It’s fair to say that West Ham haven’t had a prolific strike partnership for a number of years now.
And after a season of struggling to find the net, a number of ultimatums was given to Big Sam for this current season. Namely, a lot more goals and a more attacking, easy on the eye style of play. A total of twelve new faces were seen entering through the gates of Upton Park which also included three new strikers. Add to these the addition of a new attacking coach in former player and fan favorite, Teddy Sheringham, things were certainly looking a lot better.
A meager tally of just forty goals in the 2013/2014 season made bad reading for every West Ham fan. But it would seem that two of our three new strikers want to do something about this. Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho have formed a very good partnership in their first few games together. Although their partnership is still in it’s infancy, the signs are looking good.
Four goals in four games for Sakho and a thunderous strike from Valencia away to Hull city have pleased the fans, the owners, and the manager no end. For Big Sam, it is certainly easier to concentrate on your job of managing and team selection when you don’t have 34,000 angry West Ham fans calling for you to be sacked every week.
When he picks his strike partnership, it must be a weight off his mind knowing that the chances are that one or both of his strikers will find the back of the net again for him
.
Sakho showed again against Manchester Unitd at Old Trafford that he isn’t fazed by a big stadium or a team with a fearsome reputationy by sticking a header in the net to make the score 2-1. Their link up play is as though they have been playing together for years. Making little dummy runs so the other has some space to run into.
Not since the days of Cottee and McAvennie or John Hartson and Paul Kitson has there been such a buzz about a front two at Upton Park.
And long may it continue.