Nuno discovers West Ham midfield blueprint for next few years in Manchester United win
Nuno Espirito Santo is to thank for the emergence of Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa.
West Ham drew 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday in a game which felt like a win in many ways.
Nuno has boosted West Ham’s chances of avoiding relegation following the result, and Hammers fans should be given confidence after a fantastic performance from their young midfielders in particular.
Magassa scored late for the Irons to level the game, but his overall performance simply cannot be overlooked.
As for Potts, he was magnificent up against world-class opposition, playing the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
The statistics now emerging from the game are ridiculous, and they prove that Nuno has found his midfield engine for the next couple of years.
West Ham have midfield pivot secure for the future
Potts has been given his chance to impress since Nuno’s arrival, and it’s fair to say that he’s impressing.
The boy from East London is drawing comparisons to Mark Noble, and could be a future leader for the Irons.
Magassa’s goal and performance will be remembered, as the pair have surely nailed their names down for Nuno’s future starting lineups.
| Players | Minutes | Accurate passes | Tackles (won) | Duels (won) | Rating |
| Freddie Potts | 83 | 26/32 | 1 (1) | 7 (4) | 6.8 |
| Soungoutou Magassa | 90 | 32/41 | 4 (2) | 21 (11) | 7.7 |
On the face of it, Magassa looks like he got involved a lot more than Potts, but the latter read the game fantastically, making three interceptions, and recorded 75 per cent accuracy with long balls.
Both showed that age is just a number, and more importantly, that they should be starting for Nuno from here on out.
But we can’t forget Mateus Fernandes‘ performance either, in what was another dazzling display by the 21-year-old.
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Mateus Fernandes deserves his flowers too
Fernandes shone in the absence of Lucas Paqueta, and he’s made the thought of losing the Brazilian seem a lot easier now.
The Portuguese midfielder played out wide against the Red Devils, but has already started in multiple positions and roles for Nuno.
He’s shown tremendous versatility, and his skill was on display once more at Old Trafford.
- Fernandes completed 90% of his passes
- He won five ground duels
- Fernandes made two key passes
West Ham should be excited and convinced that the trio are the future of the midfield at E20, and that other areas need to be targeted for improvement in the January transfer window.
Nuno deserves a pat on the back for showing his faith in the young stars, but it’s they who have grabbed their opportunities with both hands.
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