Wtih Ilunga having already joined Doncaster on loan this week, and Piquionne constantly linked, Bill West casts his opinion on whether these two Hammers have a future at Upton Park.
It was announced last week that Herita Ilunga has joined fellow Championship side Doncaster Rovers on a three month loan deal. Good news. As I have mentioned before, Ilunga has been nothing short of a liability in the games he has played this season, a far cry from when he first joined West Ham in 2008.
His first two seasons at the club were fantastic, plus he was signed for a small fee which is always a bonus. But ever since then Ilunga’s form has plummeted and it is not surprising that West Ham have sent him out on loan.
Sending a young player out on loan is fair enough. You want the player to gain first team experience in a competitive league rather than the reserves or youth leagues. But when you send out a player on loan who is 29 years old, you can pretty much say this player has no future at the club.
It is the same situation Frederic Piquionne finds himself in. Piquionne has been linked with a loan move to join Ilunga at Doncaster. I don’t think many Hammers fans will be unhappy about Piquionne possibly leaving. Yes, he works hard but as a striker you have to be judged on how many times you put the ball in the back of the net. Last season, Piquionne only scored 9 goals in all competitions, which isn’t good enough.
Again, like Ilunga, if Piquionne goes out on loan, it looks very unlikely that he will put on a West Ham shirt again, which I’m sure will please many.
I agree Piqionne tries hard but that is all. We need forwards that can finish and have to stop relying on penalties or the odd Nolan goal.
I would also consider whether Carlton Cole should be loaned out as well.
If Carew does not buck his ideas up then he could follow as well. Taking young players is a risk, but what’s worse having folks who cannot score because of lack of confidence, ot those that are young enough not to be scared, and score. I believe a blend is needed, and Carew and Baldock did seem to becoming a good partnership before injuries struck. Perhaps they can again, but we need another pairing to vary the strategy and give us other options. Players coming to the end of their careers is a short term strategy. I hope Sam gets some new strikers with potential, and can bring them on, he did it a Bolton so perhaps he can do it again.
The rest of January should be an interesting time, and we will have to wait as always to see just who arrives. Perhaps a trial for Yannick Sagbo to assess whether he can deliver in the Championship would be a good idea, whilst all the papers talk the price up on the others being considered.