By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
We all know the saying: there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Nothing highlights that better than Pablo Felipe’s performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers last night.
Because as far as the eye test was concerned, West Ham’s £20million striker had a highly effective performance. In fact, I think I may have even uttered the words “his best display in a West Ham shirt” when I published my player ratings following the 4-2 win at the London Stadium.
However, scratch a little below the surface and his statistics for the match look a little stinky, to say the least.
Pablo’s Numbers Don’t Look Pretty
Pablo’s performance against Wolves was a strange one because, in many ways, it was exactly the sort of display Nuno seems to value from him.
He worked, battled and got involved in the ugly side of the game, contesting 20 duels and making five recoveries, three of them in the Wolves half.
He was also tidy enough in possession, completing 18 of his 23 passes, and did at least contribute to West Ham’s attempts to move the ball forward.
The problem is that, for a centre-forward, there was almost no attacking threat whatsoever.
Pablo played 72 minutes, had just two touches in the Wolves penalty area and failed to register a single shot. He also lost all six of his aerial duels.
Therefore, one might look at those numbers and conclude that he was completely useless.
I disagree.
The Eye Test Told A Completely Different Story
I’m no fan of the young striker ordinarily, but I thought last night he was integral to the team performance and at the heart of everything good that West Ham did.
It would normally be at this point where I damn him with faint praise for his work rate, endeavour and attitude.
But from what I could see, he displayed some excellent touches and really helped fire the Hammers’ attacking game, despite what the stats might say.
Two particular moments stick in my brain from the match.
| Pablo Felipe vs Wolves | Stat |
|---|---|
| Shots | 0 |
| Touches in penalty area | 2 |
| Duels won | 7/20 – 35% |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Aerial duels won | 0/6 |
The first was a dinked pass into the path of Kyle Walker-Peters, which eventually resulted in Divine Mukasa’s humdinger of an opener.
Mukasa was quite rightly the star of West Ham’s first Championship victory of the season, but Pablo played his part in helping the attack function around him.
The second was a Ronaldinho-like drag-back played into the path of Manor Solomon.
I’m not suggesting for a moment that Pablo has somehow tapped into an unknown reservoir of skills, but he did manage to knit together his usual energy and effervescence with some pretty useful flourishes of technique.
Of course, there were the usual examples of balls bouncing off him and the odd first touch that would have put a donkey to shame.
But they were far less frequent than usual.
For all the numbers telling me what Pablo didn’t do, I know what I watched.
I thought he was West Ham’s second-best player.
And after that performance, he’s made himself undroppable for Derby County on Saturday.
I do like Pablo. We are a totally different team without him, for me he isn’t a striker (he hasn’t scored a goal yet) because he isn’t a selfish player. He is always trying to win the ball back and feed, rather than wait for a pass to score. He’s more an advanced midfielder, only thing missing from his game are some goals, but they will come. He’s a workhorse, gets stuck in, has some lovely footwork at times and can lay off a decent pass. I’m far happier when he is on the teamsheet than when he isn’t.
He puts in a shift but virtually no quality at all.
Whu are becoming a team of untouchables what a problem for Nuno.
It would be better if Pablo was played in a position where he scored goals for his last team.
He’s earning the title of ‘The Wanderer’.
Thought it was a skilful new signing on Tues!
Really influenced the game and contributed. Just looked the part too- confident, almost commanding in stature.
He definitely added to the attack and offered more in that position.
More please!
I think he is one of those players that when you watch you hold your head in your hands and think why is he even on the pitch, but when he isn’t playing you think to yourself what’s missing in our team
Interesting to see how divided the comments are! I’m in the pro Pablo camp. Would love to see him score, but what he gives us is an ability to stay up the field with his pressing.
Everytime we take him off (normally about 20 mins into the second half) we seem to just drop deep and spend the next 25 mins sat back in front of our goal.
I did wonder if we were going to pay for him going off against Wolves as we did against Chelsea last season.
He’s one of those players where we just seem to play better with him than without
I’d have to agree (though don’t read too much in that as I only watched the extended highlights).
Endeavour would be a good way to explain the phenomenon that is Pablo.
Just by putting himself about it creates energy and movement from the team.
The gods know Bowen needs some help in that department, we also saw against Southampton that energy from the young fellas.
More of the same might just snap the team out of the shellshock them seem to be suffering from relegation.
