West Ham midfield 'lacked legs and energypublished at 16:11 19 August
16:11 19 August
Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.
Jamie asked: West Ham United clearly need some legs in midfield, we are so slow! Any ideas who we could be looking for in the engine room? We need at least two signings, if not three!
Phil answered: Not sure who West Ham have in mind when it comes to their midfield, but it lacked legs and energy against Sunderland, pre-requisites at all times, and especially when you go to a newly-promoted team on the first day of the season.
West Ham were overpowered and overrun on a very chastening day for manager Graham Potter.
I am sure it was a display that increased the urgency of owners and manager to get players in – at least I hope it was.
'No hope or future for this squad under Potter's tactics'published at 08:58 19 August
08:58 19 August
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Graham Potter's future at West Ham after an uninspiring start to the Premier League campaign.
Here are some of your comments:
Peter: I guess the record is not good, but as a long-term Hammers fan it's like being on a never-ending rollercoaster with constant ups and downs. Sacking a manager is not, in my opinion the answer. Maybe a change in ownership is an option. All I ask and expect is just don't get relegated.
Richard: Potter is a decent person but I'm not sure he can get the Hammers motivated. I would give him 15 games to prove his worth then make the inevitable decision.
Phil: Potter has been uninspiring from the start. He is wedded to a conservative defensive possession approach and team selections that ignore youth and pace for aged experience and slowness. His team shape has kept our best player (Jarrod Bowen) out of his natural best position. There is no hope or future for this squad under his tactics.
Terry: The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned, but he is definitely starting to run out of time to get results.
Dave C: He's had five wins in 20 games so I think he's going to have to have a quick improvement or he'll be gone. We didn't really have any new manager bounce when he came in.
Tony: He needs to be allowed to build his team. One game cannot be the benchmark. Sure, he needs a couple of midfielders and maybe a striker, the results pre-season were not bad. Give him more time!
Michael: I think he should have at least six games and if there is no improvement then he should go.
Ethan: Sack Graham Potter now. That performance against Sunderland shows no change from last season, showed promising pre-season signs, but they have very much evaporated. Freddie Potts must start over Guido Rodriguez. If we get in a new manager quickly, we can give them one or two more signings.
Littlelegs: Potter was always the wrong choice for the club with an aged squad, no money and Sullivan as chairman. But he was free and available, and that was the priority for the board.
A slow start to West Ham life - how long will Potter get to turn it around?published at 15:56 18 August
15:56 18 August
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Graham Potter's time in charge of West Ham has yet to really ignite.
It has not been an easy seven months since he took over from the sacked Julen Loptegui in January.
The club were 14th in the Premier League at the time - seven points above the relegation zone - and with just six league wins to their name.
Potter's initial job was to bring some belief - and results - to ensure the Hammers would not be dragged into a relegation dog-fight.
A win over Fulham in his first league game in charge followed by back-to-back wins over Arsenal then Leicester in February, alongside the struggles of the promoted sides, meant West Ham had as good as secured safety by March.
Whether players mentally stepped off the gas at that point is hard to say, but the side did not pick up another win until a victory of struggling Manchester United in May - nine games later.
They ultimately finished where Potter had taken over - 14th in the table.
Many supporters had accepted by that point that the new boss would need time to bed-in his style of play and ideas, hoping that by pre-season and the beginning of this new campaign they would be starting to see the shoots of what this Potter-led Hammers would look like.
However, just how long this new project could take to come to fruition was brought into the cold light of day on Saturday when they were soundly beaten 3-0 by promoted Sunderland.
With his record last season across all competitions, it means the former Brighton and Chelsea head coach has won just five games of his 20 in charge, giving him a win percentage of just 25% - less than at both previous Premier League clubs where he had a record of 32% and 36% respectively.
Selling Mohammed Kudus was a big blow, and the mass exodus of experienced players followed by five new signings has given Potter quite the task to knit together a potentially disjointed squad.
West Ham vice-chair Karen Brady has given the manager the club's backing, but with last season's underwhelming form and some angry fans calling for Potter to be sacked after the weekend's loss, it feels like he needs to get the side up and winning quickly - because one thing manager's do not get a lot of is time.
How are you feeling about Potter's future? Are you concerned about this start? How long do you think he will be given - or should be given - in the Hammers' hot-seat?
