Whether it was a bad day at the office or whether West Ham simply couldn’t muster enough threat to supply him, Niclas Fullkrug played most of the game yesterday without a sniff of a chance.
One header which flew over was all the German striker managed to contribute as the Irons completed the whole of the London derby without a shot on target. Worrying.
Dean Ashton – no slouch when it came to hitting the back of the net – has made his own opinion known on Fullkrug’s suitability. Reported by insidefutbol.com, the former Hammers number nine said:
“Fullkrug is certainly not going to suit the way that Nuno will want to play unless he can turn himself into Chris Wood”.
Which means in the short term, Fullkrug needs to adapt or find himself usurped. The 33 year old was well-nigh invisible against the best centre backs the Premier League has to offer and more than likely he was selected first and foremost to add depth to West Ham’s defensive organisation against set pieces.
There was little evidence that had anyone else played up-front yesterday with no supply they would have fared any better: Trouble is, Fullkrug doesn’t have the pace to fit into fast counter attacking football. The reports already linking Nuno to his old speedster Adama Traore indicate the problem facing Fullkrug. ( Traore, incidentally, hit two goals last season and ‘nothing’ so far in ’25-6 so I don’t see how he is the answer!)
Callum Marshall’s half an hour produced one header off target but at least the Northern Ireland youngster was buzzing, closing down, and in case you missed it, at one point was waving his team-mates – including his skipper- to press higher up the pitch.
Until January, opportunity knocks, then, with Fullkrug out of kilter with Espirito Santo’s playing style. Be it Marshall, Callum Wilson or even Tomas Soucek repurposed as a number 10 (even slower than Fullkrug though), Nuno needs to find a way to get West Ham attacking with genuine goal threat.
Apart from those modest options, the cupboard is bare after successive transfer windows without buying a front man. As every fan will be only too painfully aware.
Adama Traore isn’t the answer, we are one of the very few clubs he has scored against. He is all pace and no end product. We should get someone with his pace and physicality for sure but we need someone that can also score into double figures every season and ideally who can also assist others to score.
Yes he should have scored with his header but he did have an Arsenal arm hanging over his shoulder and holding him down as he tried to jump.
VAR penalty decision for another team.
It has been plainly evident for seasons gone that we need an out and out strong,quick striker and how we haven’t sorted this out is beyond comprehension. Too many failed lowball bids and an ex-manager who stated that we don’t need a striker leaves us where we are. Nuno usually plays with a quick striker so unless he has another plan the January window can’t come quick enough…and hopefully the board don’t try their usual tricks.
Chris Wood is many things but he’s not quick 😂😂
West Ham‘s game yesterday was about defending, with Mavropanos possibly being their best player. Any irons attacker found himself in complete isolation, no passes, no crosses.
With 70% possession by Arsenal, zero shots by West Ham, the hope is that Nuno can guide West Ham to more balanced performances in the games ahead.
Yes Martin it looks like Fullkrug might never work out for us
However the January window is still a long way off so in the mean time perhaps Nuno will see what the two Callum’s have to offer
Just a relief that we won’t go into the break bottom of the league given Brighton’s late equalizer at Wolves
COYI
Sorry to add this somewhere else, but has anyone noticed Hammers News has moved over to this stupid idea of forcing people to accept Cookies and adverts or pay. Just like the press, this is disgusting and I hope that this site does not follow suit it is extortion and bullying.
When defending Fulkrug should have played deeper and allowed a faster player to be the outlet. He didn’t win any 1 v1 situations as was out-muscled. Antonio was always competitive, and could also go around when going through wasn’t an option.