Slaven Bilic believes the club now has enough strikers at the club and will not be investing in anymore.
Diafra Sakho is now back in full training with the squad and “looking very strong indeed ” which looks set to give the manager another big option.
However, Andy Carroll remains on the first team sidelines whilst the club medics work on his muscle building programme ahead of the season.
Sakho has been taking a full part in all the first team squad action and looking was last night tipped to be in contention for a first team place at the start of the season
ClaretandHugh was told: “Sakho is going well at the moment and looking very strong. He might well become fantastic back up .
“We also have Andy although we still have to get him up to 100 per cent fitness and the medical staff are working hard hard on him.”
Bilic has made his decision following Chicharito’s arrival at the club but that doesn’t mean the club’s spending is at an end for the summer.
CandH’s source said: “It’s really difficult to get top strikers to come and sit on the bench and with Ayew and Antonio besides Carroll and Sakho there’s back up available. We still need to be moving one or to out and investing in some younger options we have identified.”
Maybe signing Hernandez will encourage our two fragile strikers to actually stay fit this season. Not that I’m saying that their injuries aren’t genuine but who knpws what a little competition might do.
Be nice not just to look for the long ball option with AC
Sak fits well with that concept,
Would be nice to team up the 2 Mexican players or even another quick forward like Gray
We need players that perform every game and Ayew only turns up every third game Feggolui only every fourth game and Snodgrass has yet to perform
Sak always give you 100%effort and delivers goals just keep him away from international games and witch doctors
A fit Sak would be the best “signing” of the summer . He is as good as all of the €40m strikers and could cause havoc with the right support . Time for AC to move on if Sak fit . Newcastle are stupid enough to buy him . Sad but we must look forwards so Noble should also be hanging up his boots . COYI
A fit Sakho would be a real boon. I am a bit concerned about the phrase “fantastic back up,” which I can’t see sitting very well with him.
Hernandez must be first choice up front and should start every game.
My thoughts are that Sakho should always be on the bench (for PL matches) but told that he will come on every game (either to replace Hernandez if we’re doing well in the game or to pair with him if we’re not).
More good news!
I agree with Markro, Sakho doesn’t do being back up very well and to be honest why not play them both together Hernandez cannot hold the ball up Sakho can to a degree, he is physically very strong both players can stretch the defence but Sakho can pull players out to the corners and really upset the back line creating even more space for Hernandez and the supporting midfield. I do hope Sakho is genuinely back although I will believe it when I see it.
My dream partnership the pea and sakho 🙂 sak , hopefully will feature in the coming fixtures and gain match fitness , that leaves the pea to get some fitness under his belt , if sakho performs well then that’s going to make it interesting , the answer is play both when possible , don’t do a sully and create a problem that shouldn’t be there , you play players on merit regardless of who they are , the team comes first and not individuals , this is fantastic news for me 🙂 big smile , I never gave up on the lad like some did on here , the bloke is class and I wish him well 🙂 🙂 let’s hope his injury is gone 🙂 china is just a constant disappointment , not his fault but still a big downer since he’s been here , totally unreliable , made my day this news 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’d play Chicharito with Sakho up front. But I’m not the boss
Everybody seems to be commenting on sakhos fitness but his fitness was a secondary problem to his attitude. His problems all started from his refusal to be on the bench then feigning injury. I will never fully trust him, for me i hope he gets a run of games to increase his value and then get shot of him in January ….we still need another striker I think …
This is fantastic news for Sakho and West Ham..
Bilic must now give careful consideration of employing formations which employ at least 2 strikers!
Sakho, the big strong ‘never-say die’ guy, Chicharito, the little finishing genius. Theoretically, they could score 35-40 goals between them..
Add to that, we have 2 class wingers in Arnautovic and Antonio, who you might expect to add another 25-30 goals.
If that is not enough to make you stand up as a proud Hammer, you’d better add in our attacking play-maker, Manu Lanzini, who will engineer and design so much of our creative play (he might get 10-15 goals as well!).
The other guys will probably chip in another 10 goals between them..
Well, you can add up the goals; anything over 70 goals in an EPL season will get you a top 6 (if not top 4 finish).
I haven’t even included some of the guys like Martinez, Quina, Fernandez-they only need 15 good minutes to get on the score-board as well!
And apparently, we could be signing another 1-2 players, if you believe David Sullivan!
Could this be the best EPL season in the history of our club?
COYI
I love an optimist, but I fear you’ve gone for a “max” no. of goals.
I agree, however that we will score far more than last year.
First 11:
Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Antonio, Cresswell, Obiang, Kouyate, Lanzini, Arnautovic, Hernandez
Second 11:
Adrian, Byram, Fonte, Collins, Masuaku, Fernandez, Noble, Ayew, Feghouli, Carroll, Sahko.
Snodgrass (assuming he wakes up) and Fletcher as additional backup with Quina, Rice, and Burke in the wings… Exciting season coming up.
I’d much prefer a 3-5-2 in the first 11. Same players you have there except drop Cressy, insert Sakho and then you can have Zab, Reid & Oggy as a back 3. Antonio & Marko L & R wing with Kouyate & Obiang backing up Lanzini in the middle. That will leave you nicely with Chico & Sakho up front.
Thats a hard team for anyone to play against. Strength, power, pace, height, skill……. Need i say more?
AC is on a muscle building programme? Would have thought 2 months would have been long enough to build up all the muscle you need to play Football,but it must be more complicated than I thought. Or are they selling him to that ‘World’s Strongest Man’ Show that used to be on BBC years ago?