They say never change a winning formula, but Nuno Espirito Santo opted to make a slight tweak for West Ham 1-1 Manchester United at the London Stadium; Freddie Potts in and Callum Wilson out.
Academy graduate Potts was the only change from the Burnley victory at Turf Moor three days earlier.
He made his first Premier League start since he was replaced at half-time during that mauling at Molineux on January 3rd. To make room for an extra midfielder, Nuno Espirito Santo dropped striker Callum Wilson to the bench, while Freddie Potts lined up alongside Mateus Fernandes and Tomas Soucek in the centre of the park.
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Now, how you feel about the end result rather depends on what you wanted out of Tuesday night’s clash.
If you hoped that West Ham United would go for the jugular, then you may view Potts for Wilson as an overly-cautious decision driven out of fear rather than ambition.
On the other hand, if you felt that Nuno was best served clogging up the passing lanes, denying Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha the space to drift, then Potts certainly played his part.
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Nuno Espirito Santo says Freddie Potts start justified as West Ham hold Manchester United
Not only was Potts’ inclusion key to giving his midfield partners the freedom to drive on occasionally – Tomas Soucek broke a Premier League record with his 50th minute opener – the stats show just how effective he was out of possession.
No one made more interceptions than Potts’ five. That Cunha and Mbeumo were largely anonymous, that Bruno Fernandes did not exert his usual influence, was thanks in part to the role he played at the base of an extremely well-drilled midfield triumvirate.
Photo by Ian Kington / AFP via Getty Images
“It worked well,” Nuno said at full-time when asked to explain his alteration. “We could not ignore the quality of United; the way they’ve been building and creating so many chances. Having an extra body in the middle of the park [with Potts] allowed us to contain them better.”
Speaking on Sky Sports before the game, former Arsenal and England ace Paul Merson predicted that Potts’ inclusion would be ‘a mistake’. ‘Too defensive’, he said. A change that would ‘invite pressure’.
He was right in the latter argument, of course. Man United had 65 per cent of the possession. But that they created so few clearcut chances with it was testament to the impact Potts made, and how well-organised he and the rest of his teammates were.
Benjamin Sesko’s equaliser leaves Hammers boss ‘disappointed’
Benjamin Sesko ‘robbed’ a controversial point at the death – where did those seven minutes of added time come from? – but that Man United’s equaliser came from a moment of ingenious inspiration was testament to how difficult the home side made it.
“Disappointed, of course,” Nuno said after two valuable points were lost in the 96th minute. “All of us -the players, the fans, ourselves – are disappointed to take this final blow in the final moments of the game.
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“But we competed really well. We’ve been able to contain a very good team that was in a good dynamic. You can see the quality, the effort of the players, and the organisation.
“The way we started the second-half was really positive. We went out, we scored, we defended really well. Overall, it was a very positive performance on the defensive aspect of the game. Also, in the final moments, we had two or three situations with space in behind where we should have put the game to bed.
“We’ve been able to react and bounce back from these disappointing moments that we’ve been having through the season. The boys have always been able to react and compete. There’s no other way; we have to keep on going.
“Today, I think we competed well and showed that our standards are high. We have to keep them there.
“Sometimes, you just cannot avoid it,” Nuno said in relation to Sesko’s stunning finish. “I think of all the crosses that they did through the game, maybe it was not the best one. But, look, it is what it is. Some things you can do well and still not avoid.”
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