Propping up the league in nineteenth position, with just Wolverhampton Wanderers separating the Hammers from rock bottom 20th spot is not how Graham Potter would have ‘envisioned’ his start to the new season after the ‘positives’ of the summer tours and pre-season. Fine words don’t count for much in professional sport and West Ham have been found wanting: Whether it be through squad deficiencies, tactics, fitness or selection issues.

The axe looms large for Potter after just five Premier League fixtures but with just two home wins during his nine month tenure, few would argue. Former Premier League manager Tony Pulis has stepped away from the usual ‘manager’s union’ unwritten rule of not being critical of fellow coaches and pointed the finger of blame squarely at West Ham’s embattled manager.

According to insidefulbol.com, Pulis made the point pretty clear: West Ham’s squad might not be perfect but it is far too good to be sitting in nineteenth position:

The chairman has taken loads of stick, but he has spent an absolute fortune there. Are the players at West Ham good enough to be better than where they are now? That is the question we are going to ask, really....