West Ham 2 – 2 Bournemouth | The morning after

All credit to the man in the suit on the sidelines. Graham Potter cut a more dashing figure than normal, eschewing the tracksuit presumably to show his own team that he meant business yesterday. And after the changes he made to the side at, and after half time, Potter deserves the plaudits.

Ollie Scarles had been ‘ok’ but Emerson replaced him at half time and provided another layer of solidity and a little more threat. The addition of Fullkrug and to a lesser extent Soler again deserved credit even though we all knew it would happen: Fullkrug after a long layoff is not a starter- for his national side he hasn’t been for five years – but always the ‘super sub’.

Hopefully Potter will analyse that game and realise that Ferguson and Fullkrug need to play, both to create goal threat and to stop opponents being able to attack with impunity from the start. It also allows Bowen to play in his best right hand wing role.

Adding Guilherme for the last ten minutes, after his Wolves’ half time hooking, showed real leadership from Potter. It would have been very easy to overlook the young Brazilian in the heat of that frantic last few minutes but Potter brought him on, and Guilherme showed real flair with a couple of runs and deft touches  and a shot into the side netting.

Not at any stage in that last fifteen minutes did West Ham sit back and ‘settle’ for a point, even though Potter’s relief at the final whistle was visible.

It must have been very tempting to throw on every defensive midfielder and try and hang on to a point but instead, he kept the Hammers going forward in search of a win.

It isn’t perfect, there are still big issues but West Ham had a go, got shots on target and could have won it. And glory be, it was even entertaining.

West Ham v Bournemouth | Regular’s inconsistency makes summer spend essential

The summer shopping list is already pretty long at West Ham. Well-documented departures and expiring contracts mean several squad replacements are already on head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay’s ‘must have’ list. The maddening inconsistency of one first team regular means that another purchase is becoming an ‘essential’.

Being nominated for ‘Premier League save of the month’ in March and then committing the type of schoolboy-level howler that cost West Ham a win yesterday shows Alphonse Areola at both his best and his worst. The French stopper has little competition for the jersey now with only the veteran Lucas Fabianski at 40 and third choice Wes Foderingham ready to deputise.

Apart from the spilled save that allowed Bournemouth’s Evanilson the simplest of poacher’s goals, Areola is shaky with the ball at his feet and unsuited to the way in which Graham Potter wants to play.