West Ham defender can save London Stadium career under Graham Potter
Graham Potter’s appointment at West Ham might just be the spark that several players need to rejuvenate themselves in the closing months of the season.
With the days of the winter transfer window ticking away, the new boss will have to be shrewd in his business but there might already be players at his disposal he feels he can get more out of.
The Hammers spent a lot of money backing their previous boss in the summer transfer window, which has left the 49-year-old and the recruitment team need to box clever before 3 February.
With this in mind, the Irons are going to have to rely on some of the talent already in their squad to step up under new management now.
Jean-Clair Todibo is one player who suffered during the tenure of Lopetegui after reports that he had a row with his former boss which led to the pair needing to be separated.
However, despite interest in the defender from Marseille [The New York Times, 23 January], Todibo has confirmed that he wants to stay put in East London and repay the faith his current club have shown him so far.
Jean-Clair Todibo has to step up under Graham Potter
In the first half of the season, the 25-year-old struggled to find his form for the Hammers, not helped by playing in a side that were inconsistent with their own levels of performance.
On top of that, the defender has been hit by injuries and is currently on the sidelines again waiting to regain fitness which means he is struggling to get momentum in his performances.
However, upon his return to the side, the 25-year-old has to prove himself under his new boss and allow himself to develop under the direction of someone new.
Potter has a good record of working with young players and allowing them to flourish so there is the possibility that this could be a good relationship once it gets going which allows the player to prosper in East London.
Furthermore, the Irons signed him on a loan deal with an obligation to buy at the end of the campaign so they will want to ensure it is money well spent for now and the future.
As the Irons look for reinforcements during the winter window, the second half of the campaign is also an opportunity for players who have not delivered so far to re-establish themselves.
In other West Ham news, Lopetegui has been linked with a high-profile international job.
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