Diafra Sakho’s absence from the team against Sunderland today was this morning put down to “a knock in training” by a senior club insider.
As we reported earlier, the manager had claimed at his presser on Thursday that Sak should be fit for the trip to the north east today.
But the striker failed to make the squad and we were told when making the obvious inquiry this morning that he had taken a knock in training and that given his lack of match fitness no risk was being taken.
However, he insisted: “I absolutely promise you that he will be available for the match next week against Everton at the London Stadium.”
Knocks in training seem to be common currency at West Ham as a reason for a player’s non appearance – could it be the medical staff are continuing to pull the things on this one?
A simple statement would be enough if that is the case!
Terrible that our best striker by some distance is unable to play in probably the easiest game we have left to secure our premiership table. It must have been some knock he took. If not I have serious reservations at what Bilic is looking at – perhaps h is trying to justify the 20m he spent on Ayew. Hope he wakes up and smells the coffee otherwise its bye bye to a really good manager.
Whatever happens now he will hardly have put in an appearance by the the end of the season. That’s a shame as it might have helped to make it clear a) how good he is b) whether this operation has solved his problems ( or left him with new ones). Is it too much to hope for next season that we have two strikers who play 75-80 per cent of the fixtures? Oh, and that they can score between 1 in 2 games & 1 in 3. Probably it is too much!
I’d play Sakho with one leg let alone one knock. He has the ability and potential to cause Sunderland (and every other team in the league) real issues with his pace, runs and movement. If I was Bilic and my job depended on a good run of games I would tell my medical staff to stick it and get him out there. Probably his own fault for not giving him any match time last week to get up to speed by making weird chances i.e. Calleri.
I do not believe a word the backroom say when it comes to players fitness how many times have we been told the player is ok & will be back after a couple of weeks look at Carroll how many times has he supposedly been due to play & has not this is another reason why the backroom staff needs change we cannot believe a word they say Sako should be playing unless they are protecting him to sell in the summer then even more he should be made to play to show what he can do
If he ain’t fit , he ain’t fit ; end of .
What is rather more annoying is throwing away two points against Sunderland .
Three became one .
Bilic is not our man and it’s time for a change . We put out a strong team today but , it still wasn’t enough against the worse team in the league ,,, are you sure.
Maybe we are safe now but , what a rediculous two points to lose .
We have only survived this season because there are three teams worse than us .
MAYBE we have done just enough amongst all the turmoil this season has created but , to go forward we need a LOT more than empty promises of better players ,, we also need a Manager to lead them . If the board want to continue with the plan of just maintaining our Premiership membership then that’s rather insulting to the fans that want something to celebrate apart from being just a number in the Prem .
ITS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH to say we are West Ham and we do it our way when , our way has won us nothing since 1985 .
Am I unhappy ?? ,, you bet your life I am . Getting tired of all the nonsense that is continuesly being posted .. Been a fan since my Granddfather took me to Upton Park on my fifth birthday ( take note , Hugh ) and I am now 65 .
That was a strong team today but , we still managed to throw it away …
To think sighning Defoe is also a bit silly IMO .