It’s one of the saddest facts in the world that whenever West Ham fans learn – as they did this morning – that bids are in for striker we all visualise somebody of 6ft 5in or over coming in.
With the news that Peter Crouch is off the radar comes an admission from 6ft 5in Marco Striller’s agent that he may be on it.
There are several reasons for not signing such players:
O It’s more of the same from Sam Allardyce
O they give us nothing more than we already have and lock us into a style of player that was sussed way back by Premier league clubs
O there’s absolutely no sell-on value in any of them at that age
O and one other! Should, as is more than possible given current circumstances, Allardyce be sacked they will be of no value to West Ham either.
For there is no other club in the Premier League which plays the same way as West Ham.
They have all progressed and only use a big man as part of the mix – Eden Dzeko at Manchester City and of course Crouch at Stoke come to mind.
So given there’s perhaps an even better than evens chance of Allardyce getting the bum’s rush, do we really expect a thinking manager to work the oracle off a series of options like Cole, Carroll and other giants.
Under the present management, we have become an old fashioned club with an old fashioned attacking style.
The type of striker Allardyce wants isn’t really out there anymore – the game has moved on – which is why he’s having a problem finding one.
It really is time to move on and drag West Ham United into 2014 playing a fluid and flexible game.
Is it really much to ask?
