16 Comments

Beware! There’s still one player we really need

SHEP graphicWest Ham have secured some exciting looking signings this summer.
This week Argentine starlet Manuel Lanzini  became  the seventh following  Dimitri Payet, Angel Ogbonna ,Pedro Obiang,Carl Jenkinson  Stephen Hendrie and Darren Randolph.
On the face of it the squad has been significantly strengthened and with Slaven Bilic also prepared to consider some of the impressive young talent coming through there is an exciting feeling  about the ‘New Hammers’ in the wake of dire last days of the Sam Allardyce regime.
But beware. This is exactly the stage of the season when the majority of fans around the country are most optimistic ….just before the season has actually started.
QPR-Queens-Park-Rangers-Harry-Redknapp-Charlie-Austin-Hoops-QPR-FC-548116And one of the reasons for some caution is that with the exception of Jenkinson, who continues his loan spell from Arsenal, none of the above have Premier League experience and four have yet to sample the different environment of British football.
As Manchester United discovered last season even players with the highest  international reputation and natural talent  – Radamal Falcao and Angel di Maria – can find it hard to adapt let alone hit the ground running in the Premier League.
Which is why, I feel, West Ham should go for an eight signing, a player who has the pedigree to solve profligacy in the final third and make the Hammers a force and lure a player from just down the road.
I am talking here about Charlie Austin.
Newcastle and Aston Villa are the latest clubs to move in for the 26 year old centre forward who relegated QPR will sell for £15 million which in current currency is a bargain for a striker.
It’s half what Liverpool have paid for Christian Benteke. A quarter of what has been suggested Manchester City, yes seriously, may pay for Kevin de Bruyne.
Austin scored 18 goals for Rangers last season an impressive return in a struggling team and did enough to force his way into England contention.
Having worked his way back up the ranks from non league after rejection at Reading he would seem to have just the sort of character and hunger the Hammers need upfront not to mention a wide range of finishing ability.
And of course he comes with full service history. Look at his CV and see how every time he  had faced a new challenge he  grasps the nettle and hits the back of the net.
Newcastle and Villa are the sort of the teams West Ham need to better than if they are  to be a top ten team knocking on the door of the “Big Six”. So why let them land  Austin, who would, I understand, prefer to live in the London area.
If the fee is a problem given the expense so far on the new players  then surely a deal could be done with some of the West Ham players  who would now seem surplus to requirements being offered to Rangers in exchange or sold off elsewhere .
Given Andy Carroll’s latest injury set back it’s hard to see him returning and being a significant feature in the future of West Ham under Bilic.
Austin on the other hand has the powers to give the Hammers the extra dimension upfront  they need.
 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

16 comments on “Beware! There’s still one player we really need

  1. Couldn’t agree more.

  2. Rob Sheperd, If you think you are so important that you deserve to have your own banner on top of your views, you might consider NOT TO FORGET THAT WE ALSO HAVE SIGNED MARTIN SAMUELSEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s EIGHT!!! EIIIIIGHT!!!!

    God… why does everybody forget about junior viking..?!!

    • Perhaps because he’s not yet deemed a first teamer who will hit the ground running? I’m not saying that’s right, but makes sense. I personally hope he does and becomes this season’s surprise package. Fingers crossed. 🙂

      • ..And Stephen Hendrie, Darren Randolph is???

      • You tell them Eriko! Keep fighting for junior Viking but sometimes the shield wall is better than attack. JV will be a star but not instantly .

        • Bloody hell we have enough lunatics coming here from wetpants without one from here losing the plot 😉

  3. Spot on.

  4. The point of the piece is far more important than the number of players signed!. I find it odd that we havent been more focussed on a striker-forget about Carroll for the moment and Sakho will be heading into difficult second season syndrome. Heaven forbid he or Valencia gets injured. Austin for me is a good shout, Remy another or Hernandez.All proven in the PL over a number of seasons.
    At the moment we will clearly have lots of suppliers of goals but putting them away may be an issue. Dont forget also that we have now sold our second highest goalscorer from last year.

  5. Couldn’t agree more about Austin, he is one of those deceptive strikers a yard faster in the head than most players, that despite not appearing to move all that quickly seems to be in the right place at the right time, we should forget about Song and put all the money from Songs wages into paying for this guy, then when he is fit we can sell AC to make up any shortfall.

  6. I think the home game against Birkarkara highlighted that Zarate and Maiga need to leave and we need to replace with a proven striker. We simply do not have enough strength in depth at the moment.

  7. I reckon we’re still in for Austin, great goal scorer but not sure about the rest of game, link up etc…

    Plus what if Jenkinson gets injured? We can’t seriously go the whole season with just O’Brien as cover at RB, can we? Or would the youngsters fill in or maybe snooker superstar Stephen Hendrie can fill in.

  8. With the way Bilic has focused on attacking midfielders, It seems he either sees things differently or he’s not putting all his eggs in one basket,
    By the way Jenkinson was a re-sign not an addition, so it is seven new signings and only four of those have played at a level that should guarantee some improvement

  9. Here he is,our very own ray of sunshine.Canchaz turns up to try to put a downer on things,lol 😀

  10. I presume he intends to play one centre forward,the same as Chelski and skilled players around him to score as well,
    Costa or Drogba not both
    The problem without Carroll we only have Sakho,Magia not good enough,Lee to small,
    We need a target man,we now have the players to back that forward up

  11. This has always been a problem since Geoff Hurst? west ham create chances but have always had a job to finish.

  12. Sorry missed out treves? Why he could not stay with us because of some silly rule.

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