Freddie Potts is ready for a big week of Premier League 2 action as West Ham United U21s travel to Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
The development team have picked up 24 points from 22 matches played this season and will face Palace on Monday, before a trip to Liverpool on Saturday, as they look to confirm their place in the division.
Having largely impressed in 2023, the U21s seek to bounce back following a disappointing 3-1 defeat by Blackburn Rovers on 1 April.
And Potts is confident the Irons can do just that.
“It is a big two games because we know where we are in the league,” Potts stated. “We had been on a really good run of form before the result against Blackburn.
“But we have been training well. We have a game plan we are going to stick to. And we are going into the game really confident.
“Of course, we want to win both games. And we believe we can do that. But first, the focus will be on Crystal Palace on Monday. Three points are the target.”
A tough test does await though. A run of four straight wins means the young Eagles have won half of their league fixtures as they prepare to host West Ham United. They have also not lost since January.
And while Crystal Palace took a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture played in October, with defender Levi Laing sent off after Eagles’ midfielder Fionn Mooney decided the 1-0 scoreline, Potts is focused on being on the right side of small margins this time around.
He admits the team struggled to create opportunities in their last outing and believes a change in their attacking output will lead to positive results this week.
“It’s around creating chances for the team,” Potts explained. “And cutting out mistakes. We want to be more creative in the final third, score more goals, and that will get us the win.
“We are focused on the game and getting three points. And I think that is what we need to do to get them.”
