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I have to admit there had been very little on the football front to capture my attention over the past 14 days or so of Premier League inactivity.

These days I hate the enforced international breaks with a passion – and England’s far from inspiring victories over the likes of Albania and Latvia did nothing for me whatsoever.




What did catch my attention though was a post-match interview with current loanee Evan Ferguson, following the Republic of Ireland’s Nation’s league victory over Bulgaria.

The fact the young Irishman started the game, his first start of any kind since he began for parent club Brighton against Leicester City on the 8th December 2024, was interesting enough. But that he also scored his first goal in a very long time was even more encouraging.

No-one needs reminding Ferguson’s appearances in claret and blue have been very limited - mainly cameos deep into game time. Something which has infuriated sections of our fanbase.

Although I’m not sure what they expected from a young player who has suffered a traumatic time with injury since the start of the season – that after a meteoritic rise to stardom when he first appeared on the Premier League scene - ironically under the guidance of Graham Potter during his time in charge of the Seagulls.

A lot of people have had their say on Ferguson. I saw a ‘leading’ headline which claimed Republic of Ireland Assistant Manager John O’Shea was said to be ‘shocked’ by Potter’s handling of the player.

But reading beyond the headline what O’Shea actually admitted was “there is big competition for places at Premier League clubs and obviously he (Potter) felt there was a niggling injury where they had to build up fitness.” So a much more balanced and informed view in reality than the one portrayed by the headline.

For his part, in his own interview, Ferguson was far more upbeat on his own fitness now. “I feel good,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a good place mentally. I feel positive mentally and physically. You always want to play and when you’re not there are frustrations.




"There is nothing I can do about people’s expectations to be honest. It’s other people having that expectation. You can’t really control what other people think or do (or say).”

An obvious reference to some of the rhetoric that’s been flying around – mainly from those who refuse to view the bigger picture. “I’ve gotten used to it,” Evan added. “I don’t really care what’s being said. I think the past year or so I’ve learned to deal with frustration, so you wipe it out of your head and move on.”

It’s intriguing how via certain mouthpiece sites' ‘senior sources’ at West Ham appear to be taking a particular stand in relation to Ferguson.

Headlines like ‘What a waste! Seagulls unhappy with West Ham over Ferguson’ – plus quotes from the same ‘senior source’ that ‘the player would have got more game time staying at Brighton’ suggest there is a voice in the boardroom who clearly doesn’t share Potter’s enthusiasm for the player.

As recently as Saturday, the same site lampooned the Irish Mirror for carrying an article where Ferguson believed his return to goalscoring form on the international stage can help kick-start his West Ham career. Is that fair? Surely the bigger question is what club, by whatever means, openly challenges their head coach and his thinking?

Not forgetting of course the quote which surfaced around the time of our negotiations for Ferguson’s original loan deal in January, openly claiming Brighton were a very difficult club to deal with. Is that the way to do business?

Potter has kept his thoughts on Ferguson very much to himself. It’s well known he likes the player and rates him highly – which is why he dug his heels in to get the loan deal across the line in the first place.




Ferguson is exactly the kind of player we should be looking to for the future. Big, strong, athletic with age on his side. Had he come through our Academy, been one of our own, support for him would have been far greater. Should the fact we might have to pay for his services somehow diminish what his value to us might be going forward?

Brighton have shown in the past they are a club not afraid to part with the talent they produce. So there would definitely be a deal there to be done - if we wanted it.

Ferguson’s time on the pitch has been limited firstly by the need to ease him back to fitness – and then because Potter needed to address the position we were in as a club. Steady the ship after the waves of the Lopetegui reign.

The priority was to tighten up defensively – and he found a formula which worked – which meant Ferguson was only used sparingly. The remainder of a season now virtually done might afford Potter more opportunity to make use of what Ferguson has to offer.

Of course the return to fitness of Niclas Fullkrug will mean Evan has competition for his particular role – but that’s a good thing, surely?

I wouldn’t be foolish enough to try to second guess where Evan Ferguson goes from here. But a trusted source posted at the weekend that a final decision hasn’t yet been made on his possible future with us, which I take as a positive.

Potter and his trusted recruitment aid Kyle Macaulay are clearly big fans of the young Irishman. Some of the veiled noises being put out through certain sites suggest ‘someone’ further up the food chain is not! It could be an intriguing few months ahead.

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