Manchester City demolished Salford City 8-0 in the FA Cup third round yesterday, with former West Ham academy graduate Divin Mubama scoring on his City debut.
Mubama, who joined Pep Guardiola’s side at the start of the season after failing to agree a contract with West Ham, delivered a performance that drew widespread praise. Whilst his goal was a straightforward tap-in, observers noted that he “bullied” the Salford defenders throughout the match.
The timing of Mubama’s debut and goal could not have been worse for West Ham, who are in desperate need of a striker. If Mubama were still at the club, he would almost certainly feature in Tuesday night’s Premier League game against Fulham.
The Hammers are currently without injury-prone Niclas Füllkrug, captain Jarrod Bowen, and Michail Antonio, who is out for the remainder of the season. Danny Ings appears to be West Ham’s only option in attack, but he struggled massively against Aston Villa and doesn’t look like an option.
While there’s little point lamenting Mubama’s departure, his success at City highlights how poorly West Ham have managed our academy graduates in recent years. However, there’s hope for improvement under new manager Graham Potter, who has praised Mark Noble’s work with the academy and recently handed Ollie Scarles a first-team opportunity.
Still, it’s a bitter pill to swallow to see our former young striker excelling for a Premier League rival at a time when West Ham could desperately use his talents
I can’t quite believe what l am reading here. I was at the City match, l live in Manchester, and l studied him carefully throughout the match as my City supporting sons said West Ham should never had let him go.
My sons were wrong!
He never got a look in, he seemed sluggish and was totally dominated by his marker.
To say he excelled in this match is for the birds.
I won’t be clicking on to anymore of Gonzo’s irresponsible and inaccurate articles that’s for sure!
I always remember Freddie Sears. Supposed to be the next big thing out of the academy. Scored a lot of goals at youth level. Scored on his debut for the first team then nothing. Ended up lower league. Hard to know the ones who are going to make it.
I actually rate him and any player who is signed by Man City has to be top quality technically to even be considered. Shearer raved about his performance especially his movement, intelligent link up play and ability to run the channels. He was on the sub’s bench 3 times for Premiership games in December and can’t fail to have improved his game working with the quality of players and coaches which City have. How many players get selected by Pep in their careers?
City had players with a total of 500 international caps on their bench against Salford and how many did we have against Villa? Good luck to the lad and I would love to see him back at our club on loan. He’s got to be better than Danny Ings!
You mean he found his level?
It is articles like this, that I duck out of reading once I see the author of the article. Once again quick fired, without thought, care or responsible reporting.
It was Salford for Christ sake!
So which of our “academy graduates” have been “mismanaged”? You’ve probably got to go back to the days of Ray Houghton to find one that genuinely ‘got away’. Sadly, another nonsense article.
I watched Mubama live for our U18s, U21s, 1st team and yesterday on TV for Man City – not once has he suggested that he could step up to Premier League level.
Well, he scored for West Ham but his attitude has taken him away from regular first team football, if he was begin truthful which I doubt. I think he moved for the money. Let’s be honest, did he think he would get Harland out of the team? Hasn’t happened yet unless he leaves I don’t think it will. He moved for the money and that’s all.
For goodness sake this is his one and only appearance for City against Salford hardly a Prop side. It was his decision to go and he hardly set the world alight when he did feature for West Ham in the Premier League.Hindsight is a wonderful thing .let’s concentrate on the Academy players that want to play for West Ham !
Personally i didn’t want him to leave as i thought that we would end up getting a fair deal for him from a championship side but at no stage did i ever feel that he would end up a premier player.
Gonzo you’ve done it again. Just so far wide of the mark I’d rather have Ings than you writing these.
He was pony for us, he was pony for City. The tap in covered up his incompetence. Not having it at all. I watched him against Bristol city last season and he literally fell over the ball.
Don’t think gonzo likes me …never puts my replies in …maybe can’t take the criticism, but seeing most have said what I have anyway
Your ‘criticisms’ as you call them..are held until they are approved manually. that’s what happens when you’ve written abusive or foul content in the past.
I thought he was very poor. The goal he scored, I could have scored! The fact that the centre forward only scored one of the 8 goals and a midfielder scored a hat-trick says it all! No regrets about him leaving, always looked very lightweight when he played for us, Move on.
Put him in the team when City are playing in the Premier league and see how he performed before they started to critised west ham for letting him go he went there for the money
Mubama found his level against this opposition , city only have him as a home grown player on their bookshell probably play 3 more times this season
Mubama was offered decent contract by Wes team but chose city move on
Behave yerself,what a terrible article….
Mubama was bang average every time he pulled on the claret and blue,he’s scored a tap in against a league 2 side so he’s hardly setting the football world alight is he ?
I don’t think he’s good enough to be fair,let’s see how long he’s at City for before he ends up at somewhere like Peterborough
Mubama had plenty of opportunities to impress and really didn’t.
Citeh were playing a lower league team, he should shine against them. Different ball game against prem league defences.
He’s not even a Championship level player,1 scabby goal against a Cypriot team does not make you a premier league level player.Although he never had many chances for us ,he never looked good enough.
I can go back as far as watching Tony Cottee and Stuart Slater breaking through into the first team.both were a huge success.sadly very little else has come off the production line as far as forwards are concerned in the intervening years.
He would of got more opportunities at West Ham and must know he will never play for City. I thought he was offered a contract and decided to move on. That’s football these days. He never looked that amazing at our level and clearly won’t be playing often in a team that can buy any player they want. They have multiple £50 – £100m+ players in the squad hence why even good young players like Palmer, Delap and Co leave. Good luck to him, but probably wrong choice.
We need a pacey atriker !
Really Gonzo? His success? If starting one game against 2nd division opposition and scoring a tap in is considered success then maybe you need to re-assess a lot of your opinions. With all things considered, he should be bullying 2nd division opposition at the very least. I know that making semi controversial comments makes it easier to get people to respond, and that writing these articles is how you get paid, but maybe write a more genuine and forthright fairytale rather than trying to grind out something that is clearly a non event.
Wouldn’t even mention Antonio in the equation. Wish the fellah all the best in his recovery, but not sure he’ll play football again, let alone Prem’ and he’s 35 this year I believe ?
Fullkrug injury, is anyone surprised ? he has an injury history as long as your arm – what an awful piece of business, 27.5m down the swanny…..
Now we have Potter, hopefully we will be sharper on our purchases and if we get a striker, hopefully he can play as one and get some service !
“His success at City” – A goal against a League 2 side in an 8-0 win in the cup – Not sure what you’ve been watching but I recall you saying exactly the same when Sonny Perkins scored the winner for Leeds in the cup. Sonny now of League 1 Orient. No story here, or at least not yet Gonzo.
I didn’t think Mubama was good enough to make it at West Ham.
I dont think he’s going to make it at Man City, and will eventually drop to Championship or League One in due course.
Nothing against him, I wish him luck. I just didn’t think he would have enough, but he has a chance to prove the doubters like me wrong.
Mubama’s “success at City”. One appearance against inferior opposition doesn’t equate to success. He probably won’t get another first team start all season. Having said that, letting him go was short-sighted.
I would hardly refer to his time at Man City as a ‘success’?!
Gonzo, it worries me when I keep seeing you guys writing things like “… and Michail Antonio, who is out for the remainder of the season.”. Surely Antonio is no longer a factor as his contract is up in the summer. Or do you know something we don’t?
Out for the remainder of this season. Not next season.
By which time he is no longer a hammer.
He will be.
He scored against Salford. In most of his games for West Ham he didn’t look that good.