It is probably too late, in truth, but Graham Potter could still claw back a few popularity points with the West Ham United faithful even before a ball is kicked during Monday’s Premier League clash at Everton.

The Hammers faithful have no shortage of criticisms – the results, the performances, the style of play or a lack thereof, and so on – but Graham Potter’s continued sidelining of the club’s best young talent means he won’t even be remembered at the London Stadium for laying down any foundations for his predecessor.

Potter defended his omission of Freddie Potts before the 20-year-old midfielder, one of the standout performers in pre-season, was left out of that 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace.

A growing faction of the West Ham fans want to see Callum Marshall involved, too. After winning Huddersfield Town’s Young Player of the Year award last season, Marshall is another who was expected to kick on after a couple of stand-out moments during the summer tour.

And then there is George Earthy. Arguably the most talented of the current West Ham United youth-team crop.

George Earthy, Freddie Potts and Callum Marshall could be in West Ham United’s squad

Potts, Marshall and Earthy have played 45 minutes of first-team football across the first six matchdays. And all of those belong to Potts.

So it’s fair to say a frustrated fanbase have grown used to seeing the team news roll in, an hour and a quarter before kick-off, before greeting it with a disappointed sigh.

The trio were all left out of that Palace defeat. The continued inclusion of Guido Rodriguez and Andy Irving – surely not long for this West Ham world – ahead of those homegrown talents only adds to the feeling that Potter is mishandling an excellent generation of youngsters.

Earthy, Potts and Marshall were nowhere to be seen again on Friday night. Not for Potter’s first-team, though, but for Mark Robson’s Under-21s. Left out of the thrilling 3-3 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, this surely means all three will be part of the travelling party heading to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, right?

Whatever reason would there be to explain their absence from Robson’s roster? Surely not because they all had thumb sprains after taking EAFC 26 for a whirl…

“Earthy, Potts and Marshall on West Ham United bench against Everton,” one fan predicts, their mood presumably ever-so slightly lifted.

“No Potts, Earthy, Marshall or [Ollie] Scarles. Hopefully means [they will all be] involved on Monday,” another agrees.

“Fingers crossed. Marshall should at least be on the bench.”

“No Potts. If he is left out of the matchday squad again on Monday, I’m going to be fuming. The poor kid was promised first-team football, he could have gone out on loan and been playing football week-in, week-out.

“[Potter will] probably put one or two of them on the bench as a token and not bring them on,” a more pessimistic fan counters.

“[They will be included] to cut the oranges at half time!”

Graham Potter explains why Freddie Potts has barely featured

While Potter’s point is that a struggling team stumbling along in front of an irate fanbase is hardly the ideal environment for such precocious young talent, the counter-argument is that the mere presence of a few academy graduates will lift the mood in a stadium crying out for something to cheer.

Furthermore, rather than include Rodriguez or Irving – two players who surely have no future at the club beyond the summer or even January – what harm can bringing Potts, Earthy or Marshall off the bench for a few minutes really do?

“Freddie has had a really positive journey so far with the academy, with the loans,” Potter explained, Potts returning to his boyhood club after playing 38 matches at Portsmouth.

“It’s his first season back with us, in terms of the first-team. In pre-season, he did well. We know his qualities. He has to work hard with the team, the players, for this opportunity.

“The Premier League is a competitive league. So of course we want to integrate players. l look at my previous record, [giving youth a chance] is something I am very proud of. But you have to do it at the right time for the club, the team, and the individual.”

“Freddie has done well and we will continue to to work with him. That’s where he’s at. That is the challenge of the Premier League, the level is going up and up and up.”