We haven’t even hit the first international break of the season yet and West Ham United are already eliminated from one of the four major competitions. Graham Potter, already under pressure from his very poor start to the Premier League season, just felt the temperature of his seat increase even more following the 3-2 elimination loss, at the hands of Wolves in today’s second round League Cup action.
This was the last thing Graham Potter needed, as his side currently sits at the foot of the table, 20th of 20 places right now.
The only other side to drop both of their league matches so far is, by sheer coincidence, Wolves. However, the Wolverhampton Wanderers have a -5 goal differential, to the Hammers -7.
And it doesn’t get any easier, with West Ham traveling to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Tricky Trees are coming off their most successful season in a generation, and it clinched them a berth in UEFA competition, so all their home matches are very much a hot ticket this season.
Historical data from online football ticket platform 1BoxOffice.com indicates that ticket prices usually go up as you move closer to the matches, and that customers who purchase Premier League tickets early are most likely to save up to 50% of the price that they would have to pay for the tickets closer to the match dates.
And the Irons are a big draw for away matches too. According to 1BoxOffice’s statistics, West Ham are the sixth most popular team in the Premier League, in terms of tickets sold.
And while the side’s form is abysmal right now, they remain an immensely popular club, with a very large following. Hence Potter needs results, and he needs them now.
The prospects don’t look good for Sunday.
West Ham United at Nottingham Forest FYIs
Kickoff: Sun August31, 2 pm, City Ground, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, UK
Google Result Probability: West Ham United win 18% Draw 25% Nottingham Forest win 57%
Premier League Standing, Form West Ham United 20th, 0 pts, LL Nottingham Forest 5th, 4 pts, WD
Graham Potter had a disastrous tenure in his last job prior to his current gig. He took over for Thomas Tuchel in September of 2022 at Chelsea, but he didn’t even make it through the full season. He was replaced on an interim level by Frank Lampard by springtime.
Meanwhile his predecessor in east London was disaster class as a manager too.
West Ham hired Julen Lopetegui to replace David Moyes last summer, and he did not even survive the autumn.
That opened the door for Graham Potter to come in, and his tenure at WHUFC, at least thus far, it just a little bit of history repeating.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter