West Ham have been gearing up for the huge clash with Spurs and we spotted five big things in training that reveal plenty ahead of the derby.
With the stakes high and time running out to salvage some respect in this forgettable season, there is no hiding place for West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur.
The pressure is on Graham Potter after just three wins in 15 games.
Especially following a number of late collapses in the last two months – culminating in that 3-2 defeat at Brighton last week.
With just three wins in 15 games, Potter has been feeling the heat.
Particularly after Niclas Fullkrug spoke out about serious issues at West Ham.
The West Ham boss was at odds with the club’s fans over the German.
While Hammers supporters hailed Fullkrug a hero, Potter criticised and then dropped him for the outburst.
The 49-year-old would be a brave man to leave Fullkrug out against bitter rivals Tottenham.
That would go down like a lead balloon amongst already agitated Hammers fans in what’s become a huge game in the context of a miserable campaign.
Five big things have been spotted in West Ham training as an isolated star looks fired up for the Spurs showdown.
Alvarez back to face Spurs after Potter ‘disagreement’
All eyes will be on the West Ham starting XI against Tottenham to see whether Edson Alvarez returns to the fold.
The Mexican has started just two of West Ham’s last eight games and was dragged off halfway through both of those.
Alvarez, who fell out with Julen Lopetegui and was also dropped by David Moyes towards the end of his tenure, pulled out of the recent game to face Southampton amid a reported disagreement with Potter.
Immediately after that 1-1 draw at home, Alvarez sent a cryptic post on social media which suggested cracks were appearing in the relationship with his latest Hammers boss.
The Claret and Hugh leak from a source close to West Ham’s owners claimed Alvarez had a fall-out out with Potter as he withdrew from the Southampton game citing he had a bad back.
Alvarez is seen back in training after two games out. He can be heard barking orders at Fullkrug to pass the ball more quickly but loses it himself on a couple of occasions.
Midfield continues to be an issue for the Hammers. So if Alvarez isn’t in the starting XI then it looks almost certain that he’ll be one of the first out the door this summer.
Potter’s heavy focus on possession ahead of Spurs
A large portion of the West Ham training session footage for the game against Tottenham is focused on possession-specific drills.
Spurs have averaged just over 50 per cent possession this season. So it is clearly an area Potter feels the Hammers can gain a big advantage for the match.
West Ham can’t afford to pass the ball around without a purpose against their big rivals, though. It must be with the intent to go at Tottenham and win the game.
Rush Green atmosphere takes noticeable turn
When West Ham posted video footage of Lopetegui’s training sessions, you could hear a pin drop.
The atmosphere was so quiet at Rush Green, it looked more like an Army training camp.
When Lopetegui was sacked former Hammer Don Hutchison revealed West Ham’s training ground had become dead zone.
One of the first things West Ham fans noticed when Potter arrived was how much happier and brighter the players looked in training.
The atmosphere is still much more enthusiastic than under Lopetegui. But there was a noticeable downturn in the latest footage. Not that West Ham have anything to be jovial or happy about of course given recent results and performances.
West Ham fans can only hope that is down to a more intense focus given Spurs are up next. Because there can be no sulking or feeling sorry for yourselves when you play Tottenham.
-Tobibo going through the motions?
The jury is still out on big investment Jean-Clair Todibo and he needs to start training like he wants to prove he was worth it.
After spells on the sidelines due a lack of fitness, injury and ill-discipline following a major bust-up with Lopetegui, Todibo has been hit and miss under Potter.
Some games the former Nice man looks like he could be an elite level centre-back. Others it has been perfectly clear to see why he flopped so badly at Barcelona.
There has been claim and counter claim about Todibo and whether he wants to even be at West Ham or stay beyond this season.
One thing that has been consistent, though, is a lackadaisical attitude in training.
West Ham’s coaches – under both Lopetegui and now Potter – have been heard having to encourage Todibo to liven up in training throughout this season.
Todibo struggles to complete 90 minutes. Yet before Southampton he wasn’t take drills seriously, failing to get the ball under control while ambling along with his hands in his sleeves laughing and taking several touches when he was only meant to be taking one or two.
Videos under Lopetegui showed him doing things half-heartedly and being bellowed at by the Spaniard to improve. That has continued in footage shared since Potter has been at the club.
West Ham have committed serious money to signing Todibo, and he needs to start repaying it.
He should be one of the players leading by example yet here in footage, he is half-heartedly closing people down again, being easily beaten and doesn’t appear to take training very seriously at all.
Todibo will get a rude awakening if he takes that attitude onto the pitch against Spurs. It’s been claimed Todibo wants to leave because the West Ham project has changed.
It’s also been reported the Hammers could be open to flipping Todibo as soon as they pay the £32m to make his move permanent. On the evidence of this season it’s easy to see why.
Todibo needs a big statement performance against Tottenham.
Isolated Fullkrug looks like a man on a mission
After calling out the weak mentality of his West Ham teammates and labelling the team “s—“, Fullkrug cuts a somewhat alienated figure in training footage.
Fullkrug sent a new warning to Potter after West Ham’s surrender at Brighton.
He doubled down on his previous criticism, telling the Hammers boss and his teammates ‘they can’t hide from the truth’.
He may have put a few noses out of joint with his comments. It would be more worrying if he hasn’t.
Fullkrug has stated previously, long before his outburst, that West Ham lack leaders. He said he wants to be one of the big leaders in the dressing room.
In the footage Fullkrug seems to spend most of his time talking to West Ham’s training support staff than his teammates. That may or may not be because some of the team have shunned him after his angry rant.
But Fullkrug is clearly trying to be a positive influence from the footage. He can be heard telling training staff: “This is training, the sun is shining, enjoy your life.”
He is also one of a few players who greets the cameraman by saying a simple ‘Good morning’.
In a warm-up run Fullkrug is leading from the front – a noticeable distance ahead of all his teammates as he chats with the training staff setting the pace rather than in amongst the group.
Alvarez can be heard barking at Fullkrug to pass the ball more quickly in one part of the session.
When Fullkrug and captain Jarrod Bowen perform a drill together there doesn’t seem to be much of a chemistry either.
But the Germany star looks laser focused ahead of Spurs, bossing finishing.
Whatever the feeling is in the camp, the big German has plenty of friends in the West Ham crowd.
Hammers supporters will want and expect him to start against Tottenham.
