There were clear signs on Monday night that West Ham’s manager had finally snapped and quite possibly run out of patience with one controversial player who has both frustrated and puzzled Hammers fans in equal measure.
The point at which Pablo couldn’t decide whether to meet a cross with his head or his foot – and in the end managed neither – was followed by the TV camera cutting to West Ham’s manager gesticulating wildly and mouthing Portuguese profanities in clear frustration over the striker’s inability to connect within the penalty box. Again.
Pablo was effective at holding up the ball but as a striker he’s a lame duck
Nuno’s loyalty to the son of his former team mate could well be close to, if not yet at, breaking point. Whilst the Irons have a great win ratio with Pablo in the side, there’s surely a limit to how long the other ten players have to carry the striker who can’t score. After the game, as Gonzo wrote on Wednesday, Nuno launched a robust defence of his first choice forward:
“look what Pablo does for the team, he’s amazing. We believe that the goal is going to come, but he never says no to the hard work and the movements, he links the game, he defends, fantastic player.”
You have to feel for young Josh Ajala who finally got his chance in the Carabao Cup, scored twice on debut and has been ignored ever since.
With Taty Castellanos still finding his way back to fitness from a hamstring injury, Pablo is likely to get yet anther opportunity to break his West Ham duck tonight. 19 Matches played, 8 Wins, 7 Draws, 4 Losses means a win ratio of 42% with Pablo in the side but that ‘zero’ in the goals scored column surely cannot be ignored forever. However friendly his Dad is with the Hammers’ head coach.
Pablo does a hell of a lot of work and the team benefits.
He is a team player and the team’s results are better when he plays
Apart from that why is Magassa not ahead of Kante the lad needs a second chance . He’s a better player than kante
Agree with Nuno, Pablo just has not clicked, as yet, you cannot have it both ways, the team does better when he plays, you said it yourself. Other players are making routine passes, badly, giving the ball away, but they get praise, for doing a few good things.
As long as the team is doing good with him, get off his back, let him get experience, as to the English way of play, some hit the ground running, but not all, as we should know, from past players, he will come good, and then you’ll be saying the opposite, remember he is playing for West Ham, not the other big teams, that can just leave players to rot.
Yeah well Freddy Potts was the son of a key member of his coaching staff but didn’t stop Nuno getting rid of him.
Nuno works for West Ham, not the other way round. The board needs to step in and tell him to get it sorted once and for all. We are not blind or stupid and there is no place for nepotism in any team. I don’t care how old he is, he is a millionaire paid to do a job and failing. Those statistics exist because there is a body there, if that body had any tactical intelligence and direction behind it, those statistics would improve.
West Ham play better when Pablo is in the side. That’s good enough for me. Do people really think that Pablo stat is a coincidence? Really? Pablo is not a striker. Actually he rarely gets into goalscoring positions but his presence enables the striker and wide men to get into those positions. Of course he has shown a lack of ability in those rare moments he has been in a goal scoring position but he is only 22 and new to this country and until West Ham find someone who is better at what he does he should start. We’ve already seen that Taty and Piroe doesn’t work as a partnership. Mukasa is a good midfielder but it seems can’t play that advanced role effectively. Pablo scored 10 goals in 14 games in the Portuguese league prior to joining so he obviously can score albeit at a lower level than the premier league but arguably a similar level to the Championship in some respects. Give him time.
He was a striker at his last club. Makes him a striker in my book
Agreed, he will come good, problem is some people think, Rome was built in a day.
This is exactly what it is,Pablo’s mates son getting game time,failing every time. 1 stumbled assist zero goals. Running around doesn’t cut with me. Ajala would be guaranteed to run around as much however he would score and add as much. It’s completely farcical, typical of Nuno’s absurd tactics and player management.
We’re winning despite him,this league is so poor Mark Robson could get the team winning and I don’t rate him either.
Problem is Nuno normally place him deeper to break up the play in opponents half and simple balls to others to play Taty/Piroe in and so starting him for the first time as a main striker left him puzzled and it showed….tonight he should look at the movement of Kiefer Moore who is a dangerous striker at this level and maybe he can learn a thing or two.
He is an absolute donkey, fed up hearing about his work rate. if we we need a worker put in another midfielder who will do this work far better. He was paid to score goals and create and does neither. Against Bolton he too often went walkabout and Kante was often the furthest forward player. Piroe came on for the last 15 minutes and had more shots and was more of a threat then Pablo had for the whole game. How many more donkeys is this club going to buy due to family/friend connections.
To get fans off Pablo’s back need to stop calling him a striker and give him a new position title.
What that should be is your choice preferably one he can live up to.
Thats easy…..Donkey !
Static caravan?
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we score and the statistics show we are better with Pablo in the team. He works hard, does a lot running for others and creates space. If he had been playing as an out and out striker you could have a point but he hasnt.
Hopefully we are seeing the squad rotation much needed in this division, and all players will get their chance to show what they can (and can’t) do. Ajala took his opportunity with both hands and will surely get more game time soon. Same with Orford and Mayers.
Can’t watch him any longer, gimme Piroe and Asbo at 10.