Another win this weekend and the average start might prove to be just a blip.
It’s a long arse season in the Championship, we’re going to need Pablo’s energy.
Pablo works his socks off & does the donkey work, the nitty gritty. There are some games that will suit him in this league. I actually really like the lad he’s got the work ethic & grit needed in this league. Go Pablo ⚒⚒⚒
So you could argue that Pablo’s position in the team is ‘decoy’. Because that’s basically what he is.
Who cares. When he’s on the pitch we have been more successful.
It was Pablo’s best game in a West Ham shirt, but as glowing as that may sound, he has never set the bar very high has he. It is Nuno who insists on playing him while dropping the likes of Orford, a player who is being judged by a much higher standard and gets ignored however well he plays. Two things made me groan when I saw the team sheet yesterday, the back line and Pablo. The result was great, but it could have gone either way and it was not a mystery why those two teams were relegated.
I love a grafter, so I’ll take Pablos effort all day long and no one is more deserving of a goal than him. I feel like if he scores he might go on to get a bag full. Kind of how it was with Carlos Tevez. Couldn’t score for toffee for a long time with us then he was off and running. Strange really.
For me his stats are more than a fair reflection of a guy out of his depth, even at Championship level – and of someone who just jogged around aimlessly without any of the energy and presence that his position demands.
We have had our share of forwards over the years who weren’t the most prolific in terms of goals but at least they looked like they cared and bust a gut for the cause.
This guy does neither and to add insult to injury he cost us 20 MILLION QUID!!
20 MILLION QUID???…Something very fishy gone on there.
How you can say: “for a centre-forward, there was almost no attacking threat whatsoever.
Pablo played 72 minutes, had just two touches in the Wolves penalty area and failed to register a single shot. He also lost all six of his aerial duels.”
and follow it up by saying he is undroppable for Saturdays game?
From what I saw he should be nowhere near the first team – what message does his selection send to Taty and Ajala, two players with genuine ‘energy and effervescence’ (and that useful ability to put the ball in the net). His aimless ambling around and lack of basic skills made me furious and there were plenty around me who appeared to feel the same.
P.S I really like your podcast and feel you always offer entertaining intelligent and inciteful comments on the club/game, but this has left me dumfounded.
COYI!!
He can’t be a starter. I would push Mukasa further up into his position. I’m not sure Mukasa wants to do the defending side of a CM, his focus is on the opponents goal. That would mean a more suitable player going into CM, someone who can play deeper but move the ball forwards at a quicker pace, Orford over Alvarez for me.
Sorry. Completely disagree. He is utterly useless and has no end product. All he can do is runaround but he rarely wins back possession or challenges effectively on the ground or in the air. I can recall one good bit of linkup play yesterday and nothing else. I was unhappy he started and unhappy he wasn’t subbed earlier.
If all you want is stamina and running, Mo Farrah would be a better bet.
Hes an enigma, but brings so much to the team.we are better with him,than without,imo
Was I watching another game I thought he had a dire game losing possession easily.
It’s not alright running around making yourself look good with no good ending,sorry I’ve got to totally disagree with you
Gonzo, are you experiencing a kind of footballing Stockholm Syndrome? 😀
Gonzo like you I thought it was his best performance to date Some moments he pulls of something different that nobody else can produce
You are getting soft Gonzo. Pablo was his usual rubbish. No goals, no assists, no shots . How gets a game I will never understand.
Bowen , Piroe , Engels, Mukasa , Orford , Solomon , Ajala all look like they have something to offer even if most of them look like Championship level.
I actually missed Pablo when Nuno removed him at half time against Burnley (injury I think?) . We were a goal up and controlling the game with Pablo knitting it all together with holding up the ball and little flicks. He was replaced by JWP for the second half and Burnley overran us to get the draw. So I see where you are coming from Gonzo
I’d love to see the stats for the Chelsea game, Summerville was the star that day, but it felt like Pablo (& Taty) were what made everything tick….. well at least until Nuno came to the fore and his tactics cost us the game…. what was it that day Kilman for Pablo 65th minute !!
Is it possible that he could be a Joe Linton? As in signed as a forward but is.not skilful enough but is.actually a decent defensive midfielder of.some description.
I thought that was Pablo’s best match for us, he seems to have really improved his technique and his work rate really improves the team