A disorganised mess | Major issues at the London Stadium

It has been a terrible start to the season for West Ham United

They have lost both of their Premier League matches and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Author | Jamie Pugh

West Ham v Chelsea

In a sense, West Ham's problems date back to the aftermath of that euphoric night in Prague, when the club ended a 43-year wait for a trophy by beating Fiorentina in the Conference League final.

Owner David Sullivan announced virtually immediately that Declan Rice would be leaving and Tim Steidten came in as technical director to help reshape the Hammers squad with the £105m received from Arsenal.

This didn't quite work out as planned

For a start, Steidten and David Moyes were not aligned in their thinking, which eventually resulted in the German being banned from the training ground.

West Ham spent the Rice money and more on four signings - all of whom initially flattered, then became either inconsistent or ineffective.

When Moyes left in 2024, a move most accepted had to happen, Julen Lopetegui was chosen as his replacement by Steidten. Another £140m was then spent on new players who, as a collective, made limited impact.

What has been happening this season?

Heavy defeats at Sunderland and at home to Chelsea, culminated with a disappointing 3-2 loss at Wolves in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Captain Jarrod Bowen apologised for confronting West Ham supporters after that cup defeat, but Irons fan Callum, told us this morning that he does not believe manager Graham Potter is the man to blame.

Wolves v West Ham

A closer look at those wider issues

Poor recruitment as a result of poor decisions at the top, and also poor managerial choices such as Julen Lopetegui. Potter has also failed to inspire, looking lost and a shadow of the manager who impressed so much at Brighton. He has a reputation as a builder, not a quick-fix manager, so in some ways it is still early days, but results and Potter’s defeated body language and lack of impact mean he is under serious pressure.

It is difficult to fully assess Graham Potter | The view of another West Ham fan

David, a West Ham Season Ticket holder, told us; “He inherited a squad in decline and seriously unbalanced, a situation that stretches back to the Moyes era and has been worsened by the sale and release of key players. The board appears unwilling to provide the support needed to improve it. 

“Signings should have been ready for Kudus’s departure. At the same time, Potter’s team selections and substitutions are puzzling. There is no clear identity or pattern of play and the squad often looks disorganised and lost. The club is in disarray, yet I would rather see David Sullivan leave than Potter.”