There were two reasons West Ham defender Emerson finally saw the writing was on the wall regarding his future at the club. The first came with the surprise selection of youngster Ollie Scarles to face Liverpool—and not just any Liverpool side, but one featuring Mohamed Salah, arguably the best player in the league.
As Martin rightly pointed out in an earlier piece, that decision alone was telling. But it was the second half that delivered the knockout blow.
With Scarles visibly struggling to contain the excellent Salah—especially after the Egyptian signed a fresh Liverpool deal—many expected Emerson to come on as the natural replacement. Yet when Potter turned to the bench, it wasn’t Emerson who was summoned. Instead, right-back Vladimir Coufal was introduced, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka shifted over to the left.
That decision said everything.
When your manager would rather deploy an unwanted right-back out of position than call upon you, the message couldn’t be clearer. With Juventus reportedly sniffing around, Emerson looks set to be one of the first out the London Stadium door as Graham Potter quietly begins his Hammers rebuild.
