Jarrod Bowen – successfully took on striker role
The more I think about this back-up striker thing the more I tend to believe that people are talking about a big lump up front!
A mindset which dictates we look for a big target man has been the case since the likes of Andy Carroll and his ilk entered most people’s minds.
Yarmolenko – a flop up front
Now there is no question that Mikey Antonio has been quite brilliant over the last part of the 2019/20 season and this – when he’s been available. He stand 5ft 8in
But – whilst the manager is clearly keen on a big man up front – he has also showed us he can put a front line together of guys who are far less than monsters!
Indeed, the Hammers’ most successful strike force in over 40 years came in the shape of Tony Cottee ( five and half feet) and Frankie Mac – just a bit taller with the team playing to feet football as is the case now by and large.
It’s too easy sometimes to slip into stereotypical thinking and Jess Lingard at 5ft 11 and Said Benrahma a bit lesslook up to the job.
Jarrod Bowen is the latest to take on the role and very successfully – he stands 5ft 7 inches.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not comparing any of these guys with the two Hammers legends but maybe our minds should remain slightly more open to other possibilities.
In the two of three games we have seen so far – Villa and Sheffield United – Lingard has looked as good as any striker we’ve seen in recent seasons.
By contrast Seb Haller – 6ft 2 in and Andriy Yarmolenko 6ft 2 inches have been significant failures.
If I’ve got this wrong forgive me but what it does prove is that Moyes is not a manager who we simply write off as wanting a target man .
Absolutely agree Hugh, and my postings have consistently promoted the quick and clever over the big target. Moreover, the top teams support the theory. Liverpool, Man C and Leicester all opt for pace and trickery over front man hold up play. Back in my prime, imagine Pele, Maradona, Messi and Greaves all coming through and somebody saying no to these smaller kids let’s have a big lump instead! I know, poetic licence, but the point is success comes in many shapes!!
For me it’s not the size….lol
What i want is to see the striker contesting physically as Antonio does but he also gets about the pitch (Running in behind the defenders)
That is the type of striker we need
Andy Johnson . . . .
I stand to be corrected, but I did read something where Man City are currently playing with a “recognised “ striker. If their midfielders / wingers can score goals, then why can’t ours?
In the 60s we had our best ever centre forward (in my view!) Budgie Byrne who at all of 5ft 8inches led the line through skill not bulk and made the career of Geoff Hurst. All this and not a hair out of place after 90mins due to lashings of brylcreem!!
Budgie was my hero
Budgie was brilliant. One of a kind. Destroyed big Jack Charlton and his invincible Leeds United one magical night at Upton Park – 7-0 I believe.
Small details I know but sources say Antonio is 180cm tall, and according to a conversion chart I can find 180cm is 5 feet 10.87 inches
So at almost 5’11, a bit taller than the 5’8 claimed
Sorry…! but not traditional target man size regardless
Are You sure that you have the correct height for our players because no way is Michail Antonio 5ft 8. I think he is 6ft.
Google: Michail Antonio/Height
1.8 m
Also West Ham official Jesse Lingard height 168cm (just over 5′ 6″). According to same site Michael Antonio’s weight in combination with his height input to NHS BMI calculator makes Michail overweight. Let them tell him – I’m not.
Back to the point well made Hugh. It was very strange to hear before the game on Monday on BT Sport, that West Ham will struggle without the focal point of a centre forward. Someone to play the ball into, hold up the play and give opposition defenders something to do. Very strange as there aren’t many sides who have this focal point in their teams. After we invested all of our money in Andy Carroll, we set about recruiting as many high class wingers as we could to feed this focal point. Sam Allardyce would have preferred Wilf Bony, but the money was spent and the owners got what they wanted. When it all went well with this system we looked pretty good. Unfortunately that wasn’t often. Since then is has been assumed that we have needed to replace Carroll with a similar man. Michail Antonio has done a tremendous job as a real number nine but he is and always has been his own man. A different style and attitude completely from the rigid lone man up front label. Michail is comfortable (still working hard!) in any position on the pitch. This should be the case for all professional footballers. As you have eloquently reasoned Hugh, we have had previous success without this focal point and if we now get the much called for central stiker hitman, we will have to adapt our style to accommodate him. History (including very recent) shows that we struggle at best to make anything of having a guy on his own up front. Much better to have all players doing what they can and making the most of their talent and efforts.
Still loving this season and enjoying the football we are playing.
COYI
We can choose whoever we wish Google …club etc but point remains doesn’t it Taffy
Back to the point well made Hugh. It was very strange to hear before the game on Monday on BT Sport, that West Ham will struggle without the focal point of a centre forward. Someone to play the ball into, hold up the play and give opposition defenders something to do. Very strange as there aren’t many sides who have this focal point in their teams. After we invested all of our money in Andy Carroll, we set about recruiting as many high class wingers as we could to feed this focal point. Sam Allardyce would have preferred Wilf Bony, but the money was spent and the owners got what they wanted. When it all went well with this system we looked pretty good. Unfortunately that wasn’t often. Since then is has been assumed that we have needed to replace Carroll with a similar man. Michail Antonio has done a tremendous job as a real number nine but he is and always has been his own man. A different style and attitude completely from the rigid lone man up front label. Michail is comfortable (still working hard!) in any position on the pitch. This should be the case for all professional footballers. As you have eloquently reasoned Hugh, we have had previous success without this focal point and if we now get the much called for central stiker hitman, we will have to adapt our style to accommodate him. History (including very recent) shows that we struggle at best to make anything of having a guy on his own up front. Much better to have all players doing what they can and making the most of their talent and efforts.
Still loving this season and enjoying the football we are playing.
COYI
The little and large approach was last a success when we had David Cross feeding Stuart Pearson or Paul Goddard. And Cross was far more than just a big lump. I did enjoy Bobby Zamora’s efforts as a number 9 but by and large our best strikers have always been smaller – Pop Robson, Tony Cottee, Jermain Defoe, Paulo DiCanio, and Carlos Tevez for starters. My main gripe with a single big man up front is that he becomes isolated and tempts the aimless long ball as we saw when Andy Carroll played in this position in between injuries.
By my count this season, in the Prem and FA Cup, we have had 16 different scorers! Is that better than relying on one or two central strikers? Surely that is better insurance, re injuries. And the glory is spread throughout the squad, instead of one or two stars. Is there any other team in the Prem this season who can rival that number of different goal scorers?
Budgie was brilliant. One of a kind. Destroyed big Jack Charlton and his invincible Leeds United one magical night at Upton Park – 7-0 I believe.