Potter out, Nuno in

So Graham Potter has finally gone and it seems Nuno Espirito Santo is certain to be his replacement. It was a little cruel to let Potter do his press conference on Friday, though you don't expect classy sackings at West Ham under the current ownership. Potter was in deep trouble after the fans home chanted "sacked in the morning!" against Palace. I don't like sacking managers, but there's been few signs of hope since Potter took over. It's not as if we've been playing well and not getting results. 

Potter had a free hit with the second half of last season. He wasn't helped by injuries but apart from a slight improvement defensively the team still looked flat. This season's five defeats out of six have been calamitous and the mood at home games has been apathetic. Yes, he's been let down by the players but conceding six goals from corners points to a basic lack of organisation in defence and the lack of a set-piece coach. His midfield reinforcements arrived late and Hermansen has proved a poor signing so far in goal. Another problem has been Potter's lack of charisma. It's ok to be calm in a crisis but he's failed to galvanise the fans and too often lapses into middle-management speak when the fans want a bit of passion and some pithy quotes.

Will Nuno Espirito Santo be a good fit? His record at Wolves and Forest is certainly impressive and he's used to dealing with a difficult chairman. Signing Milenkovic and Murillo proves he can spot a good centre back and he got the best out of an ageing striker in Chris Wood, so hopefully he might do the same for Fullkrug and Wilson. It would be back to counter-attacking football, which is ok with me if done effectively, and Nuno will hope that Bowen and Summerville can do similar jobs to Elanga and Hudson-Odoi at Forest. If the new gaffer is in charge at Everton then it will give us more cause for optimism.

But the biggest problem at West Ham has been the ownership not the managers. David Sullivan has certainly spent some money, but he's veered all over the place in terms of club direction. He listened to the voices on the phone-ins instead of having the strength to keep Moyes after a ninth placed finish and Europa League quarter-final. Throughout his tenure the club has gone from pragmatic to romantic managers and back again, all with scattergun recruitment. Since Moyes we've had three managers and two recruitment gurus in Tim Steidten and Kyle Macauley. Again it's a hasty appointment made in panic mode, but let's hope the club might have got it right this time.

Ending West Ham's defensive woes

So Graham Potter remains in charge for the trip to Everton on Monday and the big issue is how to stop West Ham conceding goals from corners. As Match of the Day pointed out we have a problem with teams packing the far post and don't seem to have the leaders at the back to address it. There's also the problem of players like Mateta blocking off the goalkeeper. The vaguely zonal marking system just doesn't seem to work so let's just try sticking with a man each. That seemed to work during my days in the Shenfield School First X1.

Some changes of personnel might help. Areola is our best goalkeeper and Hermansen is always going to be targeted after his poor start. It's a shame Wan-Bissaka remains out with a stomach problem as he's a natural tackler despite a poor game against Chelsea, though Walker-Peters has done ok in his absence. The only centre-back who hasn't been dropped this season is Max Kilman, so perhaps it's time to give Igor a go and restore Jean-Clair Todibo, who cost £36 million and was once wanted by a host of top clubs. Potter was a centre back himself so it's mystifying why he can't get a back-line organised.

Part of the problem has been small players like Paqueta, Fernandes and Ward-Prowse picking up giants at set-pieces so who not do what Harry Redknapp did and keep two or three players up when defending a corner? That way the attacking side has to keep more defenders back and out of our box.

SMALL TEAM IN STRATFORD

Now Zouma, Ogbonna, Dawson, Rice and Antonio have gone West Ham are a small side new signing Magassa who is six foot two might be option in midfield, though he struggled as a sub against Palace. It's important Tomas Soucek returns. James Gheerbrant recently wrote an interesting piece on the bouncing Czech in the Times entitled, "Soucek's unique skill set: he jogs, he blocks, he scores (but no assists)." The piece points out that although Tomas is relatively slow his blocking record at the back is phenomenal and that as a midfielder in the Premier League he's scored only two less goals (he's got 36 in total) than Kevin de Bruyne from fewer chances.

