I must admit that I was quite looking forward to watching Niclas Füllkrug play for West Ham against Bournemouth in the League Cup at the London Stadium.
Like most other fans, I had seen the occasional cameo from the bench during the Hammers’ first two Premier League games, but those glimpses were brief. The Carabao Cup fixture last night seemed like the perfect opportunity to see what the big German could do—or at least that was the plan.
Unfortunately, I find myself no more informed about Füllkrug’s abilities than I was before the game. This was largely due to the fact that he was mostly isolated and unsupported throughout the match, with good reason to look frustrated.
I had hoped that the days of a striker ploughing a lonely furrow up front for West Ham were behind us. However, the German international’s predicament felt all too familiar, and I doubt I’m the only Hammers fan who feels that way.
Julen Lopetegui’s tactical shift and substitutions secured victory against Bournemouth and progression to the next round against Liverpool. Nonetheless, I can’t imagine Füllkrug will want to spend too many more games on his own in the final third with Tomas Soucek as his supplier-in-cheif.
Obviously lacking service but looks like he’s struggling with the speed of the league at the moment. Sure he’ll get there.
Agree with your shout Geefunk, all the players that have come from abroad look like the intensity of the league has taken them a bit by surprise, Todibo, Fullkrug, Rodriguez, Guillherme. The one that’s looked most at home is Summerville. I remember it took Paqueta a full Brazil international a season to adapt to it, I think it’s normal and this season will be tough for them, they will need regular minutes though to adjust and the team are also learning. new system with lots of new players and it’s fair to say that hasn’t clicked yet, so really it’s almost like having a brand new side. I am confident we will be better and am not sure how many of our players will be away during the international break but it’s an opportunity to work more on training.
Was very disappointed to again see us drawn against one of top 3 teams in the competition, Lopetegui it could be argued is a Cup specialist and am hoping that he can work that magic in the next leg, I do feel we need a new left back(especially now Cress will be out for probably a couple of months) and striker before the window closes and if the long awaited Soler move comes, we can get ether Abraham or Duran and maybe Ferdi Kadioglu who would be my choice or another then we will be in good shape, COYI !!!
You reckon? I didn’t see the game from Down Under, only read the news on this website. However, I’m thinking, if he can’t cope with the speed of the game against Bournemouth, how on earth is he going to cope against City this weekend? Houston, we have a problem!
He is a box player, very dangerous in and around the area but not so effective outside the area…West Ham weren’t in Bournemouth’s area at all, we lacked any form of tactical strategy other than lumping it forward from the back. I fear unless we play to his strengths it will be another wasted striker at West Ham, like Haller and pretty much any other striker we have bought. I think he would like playing with a quick strike partner but guess what….we don’t have one 🙂
Loopyball the same as moyseball .
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Loppyball not as good as Moyes ball. More like Allerdyce ball. Long ball football.
After watching the game i must admit it wasn’t pretty but we have to take the positives , summerville ,bisaka and kilman were the best for me on the night. Against city I would like to see kudos play in the middle instead of pac man he might not have the killer ball but his hard work edges it for me ,no diving and does stop working . Soucek out and jwp rod and mav in . AWB right back and Emmerson left back no other option . Really like Soucek and Coufel but against city we need be strong all over the pitch ,just my opinion and want us to progress but as they say be patient it takes time.
you are spot on in your analysis
, I support you give some of the new players time we have good players now than before let us westham fans speak possivetly about our players to motivat them
We didn’t look like a team, I guess that’s not surprising given so many changes. That will improve hopefully quicker rather than slower. I can see us ripping it up at some point the question is when.
we do look like a team.
We have to be patient and expect evolution rather than revolution. The Big German doesn’t look fit to me at the moment. The squad is undergoing a huge overhaul and last years players remain at the fore. They are not necessarily bad players, but were poorly coached players. Keep the faith everyone #COYI
JLo needs to play the guy to his strengths or we are looking at another Scamacca/Haller debacle.
The way he was played last night couldn’t be any further from totally not using his skills and his normal attacking prowess. Fuller is not going to put up with this. He is desperate to keep his place in the German squad and it won’t be long before he’s bitterly regretting coming here if JLo doesn’t get it right.
I’ve been watching this guy for years and last night it was like watching an imposter.
What is it with West Ham that they buy strikers seemingly only to destroy them and we never see the best of them?
What was the point of conning him, selling him a story of how he’ll be used only to leave him isolated and bypassed by everyone?
I’m frustrated beyond belief, so God knows how he feels.
Early days for JLo, but this style of football reminds me of the hideously inept and boring game Wolves played against us away in the 22/23 season. This guy will only get so long before less patient West Ham fans revolt when they pay such a high price to watch games now.
Hoping the slow start is just that, otherwise we have again got a coach who nobody else wanted and we went for him because Sullivan didn’t have to put his hand in his pocket to get a good one already in work.
I like all the players we’ve bought in, so that is making me be more patient than most might be. At least if we did get rid of him, we’ve got a damn good squad for a better, younger coach.
I’m giving this guy until the end of the year to use these players in the correct way. If he hasn’t sorted it out by then it will be an awful season.
Still glad we got rid of Moyes who had lost his way by the end.
