(Photo by West Ham United FC/West Ham United via Getty Images)
West Ham’s regular habit of signing players with a background of injury problems has become a problem from which they they don’t seem to learn
Jack Wilshere has been out for 26 games and Andy Carroll barely needs to be mentioned whilst Sami Nasri looks set to miss out on a new deal although that probably has more to do with a year suspension before joining us and never truly being fit enough.
It really is time to think about why we’re purchasing players that have known injury records – a serious waste of money for any club …never mind ours.
For the record Jack Wilshere has played a total of 344 minutes this season, in which he bagged one assist.
Although it’s well known it remains astonishing that he’s had 15 injuries over his career and that we signed him on a three year deal is simply ludicrous particularly following the Carroll disaster.
Andriy Yarmolenko scored twice after returning following an injury the previous season but eventually spent just shy of 560 minutes before another injury which has kept him out since.
The earlier injury kept him out for 62 games and we now keep our fingers crossed we don’t have a recurring problem.
So this summer please…can we sign players who have a decent injury free background and that doesn’t include, for example, Jonjo Shelvey.
Talk about once bitten twice shy – seems the Irons have never heard the words!
If you sat down to draw up a list it would take a very very long time! It’s either lack of proper research or (more likely) the bargaining style (to put it relatively politely) of the owners. Harry Redknapp was labelled a wheeler dealer but I think our owners fit that term even better. Mind you, nothing wrong with that if it is done well. If….
There is a fundamental problem with the club in preferring experienced players most of whom are past their best and winding down their careers Generally speaking older players take far longer to recover from injuries which is why every player over a certain age is linked with the club Not only are younger players less likely to get injured but if they do they are only out for a few weeks We simply must not buy any outfield players over 25 however good the deal
You can’t judge a player on isolated incidences, statistics or over 1 season, otherwise you end up keeping a donkey like Lucas Perez…….
Far too many injury prone players past their best.Sorry but our clubs owners love chancing their arm buying players that have been good in the past but either injury prone or at the end of their careers.They are far less willing to splash the cash on good players who just need a chance to prove themselves.2 that spring to mind that we could have had for a song are Andy Robertson and Luka Milojevic.
In fairness to Pellegrini Wilshere had only missed one game in the previous two seasons due to injury, this particular deal was at MP’s request.