Potter is a decent man (and internet meme) but the way we are losing games isn't offering much hope while his slow-passing possession style seems outdated now the Premier League is reverting to long throw-ins and more direct football. The likelihood remains that Moyes' Everton will end the Potter reign and Nuno Espirito Santo (who sounds a bit like a Duolingo course) be appointed. Some tactical tweaks are essential and perhaps praying to the deity of your choice might also be advisable. Though as at Forest, football can surprise us all. Come on you not very solid Irons.

Palace leave West Ham and Potter feeling bad all over

West Ham 1 Crystal Palace 2

It's an early start to catch the 7.30am bus from our holiday cottage in Grasmere. Then on to Windermere station, a train to Oxenholme then another train to Euston, then the tube. All for a trip to see a top London side — and also West Ham.

There's been a demo against Sullivan and Brady before the game, the fans rightly exasperated that the Irons are less professional in recruitment than Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Fulham and Crystal Palace among others.

Inside a humid London Stadium Nigel is wearing three layers and has been to see Spinal Tap in the hope that West Ham can up the volume to 11. Alison has escaped Farage-land to join us in place of Michael the Whovian, who has gone down with a bout of West Ham-related nihilism. Foul-weather fan Alison reveals that her partner Biff has chosen the entire Palace defence for his Fantasy Football line-up, which will surely ensure we lose. Lisa and Matt have come via watching the WHU kids and the Best Meze Cafe, with Matt sporting a BAC-sponsored shirt from the days of the Championship and Trevor Morley. BAC means Back As Champions? Could be useful for next season.

Potter has dropped Hermansen for Areola and Wilson starts up front. Jimmy Summerville has a couple of decent runs down the left and Henderson has to punch away a dangerous Ward-Prowse corner. But a warning comes as Palace win two headers in the box as Kamada nods wide.

Almost inevitably West Ham's glass jaw is exposed at a Palace corner after 37 minutes. Geuhi gets above Kilman and Areola tips his header on to the bar. Mavropanos has gone back on the line rather than pick up Mateta, who heads home. The home crowd don't even seem that angry.

Just before the break West Ham produce the best move of the game as Paqueta and Diouf combine to release Summerville, who plays a fine ball to Wilson in front of goal. But instead of shooting first time Callum tries to turn inside and gets tackled. Matt sees the ghost of Danny Ings, a player who would have gobbled up such chances a few years previously.

The sun comes out for the second half as Palace almost make it two as another corner sees Lacroix head against the bar. But West Ham come forward to win two corners. As Diouf sends the second corner in Bowen strolls away from his marker to angle in a delicate header to equalise.

West Ham have a good spell for 15 minutes as we wonder if Potter has maybe thrown his ballpoint pen across the dressing room in exasperation at half-time. The crowd get behind the side as Diouf gets forward well and Ward-Prowse is also having a decent game. Paqueta has a dangerous cross hacked away and Walker-Peters forces a low save from Henderson. 

SACKED IN THE MORNING?

Just as things are improving Palace go ahead. Wharton chips in a cross that the Greek Bloke does reasonably well to head away. But the ball falls to defender Mitchell who volleys hame an unstoppable effort with his wrong foot. Potter has become an unlucky manager as well as an unconvincing one. 

Things turn nasty as the injured Summerville goes off for Guilherme and Magassa replaces Fernandes. The crowd don't like Fernandes going off and chant, "You don't know what your doing!" at the beleaguered Potter. The Bobby Moore Stand also joins in with the Palace fans chant of "Sacked in the morning!", which you don't like to hear.

The subs make the Irons worse. Fullkrug tries to rough up the Palace centre backs with little effect, Guilherme can't get into the game and Magassa struggles to adjust to the pace. Palace see the game out without looking in danger.

The rain and wind arrives as we trudge towards the Eagle with Nigel's extra layers now looking prescient. Potter's job is surely on the line now. You don't like to see managers sacked but it's the way we're losing that is worrying. Nuno Espirito Santo is the name being mentioned, a good gaffer though is he the man to fire up the fanbase?

