Why West Ham Might be Looking Over Their Shoulders Going in to The New Season | OneFootball

Appointing Graham Potter was meant to be a fresh start for West Ham, but so far, it’s felt more like a soft reboot than a revolution. While his tactical intelligence is well documented, Potter has struggled to light a fire under this West Ham squad.

It might sound mad to bet against a club with West Ham’s pedigree, but all the warning signs are there. From an ageing squad to questionable recruitment and a manager that struggles to inspire, despite building a good reputation in previous roles, the Hammers look dangerously close to sleepwalking into a relegation battle in 2025/26.

Graham Potter: Right Fit for West Ham?

Graham Potter seemed like such an uninspired appointment, and the feeling is the longer the season goes on, the more West Ham’s hierarchy may be inclined to agree.

The football has been cautious, the atmosphere flat, and the players often look like they’re going through the motions. For all his coaching credentials, he’s yet to show that he can command a dressing room under pressure or galvanise a team in a scrap. That’s a serious concern when the margins between mid-table safety and the drop are so fine.

At Brighton, Graham Potter built a cohesive unit with a clear identity and players who bought into his vision. At West Ham, he’s inherited a fragmented squad lacking both togetherness and belief in the process. That’s not to say that Potter is a bad manager; it’s more a case that he’s not the right manager for West Ham United.

Is West Ham’s Transfer Activity a Concern?

West Ham’s lack of transfer activity should be setting off alarm bells. So far, they’ve only brought in Jean-Clair Todibo, making his loan spell last season permanent, Daniel Cummings and Kyle Walker-Peters, moves that don’t really feel like they will solidify the Hammers position going into 2025/26. Todibo is a very talented player; however, the defender doesn’t really improve West Ham’s squad.

The defender spent last season on loan at the London Stadium, with Graham Potter forking out a big chunk of his budget to make the move permanent this summer, splashing out €40 million on the defender. Meanwhile, Cummings is a highly rated teenager from Celtic, but he’s clearly one for the future, not someone who can influence results right now. The signing of Kyle Walker-Peters feels like an uninspired move for West Ham United, offering a solid but unremarkable addition that fails to address their pressing need for dynamic, game-changing talent.

While not a bad player, Kyle Walker-Peters represents a downgrade on Vladimir Coufal, lacking the Czech defender’s tenacity, defensive consistency, and proven Premier League resilience against top-tier opposition. West Ham will have hoped to have seen more ambition in the market, given who they have allowed to leave the club. Losing Mohamed Kudus, Vladimir Coufal, and Kurt Zouma strips West Ham of creativity, experience, and defensive leadership, three qualities they can’t easily replace in a squad already lacking depth.

With glaring gaps in midfield and attack, and a squad already short on depth, relying on just these two signings feels worryingly naive for a club that flirted with chaos last season. You could argue that they were very lucky that the three sides who went down were so bad.

It goes without saying that the Irons will likely bolster their squad again, having received €65m for Kudus from Tottenham. The list of players linked with a move to the club does little to make me feel that West Ham will have a good season.

Relegation Possibilities?

If West Ham are serious about avoiding a relegation scrap, the next few weeks must be decisive. First and foremost, they need to address the glaring gaps in midfield and up front with experienced, Premier League-ready additions, not just promising youngsters or continental gambles.

The squad lacks balance, and without reinforcements who can deliver immediately, Potter will be left managing a side that simply isn’t equipped for the grind of a 38 game campaign. Beyond signings, the club needs leadership on the pitch and clarity off it. It’s as simple as backing the manager by giving him the tools he needs to take the club forward. Poor recruitment, predictable tactical shifts, and passive football won’t keep them up.

There’s still time to act, but if West Ham don’t wake up to the reality of their situation soon, the slide could become irreversible, and there could be genuine belief that this proud club could find itself fighting for its Premier League life by spring. With momentum behind promoted Leeds and a defensively sound Burnley impressing under Scott Parker, it wouldn’t be a shock to see both clubs finish above West Ham next season.