice certainly feel a long time ago right now, that’s for sure.
Wayne Rooney says West Ham United need another Declan Rice or Mark Noble
Now, failing to replace Declan Rice like-for-like is, on the face of it, somewhat understandable.
There are few midfielders on the planet with a skillset as broad as Rice’s. And even fewer West Ham could legitimately think about signing.
But, bringing in James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, Andy Irving and eventually Kalvin Phillips while Rice completed his £105 million move to Arsenal, arguably no club has bungled their succession more dramatically since Tottenham famously invested that Gareth Bale windfall in Paulinho, Vlad Chiriches and Roberto Soldado.
“Over the past 10 years, the success West Ham have had has been when you’ve got players like Mark Noble and Declan Rice,” Rooney points out. “Players who have got quality on the ball.
“They’re going to take the game by the scruff of the neck, lead the other players and put tackles in, and that runs right through the team.
“Then the other players react to that. That’s what West Ham are missing, that leader in there who’s going to do that for them.”
Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa should help the Hammers
While Rice made a habit of stomping from one end of the pitch to another, going from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye, Ward-Prowse barely exits second gear these days.
A midfield of Ward-Prowse and Tomas Soucek or Guido Rodriguez, if you combined the talents of three you would still come nowhere close to replacing Rice ‘in the aggregate’.
The good news is that, in Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa, Graham Potter does have two new midfielders capable of offering something very different.
Mateus Fernandes made an ‘exceptional’ start, to quote former striker Carlton Cole, while Magassa made a good impression on the West Ham fans when stepping off the bench.
Away to Everton next time out – an Everton side boasting the off-the-ball running of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the evergreen energy of Idrissa Gueye – feels like the perfect moment to start Fernandes and Magassa together for the first time.
They might not have the fan connection of Noble or the raw talent of Rice, but at least Fernandes and Magassa can run, tackle and pass. The basics, to put it simply. That is more than some of Potter’s other options seem capable of right now.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
