West Ham’s nightmare start to the 2025/26 season continued at the weekend with a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell secured the points for Palace, leaving the Hammers with four defeats from five league games.
Aside from a fine El Hadji Malick Diouf assist for Jarrod Bowen’s goal, there was very little for fans to cheer.
That result has left Graham Potter’s side 19th in the Premier League, with just three points and already serious concerns about survival.
While Potter has faced growing criticism for tactics and results, one summer signing in particular has come under fire — goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
West Ham Board Losing Patience with Hermansen
According to reports from The Sun, frustration is mounting within the West Ham boardroom over Hermansen’s form.
The Danish goalkeeper was Potter’s first-choice target in the summer, joining from Leicester City for around £20 million, but has already looked well below the required standard.
Hermansen has conceded 11 goals in just four league matches and was described as “awful” by Gary Lineker following a string of high-profile errors. He was dropped for Alphonse Areola in the loss against Palace, a move seen as a desperate attempt to shore things up at the back.
The poor defensive organisation hasn’t helped matters, and sources suggest it has irritated the club hierarchy further.
Potter himself had been frustrated by a slow recruitment process during the summer, with little money available until the final week of the window. But crucially, Hermansen was a player he pushed for personally — and so far, the investment looks like a costly mistake.
If Graham Potter is to face the sack, as heavily rumoured in recent weeks, the signing of Mads Hermansen will undoubtedly be viewed as one of the biggest factors in his downfall.