Until we play through midfield he will struggle up front. With JWP and Soucek we are not playing through midfield. Coufal is struggling to get forward and recover, so we are lop-sided. JWP just passed back to centre backs and offers no outlet, so up goes the long ball, and we lose possession. It’s the personnel that are the Moyes hangover now, but we are close.
We need to remember that the team played most of last season and ended it playing terribly and we are trying to pretty much rebuild the squad so things will take time before a perfectly formed team will arise from last seasons ashes.
In regards to Füllkrug my main concern is his age and speed, not sure he was the right purchase personally as it felt to me like a bit of a knee jerk reaction to not getting the Duran deal over the line and because we needed to find a striker they snapped up Füllkrug on the quick.
I do feel the game play Soler can provide may help our German striker find his place because he is a good striker irrespective to my personal concerns.
Either way we need a playmaker or 2 in central midfield to supply the ball wide to the wings and forward to the strikers and not constantly back to our own half.
I am excited to see Soler and Kudus play together with Summerville and Bowen either side of them though and think with our new boys in defence too we have a great chance of pushing teams deeper and seeing our Claret and Blue boys start finding our winning ways so fingers crossed that the Soler deals gets over the line before the window closes.
Tthe signing of Fullkrug signalled the intent. He has to have the service, as he himself has pointed out. If the whole football world knows that JLo does too. So the intended direction of travel is clear. Patience is needed, we don’t get there in a handful of games. On the other hand JWP, Aguerd, Cornet and Ings need shipping out if possible. Probably Soucek too. Interesting couple of days coming up!
The one thing that worries me about J Lo is this early adoption of Soucek playing in that role for 90 minutes every game so far – if he doesn’t score he does nothing. Nobody can tell me that Paqueta, Kudus, potentially Soler in that position wouldn’t be far more effective at creating chances for Bowen, Fullkrug, Summerville or whoever. I don’t hate TS, but having the worst technical player in there amazes me …
Three games in, give them a chance!!!
‘Big German’ is the problem. People will be disappointed with Fullkrug because they think he is an old fashioned British centre forward which he isn’t. His contribution is often going to be overlooked. The goal scorer will get the plaudits not that his movement created the space for player to score. Duran had little impact against Arsenal at the weekend but people KNOW he would be a goal machine at West Ham because of his ‘speed’.
I thought it was just me about Fullkrug but in fairness until we start getting our bodies into and around opposing penalty areas he is not getting the right service. To be fair played 3 and won 2 (somehow!!) is not a bad position. Pretty worried about City, and Liverpool, but we have to wait and see. In a few weeks time i am hoping to see the potential appear and continuing improvement. If we can grab Soler and lose JWP, Aguerd and Cornet it will be a big help. COYH
To be fair, virtually the whole team were crap, so not sure what you can expect.
But our record of turning decent strikers to rubbish is legendary.
I know it’s early doors but already having doubts about the new signings – AWP & a bit from Kilman apart – other than using subs we are EXACTLY THE SAME as per Moyes – its just painful turgid dross and it’s so boring saying it – Soucek, JWP, Coufal, and Mavrapanos are nowhere near Premier League standard – & watching a lot of non league football they ain’t a lot better than that – nb – following Hashtag United – Tier 7, I am finding this way more enjoyable than anything at the Stratford Bowl, which I still hate as I go into year 9 – no ULEZ, Just Park, crap Tube lines, Stop & Go, body searches, Stewards who don’t speak English, non working turnstiles, £7 pints – & you can see all the play over all the pitch-you should all try it.
Gonzo, that’s a fair comment based on the fact that he was under-supported, as you alluded to; however, when he was on the ball, a few head touches from won balls that the forward line wasn’t in tune with, and the nice touch onto a running Summerville showed some nice touches.
I have to agree it was a disappointing performance, given the high hopes and expectations. That’s nowhere close to JL’s starting eleven I hope, and we know we can play better.
It must have been as frustrating Füllkrug as it was for the fans in the stadium and those like me watching from home.
I guess it will take time to integrate all the new players and systems. They need to learn how to press better and how to use all the possession they were having. All the long ball stuff makes no sense if we are isolating the striker or more likely Tomas can’t keep up with him, and that made us look poor when we were largely in control.
Clearly Bournemouth didn’t come to allow us a practice match and I thought we dealt with them well for the majority of the game.
I do think we have to remain supportive of JL as the expectation of a new dawn and a change of style has been largely manufactured by a sense of hope for change rather than any solid evidence. One thing we can’t moan about any more is a lack of support from the porn troll, it has opened its pocket and spent on decent players, so we have to give JL time to tune up the team and get them working together. COYI
He’s in the dark, how does he think we feel? I get his position somewhat because it seems like he was brought in for his specific strengths but is not getting the service to show what those are. It seems we were looking at Duran and settled for Fullkrug and nobody has adjusted. There was a lot of talk about possession, speed and accurate passing but that isn’t happening either. As long as 30% of the outfield players are below PL standard, it will remain hard to watch because as soon as one of those gets involved, advantage shifts to the opposition. Still not convinced about Lopetegui either, but hoping he comes through.
FFS SAME OLD WEST HAM FANS ALWAYS MOANING GIVE THE NEW MANAGER A D PLAYERS A CHANCE FOR FS . DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ALL EXPECTED BUT STOP THE NEGATIVITY PLEASE 🤨