Graham Potter may make rarely-seen West Ham United player undroppable
Graham Potter may have taken some time to settle into life at West Ham but he may finally have hit a breakthrough of late.
The Hammers have now won their last two Premier League games and shown some professional performances to get positive results.
Their 1-0 victory against Arsenal was particularly impressive with a defensive display that was well-drilled and unbreakable, earning credit from the likes of Troy Deeney.
Ollie Scarles is new star at West Ham
Potter didn’t have the resources available to make too many changes during the winter transfer window, meaning he has mainly had to rely on those players who were already at The London Stadium.
Ahead of the boss’ arrival, teenager Ollie Scarles had made just two appearances for the Hammers, both of which had come from the bench.
However, Potter has put his trust in the 19-year-old who has made seven Premier League appearances since his arrival, seeing his minutes increasing with two appearances from the starting line-up.
The left-back played for the full 90 minutes in the win at Arsenal and impressed many with his talent.
| Game | Number of minutes |
| Fulham (H) | 9 |
| Crystal Palace (H) | 34 |
| Aston Villa (A) | 15 |
| Chelsea (A) | 19 |
| Brentford (H) | 45 |
| Arsenal (A) | 90 |
| Leicester (H) | 66 |
Scarles has admitted that he is enjoying playing under his new manager too as he told the official West Ham website (3 March): “He’s really influenced my style of play and has told me to be me because I’m training well and playing well in the minutes I’m getting.
“He has brought good energy. The manager and all his staff are really positive, and I’ve got such a good relationship with all of them, and it’s just brought a good vibe to the training ground. You can feel it at the training ground and when we play.
“I think playing that wing-back role really suits me, so he’s got me in a position where I can show myself [in attack] and also the defensive side of the job as well.
“I never thought I would get this many [minutes]. It was always my goal to break through to the first-team and I couldn’t be more grateful for the minutes that I’m getting. I’ve had two starts in the last two games, which I never really expected at the start of the season.”
Scarles could be undroppable for Potter at West Ham
Although the 19-year-old has admitted he didn’t think he would get as many minutes as he has, one thing that isn’t surprising is Potter turning to the youth in his squad.
Potter is well known for his ability to transform young players into first team stars and assets to be sold if that’s what is needed.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder that the youngster is enjoying his time under the new boss and it’s fair to say he’s certainly taken his chances when he has been offered the opportunity to play.
As the summer transfer window approaches, there will be plenty of decisions for the manager to make, including offloading and bringing new players in.
Therefore, if the boss knows he has the necessary talent already in his squad, then it will certainly serve him as he will be able to put more of his resources into different positions on the pitch.
It seems as though the pair have already struck up a great relationship in football which will give the 19-year-old plenty of confidence to perform each week.
If he carries on as he has started, there is a great chance for the 19-year-old to make himself an undroppable man in the West Ham starting line-up ahead of the new campaign.