The club’s injury crisis, curse …call it what you will is as depressing as it gets but it has left two issues sticking out like sore thumbs.
The first is that the Andy Carroll issue is about to be settled once and for all and the second is that we are going to discover whether the squad we have been shouting the odds about since summer is as good as we would like to believe.
A top source in looking at the problems today said to me: “Yes it is a good squad and every one of them has to step up to the plate now.”
My immediate reaction was: “Yep and Andy Carroll in particular.” The striker has been relentlessly discussed by everybody that matters.
Now we need him to stay injury free and genuinely perform rather than listen t the PR about him still having an international future and all the rest of it.
If at the end of a period which looks likely to see us shorn of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia he has produced the goods that will be great. If not we will all know what the future is likely to hold for him.
I see this as the Andy Carroll make or break moment at West Ham United. I hope it works out for him but I have my fears.
Slaven Bilic is about to earn his money the hard way coming up with a plan and formation that uses Carroll effectively in a new system.
We are going to find out just how flexible the manager is but let’s always remember he has – like them all – a favoured tactical approach and the injures are extremely hurtful. Let’s not rush to blame him if things get lean.
Lanzini and Zarate look a very decent partnership but have to maintain things over 90 mins buzzing in and around the big man whilst Michail Antonio’s moment us here.
Moses needs to show us much more consistency and the defence needs to tighten up as a matter of the highest priority.
The squad – so highly rated by many – is going to be tested to the limits but the singular issue is AC…he can – over the next three of four weeks – secure his Hammers future once and for all.
On the other hand……..!!!
We have gone Past the last chance for Carroll, he is not good enough and his salary can’t be justified for being a bench warmer and impact sub.Jelavik is also not good enough, unsure what made us sign him, his days are over.
We need to offload the Carroll salary and bring in a striker, Rhodes? just worry that the co-chairman will not want to back down on this purchase and will persevere, just Hope I am completely wrong.
You won’t say that if he score every week for a month,
It’s the right time if he can’t do the business then The January transfer window will open he can move on with a few others and then we will get Enner back and can bring in one more,
If AC is going to make it with England then he will have to change his style and he can start with us first,
We have played without a big CF before so we could play with Moses,Zarate,Lanzini plus Antonio and give them freedom of movement,
Jelavic and Lee give us other options to we just need to believe as a team that if we fight for 90 mins that a result will come,
Whatever the problem AC isn’t unfortunately the answer…