Freddie Potts is right, Soungoutou Magassa simply has to start for West Ham vs Brentford
If Freddie Potts had his way, Soungoutou Magassa would be starting every week for West Ham.
Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side will take a welcome break from their Premier League relegation fight as their attentions turn to the FA Cup fifth round against Brentford on Monday.
Having boosted their survival odds after beating Fulham 1-0 last time out, the Hammers could field a heavily rotated starting XI for the visit of the Bees.
That may see several fringe players given opportunities to impress Nuno, and Potts appears to be desperate for some invaluable minutes alongside Magassa.
What has Freddie Potts said about Soungoutou Magassa?
Magassa has been made to be patient since arriving at West Ham in a £17million deal from Monaco.
At one stage, he appeared to have tumbled down to fourth choice in Nuno’s pecking order in central midfield, but he has caught the eye during his 20 appearances to date.
Having only played 30 minutes at Craven Cottage, Magassa looks likely to start against Brentford, and ahead of the game, Potts had some warm words for the 22-year-old.
There was also praise for Matheus Fernandes, who, alongside Magassa, has helped rejuvenate West Ham’s engine room in their bid to beat the drop.
Speaking to West Ham’s official YouTube channel, Potts said: “Mateus is a really technical player, very gifted, very good on the ball. When I play with him, it makes my job easier.
“Then Soungou, as well, very good technically and just a beast. Just very good physically. I wouldn’t want to play against him if I were on the other team.
“When we played as a three against Man Utd away [a 1-1 draw in December], we sort of worked together well and showed each other’s qualities.”
The Hammers haven’t qualified for the FA Cup quarter-finals since 2016, but with a likely midfield duo of Potts and Magassa, they would be in pole position to progress.
Magassa good enough to be West Ham regular
Nuno’s reluctance to fully put his trust in Magassa is perhaps understandable.
It took too long for the former Monaco man to seize games by the scruff of its neck, as demonstrated during West Ham’s 1-0 win at Burton Albion earlier in the FA Cup.
On that occasion, he was bullied out of too many duels despite playing all 120 minutes. However, his overall statistics in the Premier League are relatively impressive.
He has completed 379 top-flight passes with an 80 per cent success rate, while in defensive areas, he has made 38 tackles and completed 16 interceptions.
These numbers demonstrate Magassa’s ability to dominate in midfield, even if he hasn’t shown it enough, and it is this fighting spirit that could carry West Ham to safety.
With Tomas Soucek also impressing recently, Nuno will be grateful for the options he currently has while the fight continues.
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