West Ham have a problem which is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: Our strikers simply aren’t scoring enough goals. Despite the Hammers being the Championship’s highest scorers, Nuno Espírito Santo’s three centre-forwards have managed just five league goals between them. Frankly, that is nowhere near good enough.
There is little doubt that finishing is part of the problem. One only has to look at the excellent chances squandered by all three of West Ham’s front men against Swansea City, followed by another 28 attempts during yesterday’s 3-2 defeat against Southampton, to see that opportunities are being created.
However, there is also an underlying issue. Nuno does not appear to know his best team, while West Ham simply do not possess a prolific marksman. Joël Piroe is probably the most natural goalscorer of the three, but he lacks Pablo Felipe’s industry. Taty Castellanos is arguably the most talented all-round player, yet strangely he appeared more effective in the Premier League than he has in the Championship.
Bowen and Dinos have both outscored West Ham’s strikers
West Ham Strikers Have No Excuses
Nuno’s tactics have played their part, but West Ham remain the Championship’s highest scorers. Therefore, while the Hammers start games slowly and are not always attractive to watch, this increasingly resembles an individual finishing problem.
Frankly, the strikers should be embarrassed that central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has outscored all of them with five league goals.
Then there is Tomáš Souček, who has missed most of the season after suffering an ankle-ligament injury at the World Cup. Yet he has scored three Championship goals, all after coming off the bench, drawing level with Piroe as the leading league scorer among West Ham’s recognised strikers.
West Ham Championship Goals Comparison
| Player | League Goals |
|---|---|
| Joël Piroe | 3 |
| Taty Castellanos | 1 |
| Pablo Felipe | 1 |
| Tomáš Souček (midfielder) | 3 |
Souček has scored all three of his Championship goals after coming off the bench.
Piroe has three Championship goals, while Taty and Pablo have one apiece. That means the three centre-forwards have produced only five league goals between them.
As I argued in our recent article about Castellanos, it is difficult to single out one striker for poor finishing when none of them is proving particularly clinical.
People will quite rightly point out what each striker brings to the team. Pablo’s work rate, for example, has been an important part of West Ham’s pressing game, as we highlighted in our recent assessment of the Brazilian.
However, there are plenty of forwards who work hard, link play AND score goals.
West Ham have two obvious requirements if they are serious about returning to the Premier League: compete from the first whistle and buy an athletic, prolific striker in January.
After the money raised through summer player sales, there should be enough left to address a problem which could ultimately decide the promotion race.
You can’t keep rotating the three strikers and expect it to click for them. They are all so different in style that it must get confusing for the other players week to week. Those other players need time to understand and connect with a striker, so choose one Nuno and give him a run in the team.
When you have three strikers and the one who is not scoring gets rewarded with playing the next game. therein lies the problem.
Piroe was firing, scored a couple then next game Nuno leaves him on the bench.
Neither Ajala or Austbo have been given sufficient time to show what their qualities are.
This also applies to Birao.
Striker problem goes back to last three years of Antonio it was recognised but never fixed.
Moyes brought in Scamacca and played him as a lone striker was never going to work.
Last transfer period came close to signing Parrott which could have been answer.
Will one come next transfer period or will it be too late?
Nuno needs to play ALL players regularly not just favourites.
We should have taken Vardy! Added to which he could have shown Ajala another way of playing no 9. He is definitely not the type to be looking for a last paycheck either.
Pablo presses high up and is very effective. When he used to interplay with Taty and they swapped positions. they were both more effective, but this has stopped. I presume manager wants Taty to hold his position – just guessing.
Pablo has to improve his skills and even simple stuff such as acceleration, but otherwise we need a more accomplished player, unfortunately. I wonder if Ajala could do this for 20-25 mins only. Too much to ask him to do this for 90 mins in a quite physical league. He likes to roam, late runs into the box, eats up the ground like Pablo, yet he is skillful, great first touch and quick as well.
Taty & Piroe seem better when they drop back interchanging with a no 10, or even Bowen. Not saying it is ideal, but more movement & interchanging might help them through this rough patch.
I’d like to see a quick, physical no 9, like Antonio. Good luck finding one though.
Nicholas Jackson works hard for the team AND scores goals, Dominic Calvert-Lewin works hard for the team AND scores goals, Joao Pedro works hard for the team AND scores goals. How many more should I name? Most strikers work hard for their teams AND scores goals.
This nonsensical supporting of one of the worst strikers to ever wear the shirt is moronic. Pablo’s job as a footballer is to work hard for the team and as a striker is to score goals. End of. Taty, likewise. They’re both poor strikers. Oh, and they cost over £40m between them. Doesn’t need endless conversations to reach the conclusion that they both just aren’t good enough.
I think Ajala would score more than those 3!!
And why Solomon starts ahead of Austbo is a mystery to me!!
Also time to give Scarles a run in the team. He won’t improve sat on the bench.
Utter codswallop ,he adds very little….