Graham Potter lauds West Ham squad as hard-fought Nottingham Forest win revitalises campaign

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Evening Standard

·31 August 2025

Graham Potter lauds West Ham squad as hard-fought Nottingham Forest win revitalises campaign

The Hammers were uninspiring in the early days of the season but battled to a huge three points at the City Ground

Graham Potter praised the commitment of his West Ham players after they secured their first points of the season with a 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest.

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It has been a difficult start to the season for West Ham, who were winless heading into Sunday’s match at the City Ground.

But they responded in style with three goals in the final six minutes to stun Forest and breathe new life into their season.

“It's very easy to be negative and lose trust and lose confidence, which is the world we're in,” he said. “But I think you saw a committed team, a team with quality, and a team together. In that respect, I'm really happy for them because they've been hurting, as we all have.”

Potter has always maintained that, despite a tricky run of results, his players remain committed to turning things around.

He praised Lucas Paqueta, linked with a move to Aston Villa before tomorrow night’s transfer deadline, for his performance after he doubled West Ham’s lead from the penalty spot.

“It's part of the job; it's part of the world we're in. There's noise, there's always speculation, but I think you saw a committed performance from a player that cares about the team, cares about his teammates, cares about the club,” Potter continued.

“He's delighted to get three points, and I'm delighted for him because he contributes to the win and scores an important goal. That second goal is important; it is a pressure penalty. I think if you miss that, the environment changes.”

Potter also praised goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, whose performances have come under scrutiny since arriving from Leicester City, after the Dane picked up his first clean sheet of the season.

“This is the world we're in. You get written off in your job in a week, which is ridiculous. And of course, no one is saying we don’t have to acknowledge performance levels when we don't have a good day. But these guys are great characters. We believe in Mads a lot.”

West Ham head into the international break with newfound confidence after securing their first win of the season, while Potter is afforded some breathing room after a difficult start to the campaign.