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Pelle may have found a top strike partnership

Two games to go before we can all settle down to the serious business of telling Manuel Pellegrini who he does and doesn’t need this summer before moaning or applauding him when he does or doesn’t take out advice.:-)

I jest!

The biggest issue will of course be up front where Maxi Gomez’s arrival looks as close to a given as it ever gets at West Ham.

But maybe the clear-out we expect will not include Marko Arnautovic who, on Saturday anyway, looked to have the perfect strike partner in Michail Antonio, a player getting better and better as the season possibly ends too early for him.

As mentioned previously, at 30, and with a reputation that precedes him in the game an Arnautovic  move at a depreciating transfer value looks unlikely and I reckon he will be a West Ham player for a while yet.

At least one pundit declared this weekend that it had surprised him Pellegrini had taken so long in recognising him and Antonio as a pretty lethal partnership on their day. It certainly looked that way at Spurs.

Yes,  we know that Michail can be hit or miss in front of goal but he’s getting better and at Manchester further goals were only denied by a flying De Gea save and the woodwork. He is looking more and more lethal in the role.

Hopefully he and Arnautovic started  something on Saturday which could genuinely go a long way towards solving the problems in front of goal in the long term.

It could mean that with the arrival of Gomez we have sufficient strike power when you weave the likes of Yarmolenko, Anderson and a bang  to form Lanzini into the mix.

With Gomez arriving at around £40 million, left back Leonardo Koutris at £10m and central defender Guillermo Maripan at £20m these may be the three additions which will make all the difference.

Let the fun and speculation begin.

COYI

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

6 comments on “Pelle may have found a top strike partnership

  1. Imho Antonio and Arnie are not strikers, they are great assets on the counter attack but they lack positional awareness and composure in front of goal, they may get 10 – 15 goals each a season which is fantastic but proper strikers, look what Vardy did, can hold the ball up, link up play, create spaces through great movement and can score goals non strikers never will. Striking is an art form, great strikers are instinctively in the right place at the right time, they also move towards their positions while other players are still thinking about reacting and our players do not even come close, Hernandez when he is at his best fits that category in terms of goal poaching but he lacks in hold up play and also lacks the lightning pace required in the PL these days.

  2. We need a midfielder not another defender I think

  3. Number 32 seems correct to me and I really cant see Antonio moving on but arnie definetly we need the cash at 30yrs to go into a 22yr old and also needed desperately a left back with cresswell sold I hope and younger technical gifted masu playing further forward as an option as his no left back as cant defend well. We have good back up at left and right back with Ben Johnson so can then concentrate on other positions after a big clear out and saving on wages too imo

  4. I have to agree they are not strikers but I do like them …we have been crying out for a out an out striker for years..Hugh your talking like we have signed Gomez already what gives mate ????

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