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham - the fans' verdictpublished at 18:02 17 August
18:02 17 August
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Sunderland and West Ham.
Here are some of your comments:
Sunderland fans
Colin: Outstanding performance by the lads in red and white. We needed to start on the front foot and boy did we do that. Great win and hoping to build on that.
Terry: The performance and the goals were just brilliant. You could see what it meant to the fans and the players by the pure passion displayed by every one in the stadium. I would have LOVED to have been there! Liked the comment by the commentator likening Dan Ballard's goal to Niall Quinn!
David: A truly emotional and memorable return to the Premier League for the club and fans, with hugely encouraging performances from all of the debutants resulting in an important win. A long way to go, of course, but on this evidence there could be a lot of people outside of Wearside eating humble pie come the end of the season.
Tom: It's an incredible time to be a Sunderland supporter. I'm very pleased to see the three goalscorers were players who got the club where they are now.
Russell: I've followed Sunderland since the 1973 cup final and this season is the most confident I've been about a good start for a long, long time.
Craig: Championship play-off semis: Sunderland won't win. Final: they won't win. Get promoted: Sunderland are coming straight back down. Proving the naysayers wrong is what we what we love to do! More please.
West Ham fans
Tom: If you have a bad season, look at what was wrong and fix it. Or, in our case, just ignore it and hope for the best. This result was as inevitable. Either Potter is a poor manager or he's just being handcuffed by poor owners. It's going to be VERY hard to find three worse teams than us this season. I don't think there are.
Michael: Trouble is with our midfield - there's no energy or bite in there. To be honest, if they could shake it up between now and when the window shuts, we'd be OK. Probably need to offload four or five players and get in four or five younger and hungrier ones.
Derek: For 60 minutes we looked OK and were really troubling Sunderland. Then, like a deck of cards, we folded. I have to question Freddie Potts not starting after playing every pre-season game. Our midfield must be the slowest in the league. This needs addressing asap and we also badly need a striker.
Adrian: Same old, same old. Don't look fit enough, don't look hungry enough. Might as well keep Potter's post-match interview and play it each week. Fans deserve better.
Colin: First half was fair - the rest of the game West Ham were rubbish. Last season all over again. It's a shame for the fans becaiuse we expected more from Potter and the squad.
Rob: We've started where we finished off last season. Can't say I expected anything else when a club I've supported for over 50 years doesn't back the manager with top-class signings that never happen year in, year out. Yet another stressful season for us Hammers fans!
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 11:31 17 August
11:31 17 August
Pundits Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's opening Premier League fixtures.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham: Did you know?published at 17:51 16 August
17:51 16 August
Image source, Getty Images
West Ham (902) became the fourth team to concede 900 away goals in the Premier League, after Everton (925), Spurs (922) and Newcastle (912), with the Hammers doing so in the fewest number of matches (556).
Hammers crumble after promising openingpublished at 17:40 16 August
17:40 16 August
Matthew Howarth BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
West Ham underwhelmed under Graham Potter last season, but a solid pre-season - coupled with some astute signings - had raised hopes among Hammers fans of a more successful campaign under the former Brighton boss.
The visitors were calm in possession in the first half, with captain Jarrod Bowen at the heart of their most threatening attacks - but they lacked the composure in front of goal to match their diligence in the build-up.
Summer arrival El Hadji Malick Diouf was already turning away to celebrate after steering a firm, low shot towards the far corner shortly before the half-hour mark, but Dan Ballard produced a sensational clearance to thwart the summer signing.
West Ham faded towards the end of the first half, however, and once Eliezer Mayenda had opened the scoring for Sunderland after the interval they rarely looked like working their way back into the game.
Indeed, the closest they came to a second-half goal was when Sunderland's Wilson Isidor inadvertently diverted a Hammers free-kick towards his own net, with goalkeeper Robin Roefs producing a sensational stop to preserve his clean sheet.
Things could get worse for West Ham before they get better, with Chelsea visiting the London Stadium in their next match and games against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham before mid-September.
Sunderland v West Ham: Team newspublished at 14:10 16 August
14:10 16 August
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris hands Premier League debuts to seven summer signings, as Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandova, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra and goalkeeper Robin Roefs all starting.
