“Really good” | Potter encouraged as Hammers show signs of recovery | OneFootball

West Ham looked a side firmly in recovery following the appointment of Graham Potter in the loss to Aston Villa.

Despite being knocked out, it’s fair to say there was far more to be encouraged by than be concerned with, as Potters side put in a solid display – looking the far better side for the majority of the fixture.

However, it’s clear there is work to be done, as West Ham struggled to control matters once Villa equalised. Something Potter will know is a key area to address.

“We were organised defensively, showed a great attitude, togetherness on the pitch, good communication, good understanding of what we’re trying to do, carried a threat and were probably a little bit unlucky not to get a second goal,” said the new Head Coach after the match, as reported by whufc.com.

“Aston Villa certainly didn’t carry any threat in the first half. Obviously losing Niclas was a blow, and then Cree as well at half-time, probably affected our attacking intent.

Hammers fans will also be delighted that not only did Potter start Academy graduate Ollie Scarles, but the young defender put in a superb display and earned the Man of the Match award.

“Ollie Scarles came in for his first domestic start and I thought he was really, really good.

“He was playing at a difficult place and dealing with Leon Bailey and the overload down that side, so there were lots of positives.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the preparation of the players, how they applied themselves, how they were open to the ideas and how they tried to carry them out was really, really good.

“It was just some executions that of course we’re going to get better with but, like I said, overall I think there were positives to the game.”