Few West Ham fans will be surprised if any of the recent departures from last season’s failed Premier League side go on to renewed, rejuvenated careers no sooner than their stay at London Stadium is over.
It seems to have been the case for as long as the Hammers have been signing expensive overseas players. In particular the Irons have failed with their pursuit of a decent striker, anecdotally the near-fifty in number signed in Sullivan’s era nearly all flopping, quitting and costing the club millions.
Gianluca Scammacca and Sebastien Haller being typical of the genre who come, fail, leave and subsequently get their A game back on track.
Niclas Fullkug looks like he will be added to the ‘infamy’ list.
Just three goals in two seasons as a West Ham player, the German veteran is suddenly experiencing a new lease of life on loan back in the Bundesliga, no sooner than having been rescued from his West Ham torment by a loan deal between the Hammers and Werder Bremen.
The German’s resurgence is detailed in sportwitness.co.uk:
At the weekend, the Bundesliga side came from 2-0 down to beat FC Augsburg 3-2. The West Ham United owned player scored the equaliser in the 86th minute before Mitchell Weiser netted the late winner.
“Moments like today [last Saturday] are special. When 42,000 people believe in something, the probability of achieving it is higher than if only eleven do. And that was the case again,” he said.
Fullkrug cannot conceal his delight at relaunching his career after West Ham flop
“I went to the stands and shouted: How is this possible? How is it that I put on this jersey and score again, just like I want?”
Just as we spent a season and a half shouting ‘how is this possible?‘ at him, at our owners and at Tim Steidten who spent £26 million on bringing a dud, crocked past-it striker to the club in the first place as a panic buy when the Jhon Duran deal folded in front of our eyes.
Good luck to him. Let’s hope Bremen decide to buy him at the end of this season’s loan deal. They’ll be pushing at an open London Stadium door.
The Premier League is so superior to all other leagues and some players can’t hack it. That’s why I don’t see West Ham’s Europa Conference league win as much of an achievement as English teams should win it every season. Apart from the very top teams in the 5 big leagues such as PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern, Barca etc. the rest just can’t compete with the finances and resources of the premier league. Even the Championship is a harder league than most top leagues. In fact at least half the Championship would be good enough to compete in Ligue 1 for example.
Moyes treatment oh Haller and schammaca was head scratching both were top draw strikers but according to Moyes we didn’t need them we had Antonio who gave everything but wasn’t exactly prolific was he
They made their names in lesser leagues, couldn’t cut it in the Premier League and so returned to lesser leagues.
So what he’s saying is I couldn’t cut it in the prem. This is a level I’m suited too.
I’d bag ind the bundy league and im 55 and haven’t kicked a ball in anger for 35 years!
Yes but if he was to come back he would be just as bad or worse. Two reasons for that, football in this country is faster and more physical. Also his heart wasn’t in it and still won’t be.