Alan Shearer wowed by MOTD footage of one West Ham star despite loss v Brentford
West Ham United are already laying down the foundations for next season as Graham Potter experiments with his team in the Premier League in the coming months.
The Hammers will not qualify for Europe and will not be dragged into relegation woes, meaning Potter’s side are essentially in the mediocre abyss until the end of the season.
It has been an underwhelming one for Hammers fans given all their summer excitement, compounded by results such as Saturday’s 1-0 home reverse by Brentford (15 February).
West Ham ace singled out despite Brentford defeat
West Ham United players were not all criticised following Saturday’s loss on home turf, as Brentford took all three points back West on a frustrating afternoon.
Alphonse Areola was given praise by Alan Shearer on BBC Match of the Day (15 February) after a “really, really good” save to deny Bryan Mbeumo as the Bees surged forward on the counter-attack.
Kevin Schade’s opener had Thomas Frank’s men in pole position from very early on, before Yoane Wissa twice saw his efforts chalked off.
Watching back a highlight of Brentford’s break, Shearer said: “That’s a clever ball in behind into Mbeumo, and they caused them so many problems.
“And that’s a really, really good save from a good effort.”
Areola was making his third successive league appearance as he looks to wrestle back the number one jersey on a permanent basis from Lukasz Fabianski, who turns 40 in April and sees his contract expire in the summer.
The former PSG stopper, 31, is under contract at the London Stadium for the next two-and-a-half years as he stakes his first-choice claim under Potter.
Irons building framework for next season
West Ham fans can enjoy their matchdays free in the knowledge that an individual result is highly unlikely to hold too much long-term impact.
While that is a deflating feeling to be consigned to after over £100million of transfer spending last summer and all the talk geared towards mounting a serious European challenge, it provides Potter and his staff an opportunity to secure the foundations in place to get it right later this year.
The head coach can decide players whom he wishes to build around, those he would sooner dispense with, and discuss with the board who can be brought in to turn the screw on a more powerful-looking West Ham side.
The Hammers have a pull lacked by the majority of the clubs in the bottom half of the table, excluding of course Manchester United and Tottenham, with an opportunity to sign at the London Stadium still considered an appealing move.
Potter himself carries some pull factor, too, and it will be interesting to see how the Irons shape up in the coming months.