At least the Eagle has Spitfire in the fridge as Matt tries to cheer us up by asking us to name all West Ham's Portuguese players. We go through Porfirio, Dani, Futre, Fonte and a few others, though for the full list you'll have to consult Matt's mind palace. It wasn't really worth getting up at 6.30am for this. It was a better performance at times but if you can't defend set pieces you won't stay in the Premier League. As the Stranglers might put it, something better change.

PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 6; Walker-Peters 6, Kilman 5, Mavropanos 5, Diouf 7; Ward-Prowse 6, Fernandes 6 (Magassa 5), Paqueta 6, Summerville 6 (Guilherme 4); Bowen 7, Wilson 5 (Fullkrug 5).

It all goes a bit Spursy for West Ham

West Ham 0 Tottenham 3

Luckily we're in the Lake District for this one, watching the game from Tweedies bar in Grasmere. My younger daughter's boyfriend is with us wearing his Spurs shirt, though to be fair he doesn't gloat and does buy me a pint.

Fullkrug has a knock from international duty, Wilson is deemed ready to start and Potter opts for Bowen up front which deprives the side of its biggest threat on the right. West Ham start off quite confidently after the Forest win, with a nice move between Bowen and Fernandes seeing Paqueta drag a shot wide when he should score. But Spurs win a series of corners and ruthlessly crowd Hermansen. Romero has what looks a good goal disallowed for holding in the box as Spurs start to dominate. Summerville has his moments though and at the break there's still hope.

It all goes wrong soon after the interval when yet another corner comes in. Sarr wanders lonely as a cloud towards the back post and heads home with our defence on the couch. Soucek lunges in studs up and gets a straight red. Almost instantly a Spurs free kick sees Bergvall get between the centre backs to loop home a header. It's three after 63 minutes when more hesitant defending sees Van de Ven shoot into the corner. 

Luckily Spurs ease up after that. Bowen has a shot at the keeper but with ten men it's game over. Back to basics after the Forest optimism with five goals now conceded from corners this season. The Grasmere deluge arrives with the heavens apparently weeping at such lax defending and leaving both West Ham and my party with several mountains to climb. At least the Lakes Pale Ale was good.

A game of two scarves

West Ham have made a bit of history by banning half and half scarves from the game against Spurs. I'm not sure they would cause too much trouble since wearing one marks you out as a tourist who doesn't support either side, though Mo Kudus might like one. Would any real fan ever wear one? Though should we ever play Millwall again it will be interesting to see how sales of those half and half scarves go...

Window shopping: Igor in, Aguerd, Emerson and Cornet out

Well, the transfer window has turned out better than it seemed a week ago. The key thing was getting in two young energetic 21-year-old midfielders in Fernandes and Magassa and that gives the season a much more optimistic hue. Potter also brought in Igor Julio from Brighton on loan, who was very Igor to join us having played against West Ham for Fiorentina in Prague. That move also scuppered Crystal Palace selling Guehi to Liverpool. If he's a big bruising centre half who can win balls in the air then that's what we need against teams like Sunderland. 

Nayef Aguerd has gone to Marseille for a reported £20m which isn't bad business even if it was £10m less than we paid for him. I always thought he was a good player who would eventually adapt to the Premier League, but the three games he played this season showed he was still struggling. Emerson has also gone to Marseille for a very low £900,000. You can only assume the club was desperate to get his wages off the books. The 31-year-old Emerson completed the set of European trophies with West Ham and overall did pretty well in his three seasons. While lingering like an odd sock at the bottom of the drawer we have also loaned forgotten Maxwel Cornet to Genoa. 

Potter and Macauley have certainly been hampered by the club being obliged to buy Todibo for an overpriced £36m and then thanks to last summer's spree and the PSR rules having to sell Kudus for £55m before we could buy. Diouf and Hermansen have come in for £20m each and Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson arrived on frees. A lot of fans deplored the Wilson signing but for a season-long deal I think he's a bargain if we can keep him fit. As he showed at Forest he's a really good player.

