You honestly couldn’t make this stuff up, but the world of West Ham has just become even more bizarre—if that were possible.
Since signing for the Hammers from Borussia Dortmund for £27m in the summer, Niclas Füllkrug has been spotted fewer times than the Loch Ness Monster. In fact, with some of West Ham’s football looking suspiciously Jurassic this season, there’s probably a better chance of seeing old Nessie at the London Stadium than the German striker.
Anyway, yesterday saw the announcement of West Ham’s official team photograph, when all of the club’s teams are wheeled out to say “cheese” and have their picture taken. It’s a scene everyone is familiar with: the short players at the front and the big lads in the back row. Except, on this occasion, something wasn’t quite right.
Hello stranger: Photoshopped Fullkrug stands next to a genuine Todibo
Niclas Füllkrug did appear to be present at first glance, but closer inspection suggests he had been edited into the photo. Füllkrug was also absent from the club-produced video showing the players preparing for their pictures.
And if things weren’t ridiculous enough, it’s now being suggested that big West Ham fan and former Apprentice star Tom Skinner stood in as a body double for the absent German. I’ll admit, I’ve no idea if this rumour is true, and I’m not entirely sure I believe it anyway. What is clear, however, is that Füllkrug did not attend.
Bosh! Can this fella play up front?
Of course, missing the team photo isn’t the biggest problem in the world. Neither is the idea of the Boshmeister Skinner filling in—it’s actually a good laugh. However, when you factor in that the perennially injured striker hasn’t started a Premier League game for the Hammers, has no set return date, and keeps returning to Germany to appear on game shows and podcasts, it’s not a good look
Fullkrug is obviously a talent but a bad buy for us. He has a history of injuries,to old at 31 and lacks speed. A typical West Ham centre forward buy, when will we ever get this right,and when one considers the other options available at the time a very expensive mistake.
Imagine if we’d paid the extra 5m for Duran and the 8m compo for Amorim.
Those figures aren’t huge in PL terms, but I suspect would have made a massive difference to how we’re performing this season.
This is what happens when you try to get ‘value’ as Sullivan calls it.
A good scout never looks at players like Fullkrug, age, injury record etc. The fact he knew him from a previous club stinks. Tim has got a backhander for this and should be sacked. Some of his other deals look dodgy or not fit for Premier League standard.
I wish Sully, Brady & JLo would vanish!
Is the Halfkrug still picking up his salary? This could turn out to be the scam of the century!🇩🇪 ⚽️ 👎 💷 😱
☝️Kalvin Phillips £6m loan fee & £150k p/w 🤦♂️
Ha ha, Matt. That was LAST century! 🤣 In the age of the Moyseaurus.
🦕 🦖 true 🤣🤣
His salary is being paid by the German FA, or their insurers, he was injured on international duty. I would have thought with you being such an avid football fan you would know this!
Then you would be wrong. Actually I think I might have read something about the Germans paying but probably passed it off as fake news. But thanks, Auslander, for passing on some of your knowledge.