West Ham gem unfairly punished vs Bournemouth – Ex-PGMOL chief
Freddie Potts should feel disappointed after picking up a caution during West Ham’s friendly victory over Bournemouth in America.
The 21-year-old has been heavily involved in Graham Potter‘s pre-season plans this summer, having spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Portsmouth, where he notched one goal and four assists in 38 games.
He has managed just three first-team appearances since earning his debut back in December 2021, but with Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez failing to impress, fans have been hoping for his breakthrough.
With the academy product being handed an opportunity at the Premier League Summer Series, Potts now has two yellow cards to his name in 134 minutes, but he can feel hard done by with the latter punishment.
Freddie Potts ‘careless’ footage analysed by ex-FIFA ref
This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official and former professional referee Keith Hackett.
After Lucas Paqueta avoided punishment for his elbow on Alex Scott, the Cherries’ midfielder was back in the action again, being greeted with Potts’ arm as the duo battled for another high ball.
Footballers are often punished for using their arms in a natural position, often in the penalty box, and with Potts using his limbs to launch himself the highest for the ball, a yellow card seemed very harsh.
In complete disagreement, the player walked away shaking his head at the decision before being replaced by Rodriguez on the 70-minute mark at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Freddie Potts was not ‘malicious’ unlike West Ham teammate
Hackett spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the yellow card, saying, “I genuinely do not see that as a yellow card. Is the player using his arm or elbow as part of a weapon against his opponent?
“I see that as a natural challenge. There’s no malice, so if contact is made, contact is made. That’s part of football. That sums up the difficulty for the referee, but it’s what infuriates fans.
“However, what fans need to understand is that referees need to be in the right place to sanction accordingly. If that comes after the Paqueta incident, that’s harsh.
“The other guy [Paqueta] has used his arm in a deliberate manner; this is not deliberate. It’s careless, but careless is a free-kick, not a yellow card.”