Graham Potter ‘commits Fullkrug atrocity’ – West Ham confirmed XI v Brighton
Graham Potter has made three changes to his West Ham starting lineup as they travel to Brighton on Saturday.
West Ham will be keen to bounce back from their underwhelming 1-1 draw with Southampton at the London Stadium when they face Brighton at the Amex Stadium on 26 April.
The Irons failed to defend a one-goal lead against the already-relegated Saints after Jarrod Bowen put them in front, with Lesley Ugochukwu taking advantage of their complacency to grab a late equaliser.
This led to Niclas Fullkrug launching a rant on his teammates after the game amid increasing doubts over the East London outfit’s performances under Potter.
Therefore, Potter has made some changes to his team in a bid to lead the Hammers to their first win in eight games.
Potter commits Niclas Fullkrug sin
Niclas Fullkrug is one of the casualties of Potter’s three changes for the trip to Brighton.
The Germany international grabbed a lot of headlines after what he said in the wake of the 1-1 draw against Southampton.
While the striker’s words resonated with the West Ham fans’ thoughts, Potter has done the total opposite by dropping him to the bench.
This is despite the 32-year-old being one of the Irons’ better players last weekend.
| Minutes | Assists | Chances Created | Shot Accuracy | Clearances | Duels Won |
| 80′ | 1 | 4 | 1/1 | 3 | 0/4 |
West Ham are in need of players with enough heart and desire like Fullkrug, and Potter could regret his decision of axing the centre-forward big time.
These are the kind of decisions that ultimately cost managers their jobs.
While the decision might be entirely tactical, as the former Chelsea boss has opted for a five-man defence in away games, with emphasis on counter-attack, the timing of dropping Fullkrug is totally wrong.
Meanwhile, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has come back into the team for Vladimir Coufal, while Tomas Soucek has replaced Carlos Soler in midfield.
West Ham XI v Brighton
Alphonse Areola continues in goal, with Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman forming the back three.
Soucek, James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paqueta play in midfield, with Wan-Bissaka and Emerson providing width as wing-backs.
Potter has also set his team up for counter-attacks, with Mohammed Kudus and Bowen leading the line.
Evan Ferguson is ineligible to play against his parent club, while West Ham are still without Crysencio Summerville, who is nursing a hamstring injury.
Potter, though, has the likes of Luis Guilherme, Soler and Fullkrug to call upon if needed.