West Ham United are dicing with a very difficult problem and I reckon it needs sorting before the transfer window slams shut.
Only a couple of weeks ago we spent £6 million on a left back because of a serious injury to the previously permanently fit Aaron Cresswell.
Yet – fragile though that situation was – it is even more difficult on the other side of the back four where we appear to have only Sam Byram available as a natural right back.
That has in fact been the position since Carl Jenkinson – himself entirely ineffective before his injury last season – was hit by a big injury and went back to Arsenal.
And it’s been that way since Guy Demel was around in 2014 and I fear a disaster is in the making if we don’t address it soon.
Injury can strike at any time and I wonder what would happen – assuming he becomes Slav’s choice – what on earth we are going to do should injury befall Sam Byram.
Let’s not mention Michail Antonio as an answer PLEASE. How we come to spend nearly £4 million on one of the most promising right backs around and replace him with ….no let’s not go there.
That’s not the point of this piece and enough has been said about it.
However, I remain very worried that should injury strike over there we really are going to be in a desperate situation and for me the problem needs sorting out before the end of the month.
COYI
I’m pretty sure that Burke could do a good job at RB. Byram must be first pick from now on.
Does anyone know what the story was with Tomkins leaving?It is a shame he left us as he was a very versatile player i thought.
You may well be right and hope so
We would not have this worry now if SB had done what he should have in the first place, which was to concentrate on putting the defence right instead of spending the summer chasing non existent striker targets.
I have to say that a striker was a priority over the summer but we spent too much time on wasters like Bacca,when we could have bought someone probably equally as good.Alarm bells should have been ringing from the time Jenkinson was injured,but then we had Tomkins to cover and bought Byran in the meantime.What do we do then,sell Tomkins and don’t give Byran the position he was bought in for.Antonio was never gonna be the answer and now Byran has to play there,no other choice.Lets hope he stays fit!
All we needed was a decent right back, a top class holding midfielder and top class forward to add to the squad that played some damn good football and put a smile on our faces last year after 2 years of wanting to gnaw your own arm off with boredom.
There will be calls for the dung beetle back soon GW.Its a f#cking joke.
Already started hasn’t it Stan? Let’s get the slug back I mean he never led a team to a humiliation to Forest and City did he?
Seems like everybody is a bit frustrated with our activity in this window . Me too .
But that in itself is not the problem , the problem is why we sustain SO many injuries .
Thought the idea of Rush Green was to eliminate as much as possible this jinx we suffer every dammed season . We are hurting even before the season has really kicked in . Against Chelsea we were found wanting and I wonder what SA must have thought from the stands watching Antonio & Carroll ., not to mention Noble , who had a nightmare game .
Well not to worry , we have made another loan signing , pooh .
20million for Ayew now seems stupid and reckless . Byram must be given the job he was signed up for and Antonio must be deployed deeper up on the left wing . Obvious .
We had a good squad last season and it has somehow been ruined . Slaven Bilic needs to address the problem right now instead of experimenting . We were told we are no longer a selling club ; Tompkins to Palace ??. Well we Need him now . Hopefully Sakho and the club will sort things out .. Effing Children .
I ment right wing , sorry .
Disaster strikes??? Kraktoa was a disaster,the Titanic sinking was a disaster.Our fullback situation is hardly in disaster territory.
Oh please – obviously in footballing terms for goodnes sake SIGH
What about boogers Hugh ? He was a disaster ?
20,5 million for Ayew !. Looks a bit odd to me . It’s almost as if Swansea & Ayew were hiding the potential thigh strain and we got suckered . Not such a clever deal after all .
That’s three players now with potential repetitive injuries . Carroll , Sakho & Ayew .
At least Carroll looks like getting fit and dangerous again . Thanks god for small mercies .
Well anyway , tonight is major for West Ham ; so , COYI , HAMMERS FOREVER .
Lucky that lung on Adrian by Costa didn’t result in further injury concerns . Otherwise we would be looking for another ” loan player ” .
Swansea & Ayew where hiding his injury??..No it’s called bad luck thats all.
I am not worried about the right back position so long as Antonio isn’t used there except as an emergency, Reece Burke did ok there, Sam Byram is doing well so far, we want young players to get their opportunities and it looks like that may now happen, if they make a few mistakes which they will thats ok, they will learn and get better, we have to find a way to get our young players from the development squad into the first team, Byram can certainly do a very good job there and he is more comfortable on the ball than Antonio so he is a better option for passing it out of defence when we need too, with Antonio ahead of them they cold form a real partnership, like Cresswell has with Valencia and Payet on the left. Lets get a good result tonight COYI!!!
We have a left back called masuaka and we have a right back called Bryam. Perhaps we could play them both in those positions at some point in the future or would that be oversimplifying things?
Now that sounds like an idea!