Whispers

The Unexpected Player Who Might Just Save West Ham’s Season

Image for The Unexpected Player Who Might Just Save West Ham’s Season

One West Ham positive from last night—and we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here—is that Niclas Fullkrug looked very good indeed.

On a night when the Hammers were outplayed by the Premier League’s fourth-worst team, Fullkrug was arguably West Ham’s best performer.

In just 45 minutes of second-half football, the German striker offered a glimpse of what might be to come. On another night, he could’ve walked away with both a goal and an assist. His powerful header that crashed off the bar was particularly impressive, especially given the distance and angle. And his clever backheel to set up Tomas Soucek was a moment of real quality in an otherwise forgettable display.

The glimpses we’ve seen of Fullkrug since his £27 million move from Borussia Dortmund have been encouraging—it’s just that his fitness issues have repeatedly interrupted any real momentum.

The contrast between Fullkrug’s second-half showing and Evan Ferguson’s anonymous first-half performance was stark. Unless something changes quickly, it’s hard to see the Brighton loanee getting another start if Fullkrug stays fit.

Of course, that’s the big “if.” Getting Fullkrug to the end of the season in one piece is now absolutely imperative.

All of a sudden, West Ham’s big summer signing has become very important—because without him, this Irons attack looks completely blunt.

Share this article

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!
We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇
https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

6 comments

  • B says:

    I’m not sure anyone doubted Fulkrugs’ quality?
    There were concerns about his age, fitness and injuries.

    A fit Fulkrug is a big asset to this team.

  • John Ayris says:

    We’d be crazy to play Ferguson instead of Fullkrug on those performances. Fullkrug was way better and he’s our player whereas Ferguson isn’t. Fullkrug should get whatever minutes are thought prudent.

    Fullkrug looked aggressive, likely to score and to create assists. I made Ferguson our least effective performer, it was like night and day.

  • Mike W says:

    Gonzo how many players did GP bring in?
    You and your mates on other sites are so negative how can you say you support West Ham.
    We’re not going to be relegated so he’s assessing his squad ready for next season

  • Alan'sDevonshireCream says:

    C&H and Gonzo always like to chose the most dramatic and controversial headline to get people to click on the article. Earning money over creating decent content wins for them everytime. Just a shame that with being so knowledgeable about our beloved hammers he chose to use it in a way that more often that not in a negative way that 1000’s get to read 🤷

  • Johnny Ayris says:

    Outplayed? Not from what I was watching in particular in the second half. Still it made a good line didn’t is Gonzo ‘outplayed by the fourth worst’

  • Hammeroo says:

    Yes, SecondHalfkrug was good. Much better than FirstHalferson. And it’s a pity Tomas The Tank Engine didn’t make the most of that back heel pass and put the ball in the net.

Comments are closed.