Fellow new arrivals Enzo Le Fee, Marc Guiu, Omar Alderete are on the bench, but former Hammers defender Arthur Masuaku is not in the matchday squad.
Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Alderete, Isidor, Le Fee, Jones
West Ham manager Graham Potter hands former Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen his Hammers debut, with Alphonse Areola having to settle for a place on the bench.
El Hadji Malick Diouf also starts, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson are named among the substitutes.
West Ham XI: Hermansen, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Diouf, Bowen, Paqueta, Fullkrug
Sutton's predictions: Sunderland v West Ham Unitedpublished at 11:02 16 August
11:02 16 August
Sunderland have made so many changes that they are unrecognisable from the team that won promotion last season.
I love their ambition but I'm not sure it will keep them up. A good start is vital to the promoted teams - and how quickly will they gel?
There are question marks over West Ham too. They were feeble at times under Graham Potter after he took charge halfway through last season and, while he could argue that wasn't his team, he cannot have the same excuse now.
This is a big season for Potter and I think it will start well. West Ham have got enough nous to deal with the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light and leave with three points.
Sunderland v West Ham: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 17:17 15 August
17:17 15 August
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Sunderland begin their first Premier League campaign since 2017 at home to a West Ham United side hoping to improve following a mixed a start under Graham Potter. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before the opener.
Can Sunderland spring a surprise on top-flight return?
Sunderland return to the Premier League for the first time in eight years as the makings of a surprise package.
The newly promoted team have so far spent a net total of around £100m on transfers and although Jobe Bellingham has departed to the Bundesliga, 11 new arrivals have sparked hopes that rather than simply surviving, Sunderland may even prosper on their return to top-flight football.
Only Burnley have signed more players so far this summer and the Black Cats' new recruits may well take time to gel.
A crucial part of their transfer policy has been to attract players with Premier League experience: Sunderland began the summer transfer window with a squad totalling just 25 Premier League appearances, and only two starts, split between Simon Moore, Ian Poveda, Patrick Roberts, Leo Hjelde and Niall Huggins.
They have since signed Granit Xhaka, who made 225 Premier League appearances during his seven-year stint with Arsenal, along with Brighton winger Simon Adingra (60 Premier League appearances) and Chelsea forward Marc Guiu (three Premier League appearances).
Hammers aiming to improve after tough 2024-25
Sunderland face a West Ham side who underwhelmed following the arrival of Graham Potter last season. The Hammers averaged 1.11 points per game and a 28% win rate in Potter's 18 Premier League matches in charge in 2024-25, lower than predecessor Julen Lopetegui's 1.15 pts per game and 30% win rate last season.
Potter's West Ham also lagged behind in various metrics as his possession-based style of football struggled to take hold.
Potter 'happy' with transfer window
In contrast to the opening-day opponents, West Ham's transfer window has been a little quieter. Potter has said he is "very happy" with the club's business despite losing Mohammed Kudus to London rivals Tottenham for £55m.
The Irons have added experienced Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, along with Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and Slavia Prague defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, while their search for goals has so far been pinned on the signing of free agent Callum Wilson following his departure from Newcastle.
It is a risk for an injury-prone player who turns 34 in February – Wilson managed only two Premier League starts last season and scored just once in 22 appearances in all competitions.
West Ham, though, have been boosted by the availability of key midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who escaped punishment after a spot-fixing investigation by the FA for alleged deliberate bookings was found to be unproven.
Since joining from Lyon for an initial £36.5m in August 2022, Paqueta tops the club's rankings for tackles, duels won, possession won and successful passes while only Jarrod Bowen has created more chances and provided a greater tally of assists.
Hanging on to the 55-cap Brazil international until the end of the transfer window could be West Ham's best business of the summer.
Which West Ham player to watch out for this season? published at 12:19 15 August
12:19 15 August
Image source, Getty Images
Let's have a look at who BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked as the West Ham player that will be worth watching out for in the next few months.
El Hadji Malick Diouf
Age: 20 Position: Left-back or left wing-back Country: Senegal
Ian Dennis: There were a number of Senegal players who caught the eye when they beat England at the City Ground in June, but none more so than El Hadji Malick Diouf.
During my commentary for 5 Live that night, I'd mentioned interest from Brighton & Hove Albion, so I'm not surprised to see him in the Premier League, and West Ham have a real gem.
