Manager Graham Potter’s pronouncement in July that ‘he didn’t want to sign a striker’ went down predictably badly with the Hammers fan base following last seasons dreadful goal scoring stats. For anyone watching the Hammers last term, entertainment – let alone goal threat – was in short supply as the Irons stumbled and bumbled their way to fourteenth position.
In hindsight – with a modest budget and huge issues to correct – was that such a bad decision from Potter? The way his side is shaping up it is clear he’s planning to do a David Moyes and convert out and out winger Jarrod Bowen to more of a striker role, with he and Fullkrug sitting in traditional ‘inside right’ and ‘inside left’ positions during pre-season.
David Moyes famously converted Marko Arnautovic from moody winger into decent striker, whilst Michail Antonio started out under Bilic as a wing back if memory serves me right. Potter seems determined to take a leaf out of Moyes’ manual and use his wingers as front men.
Which means he can spend the transfer budget on refining the midfield. Might not be perfect. Might not even be pretty. But with negotiations on-going this week for Mateus Fernandes now that Mads Hermansen, along with el Hadji Malick Diouf are already purchased this summer, it seems that the Hammers manager has recognised the biggest flaw and compromised.
‘That’ midfield needs urgent surgery, as without creating more and defending better, buying the best striker in the Premier League would be a waste of money.
With pace available in the squad with Guilherme, Summerville and Bowen himself all available to combine with Niclas Fullkrug, Potter’s calculated risk is that one of them will shine up front IF he can fix the midfield. It’s a big gamble and, as they say, by Christmas he’ll either be lauded or out on his ear.
It’s a bit of a source of frustration for me that numerous West Ham managers have done something similar . Either playing wingers as central strikers or using a false no 9. Even back in the 80s McAvennie was bought as a midfielder (ok that didn’t work out too badly 😂).
When we have bought strikers recently they have been played in systems that don’t suit them e.g Haller and Scamacca both need to played in a pair rather than as a lone striker. Then there is a whole host of rubbish like Wellington, Calleri, Mido, Savio, Jelavic, Chamakh, Nene, Maiga, Barrera, Emenike, Boogers etc.
Potter has to say something as he was never going to be given the £40-50 millon for a top 20 – 25 goal a season striker.
Only time will tell if the gamble pays off, if West Ham start badly, Potter will pay with his job
Antonio started as a winger under Bilic then was bizarrely converted into a wing back. Moyes saw a striker in him and followed the plan he had previously used with Arnautovic. I always wondered if Yarmalenko could have been converted centrally?
I don’t think we have a winger currently that can do that both Arnautovic and Antonio were fastish and strong. Don’t think anyone currently is like that
Incidentally before Arnautovic decided to go I thought he was more than decent CF – he was a great player on his day and a revelation from what he seemed like on the wing.
Intimidating, fast, strong with good ball skills and a bit mad – what else do you need!
I do agree we do need to sort the midfield
But if we managed to sell the dead wood which they are saying are worth 90million,then 13million on Gueye would be one for the future and maybe now, but can only go up in value
I think we would be mad to let him go
This time next year he could be worth double
Trouble is, what the club wants.. and what the market will pay.. for the ‘deadwood’ are vastly different and the Hammers would need to take big losses on all to ship them out
Their wages are prohibitive too. I think we’ll struggle to move many of them on. I envisage some of the ‘deadwood’ in the background picking up hefty pay cheques and running down their contracts.
I believe that we definitely need a out and out striker but if the midfield doesn’t get sorted out what’s the point the attacking players won’t have any impact due to the sideways and back passing that seems to be the only way our midfield players can play it’s not good enough if this is how it is going to be in the foreseeable future then we are going to struggle big time and run the risk of being relegated as for Wilson and fullkrug they are no where near good enough to be able to pick the ball up in our half and strive to get up the pitch to score they just don’t have it in them why they are has beens who are more likely to spend most of the season injured