Graham Potter admits poor first-half performance against Brentford

In the Premier League match held at the London Stadium, West Ham faced Brentford and suffered a disappointing defeat, marking their fourth loss in six games since Graham Potter took over as manager from Julen Lopetegui last month. The match, which ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of Brentford, highlighted significant deficiencies in West Ham's play, especially during the first half. Potter noted that the team's lackluster display was reminiscent of the worst moments during Lopetegui’s tenure. Brentford controlled the game early on, scoring an early goal, which further compounded West Ham's struggles. Yoane Wissa had two goals disallowed, and Schade came close by hitting a post, illustrating the dominance of the visitors. West Ham appeared disorganized, failing to effectively respond to Brentford's attacking strategy, allowing them to exploit open spaces resulting from the home side’s poor attacking play. Despite Potter's encouragement, the first half performance was criticized for failing to match the expectations of the team and its supporters. Potter expressed concern over the team's lack of cohesion, which was evident in their inability to create clear scoring opportunities. After poor first half play, there was a much-needed improvement in the second half, with players like Jarrod Bowen pushing for a penalty after a challenge in the box, though their appeals went unanswered by the referee. In the aftermath of the match, Potter emphasized the importance of learning from failures and noted the need for his players to adapt quickly to the high demands of Premier League football. The need for victories was clear, as West Ham struggled to maintain form amidst the coaching transition, leading to rising tensions and questions about the team’s direction moving forward.