The longer this goes striker hunt goes on, the more worried I am about our defensive depth on the wings.
We have strikers, we have Carroll, Sakho, Valencia and Martinez who are ALL capable of getting a goal and I’m pretty sure with added faith in the players by the management and owners they will perform even more.
Gone are the days of relying on Carlton Cole (never great but always gave 100%). We still have 3 very good strikers who will ONLY be REPLACED if we can find someone who is of the exceptional level – someone like Lacazette (who I absolutely LOVE and WELL worth his £40m price tag), Bacca, Mandzukic etc.
What’s the point of having a 20-goal striker if we are going to let in an additional 20 goals being left exposed on the wings with players not experienced enough or defensively minded to cope?
We’ve been outstanding defensively, and we should not let this get any weaker than it already has. As a defensive minded player who’s played right back and centre back for many years – you gain more points by not letting in goals.
The right back issue has always been a problem since Jenkinson got injured. Either start playing Sam Byram and let him grow as we did with Cresswell or get another talented right back in to allow Antonio to play his natural position in a more attacking role – someone like Nathaniel Clyne.
Yes, we have signed a versatile player in Havard Nordtviet, who can play centre-midfield, centre back and right back, but we signed him on his performances playing centre of the park for a very good Monchengladbach side in the Bundesliga. We need natural players in their natural positions.
Now Cresswell is injured, we have no recognised left back to play in that position, and yes Ogbonna can play there as he has done with Juventus, Torino and Italy, but he has come to West Ham to play centre back, not left back.
Maybe we should swoop for Alex Kolorov at Man City – a talented and experienced left back with European experience and a sweet left foot from set pieces. M
an City are currently going through a transitional phase where Pep is letting his aged players go for the new era – a cut price Kolorov would be a better and safer acquisition that signing a hopeful full back from League One.
Come on you Irons.
