George Earthy sends message to Graham Potter after what West Ham loanee did
Graham Potter thought his West Ham side had earned a strong point against Liverpool on Sunday until a late Virgil van Dijk winner killed all hope.
It was never going to be easy at Anfield, and although the first half was poor, West Ham looked much stronger in the second half, with Andy Robertson putting through his own net late on.
The Hammers managed to throw it all away only minutes later, though, leaving them 17th in the Premier League.
Potter is known for his faith in youth players, and after a couple of years with huge spending, he may need to utilise that experience again.
George Earthy next in line at West Ham
West Ham have some strong youth talent in their ranks, and several players are succeeding away from East London on loan.
George Earthy made the move to Bristol City temporarily for the season and has been a regular in the side, pushing for promotion to the Premier League.
The midfielder has made 33 appearances for the Robins, scoring his third goal of the season on Saturday (12 April) in a draw against QPR.
| Appearnces | Goals | Assists |
| 33 | 3 | 1 |
City sit fifth in the Championship table, continuing in their battle for a play-off place in the hope of achieving promotion to the top flight.
While the Irons’ first team struggled to apply the finishing touch after passing through Liverpool several times, Earthy showed he has no problem.
In a performance where he received the man of the match award again, Earthy got on the end of a pass from Max Bird to pull off an impressive finish poking the ball home at Loftus Road.
Potter needs mix at West Ham
Potter is known for the work he does with young players, and the fact that Ollie Scarles has emerged as a first-team player under him is a reflection of that.
However, Scarles struggled up against Mohamed Salah on Sunday and had to be pulled off in the second half.
This shows that there is a balance that the manager needs to strike during the summer transfer window, using the best of the talent that is available to him while also having the depth to make changes.
Earthy looks comfortable playing in a top Championship side, and given he could win promotion with them, that shows he can’t be far off the top flight.
Whether next season brings another loan spell or an opportunity will be decided during pre-season, but Earthy is definitely making himself known to the boss.