The other plus is that Lucas Paqueta really did throw his phone away at Forest. The one area where Potter hasn't acted is in signing a young striker, though Fullkrug, Wilson, Bowen and Marshall offer some depth for this season. Overall a lot of older players have been moved on such as Cresswell, Coufal, Ings, Fabianski, Zouma, Antonio and Emerson, while Alvarez has been loaned out. We've spent around £133 million and recouped around £76 million while probably saving a bit on wages. The main aim was to reduce the average age of the side and that has been achieved. Potter now has seven of his own signings in the squad so let's see what he can do with them.

Three-nil to the Cockney Boys!

Nottingham Forest 0 West Ham United 3 (three)

I'm in a breakout group with daughter Nell at the Racehorse pub in Carshalton for this Sky game, while Matt and Nigel are at the Wellington in Waterloo wondering what could possibly go right. Potter has made big changes. We're playing both the Greek Bloke and Mads Hermansen, who must surely have PTSD after his eight goals conceded in two games. The gaffer has abandoned five at the back and dropped three members of our porous defence in Aguerd, Todibo and Wan-Bisakka, while new signing Mateus Fernandes comes in to midfield. It's certainly a brave selection, but after Chelsea something had to be done.

It's a scrappy game, yet from the outset West Ham look a much more determined side with Fernandes adding some speed and tenacity to midfield. A cross from Ndoye goes across goal and behind Wood, Walker-Peters does well to tackle Hudson-Odoi in the box and that's about it. Even Hermansen is confidently catching crosses. Towards the end of the half the Irons create the best chance so far as Diouf and Fernandes combine to set up Paqueta for a shot that Sels does well to tip over.

Fullkrug, set up by Fernandes, has a low shot saved, but the main question after the break is can West Ham hold on for a gritty goalless draw. Potter makes a change bringing on Wilson for Fullkrug after 64 minutes. The former Newcastle man immediately looks more mobile than the big German taking players on and getting a defected shot away that Sels has to tip over. Next he takes on three defenders and shoots from a tight angle to inspire another save.

JIMMY JIMMY

The crucial change comes when Summerville arrives after 82 minutes. Paqueta nicks the ball to Jimmy who takes on two men, rolls the ball to Bowen who shoots first time and bends it into the corner before doing a knee slide to the West Ham fans. Blimey. Two minutes later Paqueta wins a block tackle, the ball breaks to Summerville in his own half and the revitalised winger races into the box to be brought down by Sangare. 

Lucas Paqueta takes a stuttering penalty and having sent the goalkeeper the wrong way gently rolls the ball into the net. Lucas runs to the away fans, makes a throwing his phone away mime and clutches his Hammers badge. Either he's having problems with his mobile phone provider  or this is a sign he intends to ignore Aston Villa's deadline day call. Paqueta has been superb throughout and is a new player now he's free of FA charges.

On WhatsApp Michael the Whovian and Big Sam both wonder if there is a connectivity problem at Sky as West Ham appear to be winning. What sort of thing is happening here? One minute into added time Summerville finds Diouf whose inviting cross is headed down and in by Callum Wilson. Three-nil! Nigel says we can thank Mystic Matt for this one as five minutes earlier Matt had predicted that Wilson would never score for the Hammers.

Even sub Jesus has failed to lay on any crosses for the stuttering home side. It's almost four when Bowen slaloms though the Forest defence for what would have been the goal of the season only to see Callum Wilson take the ball off his toe and fire at at the keeper. Luckily the pair do eventually share a laugh about this, Callum a little more than Jarrod.

What a performance and let's have a word for the Greek Bloke. Instead of a mistake waiting to happen Dinos Mavropanos has played like the Colossus of Rhodes and alongside Kilman he's made the defence look a lot tighter. Even Mads is looking less like he is fresh from the Battle of Passchendaele. Potter got his selection and subs right this time. Obviously none of us have ever doubted him or the team (much). 

We head off to the CAMRA Greater London pub of the year, the aptly-named The Hope for connoisseur's halves of Black Isle, Mild and Ash and Elm real ale. Football, eh? International fortnight is going to be a lot more comfortable after this. Irons!