Can Evan Ferguson and James Ward-Prowse rediscover Premier League form at West Ham

A look at the two players at the Hammers.

Transcript

00:00Yeah, and obviously, just on Evan Ferguson, reunited with Graham Potter. Potter said he's

00:05positive that that was a really good bit of business. Where do you stand? Because it was

00:11only two seasons ago or so where he was dubbed as the next Erling Haaland, the next big thing

00:16in the world of football, especially in the striker sort of, you know, the way he's output

00:20for his age at the time was quite remarkable. People can't really forget how good he was

00:27Yeah, and that's what's pleased me the most, is that Graham Potter's gone for a striker that he

00:32knows well. He gave him his debut at Brighton, so he knows all about Evan Ferguson. Evan Ferguson

00:38knows all about what Graham Potter wants out of his striker. So it does feel like it's a bit like

00:43a match made in heaven. The key thing is keeping him fit, but if he is fit and he's playing every

00:48week, then we've already seen what he can do at Brighton. If he's playing consistently, he scores

00:52goals. You know, the one that's the game that stands out the most for me is that hatchery against

00:56Newcastle that was a season before last. You know, Newcastle were trying to finish in the top

01:02four then, and he goes there, you know, he scores a hatchery against them. So he can finish, only 20

01:08years old as well, he's a top class player. And we've been crying out for a player like that, that

01:13fits the manager's system. We've signed so many strikers over the last decade, maybe even more,

01:19who have come in for big money, with big reputations, never really suited the manager or

01:26their style of play. It feels like with the way that Potter and Ferguson have worked together in

01:30the past, it looks like we finally got a striker that does that. He fits the mould. He is the

01:36profile that Graham Potter wants and is looking for, and that can work in the system. The key

01:43thing also is that, you know, we have enough players around him that can get the best out of

01:47his abilities and best out of the role that he's going to be playing up front. And hopefully, with

01:51a lot of players coming back from injury, that will be the case. But I think it's a really, really

01:57good signing. Hopefully, if he does well, then we can try and make it permanent in the summer. As

02:01far as I'm aware, there's no option or obligation to buy in the loan. It is a straight loan. But I'm

02:05sure the two clubs will get around the negotiating table at the end of the season if he scores

02:11enough goals to drive us up the table.

02:14And on James Ward-Prowse, obviously, we also can't forget just how good he was a couple of

02:19seasons ago as well. You know, you said it makes a massive load of sense to bring him back. How

02:26can you sort of see him getting back to his best under Graham Potter now?

02:31I think so. I think the main reason for him to come back is purely for numbers and for options.

02:38We haven't really had many options in midfield. I think that the Chelsea game on Monday night

02:44speaks a lot to that, in that in the second half, Graham Potter decided to bring Orford on, the

02:52youngster, as opposed to Guido Rodriguez, just because he's a little bit more athletic than

02:56Guido Rodriguez. So we need someone with a little bit more legs, because otherwise it's Thomas

03:01Uchiki, Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez, three very cumbersome, very defensive midfielders. So

03:10there's that. There's also the set-piece threat as well that he offers. Whether he goes straight

03:15back into the starting XI, I'd be very surprised if he does. But he's a player of ours. He's at a

03:22club that's not playing him very often. And we're crying out for a central midfielder. Let's just

03:27bring him back. He might not start every week, but he's a good option. It gives us a little bit

03:30more depth in that midfield and obviously has his own threats. So whether he gets back to his

03:36best or not, I think it remains to be seen. But he's a good player to have as a backup. That's for sure.