The grey clouds that have been hanging over West Ham United this year might just be starting to shift.
It’s still very early on in Nuno Espírito Santo’s tenure, but in the draw away to Everton and, more crucially, the win over Newcastle United, he’s shown enough to excite the fans.
More importantly, though, the win over the Toon suggests that the Portuguese coach might just be able to keep the Hammers in the Premier League.
Another huge positive to come out of that game was the display of Freddie Potts, and it’s already looking like the academy is brewing another talent like him.
Why Freddie Potts is such an exciting talent
Potts had made a few fleeting appearances for West Ham before Sunday’s game, but that was his first competitive start for the club.
However, he’s no inexperienced youngster, as he spent last season on loan with Portsmouth in the Championship, where he made 38 appearances, and the season before that with Wycombe Wanderers, where he made 43 appearances.
That experience clearly paid off against the Toon, as despite them being a Champions League side, the Barking-born ace looked completely unfazed.
Potts’ game vs Newcastle
Minutes
90′
Key Passes
2
Crosses
2
Passes
33/39
Touches
57
Tackles (Won)
3 (2)
Interceptions
1
Clearances
6
Recoveries
1
Ground Duels (Won)
4 (3)
In fact, he thrived, and from the first minute to the last, he was practically faultless, putting in a perfect all-action midfield performance.
One analyst claimed he had a “similar aura to Rice” and was particularly impressed with his “confidence and ability to create time and space on the ball.”
He was so good, in fact, that he got special attention on Match of the Day, and it feels like it won’t be the only time that happens this season.
In all, while it is still early on in his career, it looks like West Ham have an unreal midfield talent in Potts.
So, fans should be excited that the academy appears to be producing another prospect who could be a lot like him.
West Ham’s next Potts in the making
The good news for West Ham and the fans is that there are currently several genuinely exciting players in the academy.
For example, Preston Fearon appears to have the potential to become a midfield destroyer one day, Emeka Adiele has been providing assists with ease at left-back, and Josh Landers seems to be a natural centre-forward.
However, another youngster, less well-known but with the potential to be a future Potts-esque star, is Isaac Thomas.
The 16-year-old Welshman made his debut for the club’s U18S over the weekend, and to say he impressed would be an understatement.
The young Hammers beat Ipswich Town 8-2 away from home, and instead of scoring one, a brace or even a hat-trick, the exciting prospect ended up with four goals to his name.
Amazingly, three of his goals were headers, with the fourth coming off his foot in the dying embers of the match. However, what makes the whole thing even more remarkable is that he was playing at centre-back.
Perhaps a little unsurprisingly, Thomas is not a natural defender, but stepped in to play there for the team regardless.
It’s this ability to be something of a utility player so young that makes him feel similar to Potts, as he, too, played at the back for the U21s and U18s on occasion.
Furthermore, if the “brilliant” teen, as dubbed by his coach, Lauris Coggin, possesses both the tactical awareness to play in defence and the technical ability to score four goals in a game, there is no reason he couldn’t eventually thrive in the middle of the park.
Ultimately, it is still so early in his career, but in Thomas, West Ham look to have another hugely promising talent, much like Potts.
