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 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 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!