Diafra Sakho’s future has never been far off the fans’ radar over recent months with the more pessimistic among them claiming he won’t be around next season.
This is based on him apparently having a bit of ruck on the training ground – not entirely abnormal – that he doesn’t have too many pals, and badly misses his daughter.
This has had people putting two and two together and claiming he wants a return to France where he and his little girl can be reunited.
All very soft lights, sweet music and romantic but somewhat removed from the financial and footballing facts of life which show that no club in Ligue 1 could afford his wages or a transfer fee currently estimate at between £15 – £20 million
There is only one person who will decide Sak’s future – the manager Slaven Bilic – and although it’s pretty much an open secret that all was not well between them ahead of the Arsenal game, since then the striker has appeared in games against Watford, West Ham, Swansea and Manchester United in which he of course scored a crucial goal. The body language between them has also looked good.
Sak compares his estrangement with his his daughter to that of his own father as a boy when the head of the family did exactly the same thing – went off to earn money for the family.
Sakho said: “My Dad was away from home all the time. He was a bus driver between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. I effectively grew up without my father. “That was the path that he showed us. He helped us a huge amount and we were always grateful for that.”
And he added: ““I have two brothers and a sister, my mother and my daughter to support. Obviously the choice to come to West Ham was both sporting and financial and I am just happy I am able to support the family by doing this.”
So unless the boss decides he no longer wants him around, Sak will stay with a contract which ties him to West Ham until June 2018
Were Slaven want to get rid, now would be the time to do it with two years left on the player’s deal with a better price available than in a year’s time.
But given our striker problems it’s hugely unlikely and the player has little incentive to return to Ligue 1 to cure any home sickness for his child given that he will be earning a lot less than what he’s getting now.
Our verdict – Sak STAYS!
Fact is we have 20 goals a year strikers already. If they played every game of the season that is. Andy carrol has a goals to games ratio that would see him easily get 20 goals a season if he ever managed to play more than 20 games a season. What are the chances though.
Well this is an article about a forward me friend.When there is one about the defence we can talk about that.Maybe the amount of goals from our midfield pushing on has left our defense exposed.Meself I think Slaven will buy in both areas.
… Nine teams have conceded fewer goals than we have.
We’re looking at the wrong end of the pitch – sort the defence out!
We’ve scored more goals this season than all except Leicester (3 more than us) the Spuds (4 more than us) and City (6 more than us).
We’ve scored 18 more than Manure.
Can someone please explain why we need a 20 goal striker?
I ain’t obsessed with one Chaz for the simple reason that 20 a season strikers in the prem are few & far between.I would be more than happy with a striker who stayed fit & offered us a regular 14/15 goals a season.We get enough from midfield at the moment but a striker who can bag about 15 each season is something we have missed for a while now.I don’t think wanting one who gets that amount is being greedy or asking too much.Maybe I am just whistling in the wind to coin one of your favourite phrases 😉
Role th of players in front of him to make up Gold’s seven or eight for the chopping block. Even if we manage to sign that ‘mystical ’20 goal scorer that everyone’s obsessed with, he would still be an essential part of the team. Personally I’d rather keep him than Carroll.
How can life be so serious if your talking about JOB or Hippo Boys,
Still having treatment here after watching the slug doing dad dancing,
Have you two young buggers been on the Bob Marley baccy today.Wheres mine?
haha… Captain Jack, there’s plenty of it, you’re welcome… 😀
Hahaha,how did you know Captain Jack Sparrow.I would be lying if I said I wasnt.Me & my mates are having our very own 2016 Woodstock today,lol.Get your a*se round here,there is a subbuteo world cup going on.I got knocked out in the first f*cking round by my mate who was Scotland.Major embarrassment.But I am holding his ticket for tomorrow so unless he gives me a rematch it is going straight down the kharsi,lol 🙂
Sorry forgot to say OT 😉
OT Thanks for the OT Matte
OT I also read that JOB could join Hippo,it wouldn’t be a shock would it.
OT I don’t want to think about Hippo taking a paternity test thanks Matte 🙂
hahah.. OT (Old Trafford): it would be pretty upsetting to me too Rads… lol 😀
OT we better be more serious Matte.You are not ment to have fun or enjoy yourself.This is ment to be all very,very serious stuff discussing West Ham.The future of the world & future generations depends on it.Maybe we should sing ‘We are the world’ as we write,haha
hahah… yeah Rads, you’re absolutely right, I always felt the weight of that responsibility… lol Slav would be lost without us, we should stop here before we damage irrevocably the global economy. There’s a torchlight display in Hyde Park looming, more than 10,000 people have already joined the initiative… lol 😀
OT: I just read JOB will probably join Allardyce. I bet soon Carroll will be linked to Sunderlad and I would not be surprised If Nolan reaches the merry little band… at that point Sam should take a paternity test… lol 😉
I agree with Bubs- Sakho is our no.1 striker.
Aside from summer signings, I’d love to see Sakho & Valencia playing together again.
They seem to bring out the best in each other, and would be ideal rotations if we sign two new strikers over the summer transfer period.
Afternoon lads.Meself I would have a few shillings on him moving back to France this summer.I assume that is where his young ‘un is.Wouldn’t surprise me at all.
It’ll come down to one basic question: Is Sakho happy in England and at West Ham ?
If he is a happy guy we are likely to see the old Sakho on the pitch again, the one who is running and chasing opposition defenders and goalkeepers ragged, the one who knows where the goal is, the one who will play with a smile on his face and who will do the crossed hammers after every goal scored.
However, if him missing his family, his daughter too much affects his attitude on and off the pitch and his performances for the club, then we need to part ways with him, hoping to get a decent transfer fee for him and replace him.
The team surely are trying to help him every way they can and so are the fans.
But is this enough to keep him happy ? Should he find it too hard to be in England without his family, how much will he still be able to perform for us ?
Still rate him our number 1 striker,
On his day he is as good as any e are looking at and when on the pitch Payet and Lanzini look better players,
Only chance of leaving in my opinion is if a new French striker comes to us and he goes the other way and can command a good wage,
Why can’t his family join him here ?
I hope he stays also.He does do some fantastic tireless work of taking the defenders out of their positions & areas they are happy to stay in as a unit.I was fortunate enough to play to a decent standard,nothing special but I hated,hated a pacey striker to mark.Give me a big bruiser & I was in my element.Ok I accept pace isn’t everything without a fair amount of skill but they are still a pain to mark with the space they create for other players.I’m not saying it would be a comfortable or enjoyable experience but I would mark Andy Carroll every time compared to running my legs into the ground chasing a player with good,intelligent,pacey movement.Vardy would have killed me lol
I hope he stays. His tireless running really stretches defences and creates gaps.
The front line needs depth and he should be a part of that.
If (fingers crossed) we get Lacazette, he will be at the front of the queue and will expect to start. This means that Valencia will be moved on (to China so we can get our original money back?) so there is still a place for Sakho in Slav’s match day squad.
If Lacazette is our only acquisition in the striker dept. Carroll and Sakho will rotate as starters/bench depending on the opposition.
Sounds good to me.
Yes, I really hope he stays.
“Our Verdict – Sak STAYS”
Let’s hope so.