Diouf can play as a left-back or a wing-back, and has the ability to get up and down. He is a dynamic player with excellent crossing ability and somebody who will offer a real threat in an attacking sense.
He scored seven goals for Slavia Prague last season, and I think he will become a real crowd favourite at West Ham.
Are Hammers at a peak moment?published at 09:18 15 August
09:18 15 August
Image source, Getty Images
We have looked into the age profile of West Ham's players for the 2025-26 season and recorded what percentage of minutes each of them played last campaign.
For the purpose of this exercise, we have deemed those under 24 as youth, between 24 and 30 as in their peak years and anyone over 30 to be a veteran.
The green represents new signings, who naturally did not play, red are those that have since left the club and yellow are all those that remain.
We can see a lot of West Ham's groups sit in the peak age category for players from 24-30. The loss of Evan Ferguson and in the youthful category was softened by the recruitment of 20-year-old El Hadji Malick Diouf (pictured).
The squad looks well balanced from an age perspective, with a handful of young names and veterans.
The question is, will the Hammers be able to capitalise on the age of the group?
Potter on transfer challenges, 'huge' potential and Sunderlandpublished at 14:12 14 August
14:12 14 August
West Ham boss Graham Potter has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Sunderland at Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Crysencio Summerville "is in the last stages of his rehab" but is unavailable for the season opener and so is midfielder George Earthy who "sustained an injury early in pre-season."
Potter said he has been "delighted" with how his squad have trained over the summer so is "very excited to be back."
On starting the season away at promoted Sunderland: "It's going to be a great atmosphere, and a big test, but we're ready and looking forward to it. We need to make sure we match the intensity and positivity of the environment."
He said West Ham will continue to scour the transfer market while the window remains open, but added: "It's not just about signing any players - it is about signing the right players who can help the team improve."
More on possible incomings: "You have to balance the PSR challenges with trying to improve the team. It isn't straightforward just to bring players in."
On new signing Callum Wilson: "He brings experience, a know-how and a quality which isn't easy to find. He's a proven Premier League striker with fantastic mentality. We have to help him enjoy his football and be on the pitch. That's what we are confident about."
Potter was bullish on West Ham's chances for success: "The potential here is huge and the ambition should be huge because it's a huge club."
On whether they can achieve a European spot this season: "If you can get that bit with the players and supporters where everyone is aligned and together, then anything can happen."
On the possibility of seeing academy players breaking into the team this season: "What you have to understand about West Ham - and every Premier League club - is that we're not development clubs, we're here to win and be competitive. The academy is an important part of our club, and we want to give opportunities if it's right and the players are ready to take them."
Callum Wilson - signed on a free transfer from Newcastle - will be a bustling threat in attack if he can stay fit, while Mads Hermansen adds real depth and quality in the goalkeeping department after coming in from Leicester City.
And, of course, West Ham still have the outstanding Jarrod Bowen.
More incomings may push the prediction higher but I'm not really expecting fireworks in east London this season.
Sense of evolution, not revolution at West Hampublished at 10:35 14 August
10:35 14 August
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Including striker Michail Antonio - whose exit as a player was confirmed on 7 August - West Ham have released six senior members of Graham Potter's squad since the end of last season.
Striker Callum Wilson and defender Kyle Walker-Peters have arrived on free transfers, while the £55m generated by the sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur has been spent on goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf, as well as paying a large chunk of the £34.2m it cost to turn Jean-Clair Todibo's loan from Nice into a permanent deal.
Many West Ham supporters think it is not enough.
Potter accepts the club's recruitment chiefs will keep looking for targets, but cautions against the temptation to buy for the sake of it.
"I don't think we needed drastic change," he said.
"It's tempting to think that the solution is going to be external, but, from my perspective, the focus should always be on the players you have - with an eye on improving.
"When we arrived, there was, for different reasons, a low-trust environment. When you change the manager halfway through the season, there's a feeling something isn't quite working.
"If you look back over a 12-month period up to that point, the team had conceded a lot of goals, which is an indication that, maybe, something wasn't quite right on a cultural or foundation level.
"It was something we started to do a lot of work with last season. We did make some progress, but pre-season gives you a chance to make more of an inroad, which I think we have done."
