Of the eight goals West Ham United have scored this season just two of them have come from our front three, none of them eight goals have come from our out and out strikers Carlton Cole, Modibo Maiga and Andy Carroll. Is it time to worry or is it just a matter of time.
Our midfield has been sensational this season with Kevin Nolan bagging three goals, Matthew Taylor and Mohamed Diame scoring one each and the other came from centre back Winston Reid if it wasn’t for these four our season could look so much different. I know everyone will say it’s a team game and it doesn’t matter who scores the goals as long as we score them and I agree but my main worry is how little confidence our three main strikers seem to have.
You only have to look at that chance Cole had against QPR to see how little confidence he has, he went with the wrong foot and to the wrong corner and it was a little embarrassing to watch. Everyone knows Carlton is a confidence player so I’m not overly worried about him as a player, once he gets one he’ll bag a few more I’m sure. We all know he can do it and I think that’s why we get frustrated watching him, he has all the ability pace, power a great header of a ball and when confident in front of goal a super finisher. I look back to his goal a couple of seasons back against Liverpool when he showed all of his power and pace to get past the full back before smashing home past Reina at his near post that’s the Carlton we miss at the minute.
Modibo Maiga is hot in front of goal right now and his confidence in front of goal isn’t a worry, in his two starts for West Ham he has scored a goal in each and he will come back to West Ham fresh from scoring for his country, Mali. He may well get his chance in the Hammers starting XI now that Vaz Te is out for at least 12 weeks with his shoulder injury, so the Mali international will have to take his chance on the wing and hopefully show us why we paid 5 million for him.
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Andy Carroll is one I am not worried about, we all know his ability and he has been unlucky not to score for us a few times already this season. I was unhappy to see him not start against San Marino on Friday as I believe he could have scored and got his confidence us. Carroll is our best striker by a country mile and if we keep supplying him with chances the big number 8 will bury more than he misses. I think a goal is just round the corner for Andy and it is only a matter of time before we witness his first goal in Claret and Blue, so much so I have bet a tenner with my Manchester United supporting friend that Carroll will score a league goal before Wayne Rooney. So come on Andy bag one on Saturday for my sake!
So, is it a worry? For me the strikers have played a key role this season without scoring the goals, Carroll when fit has caused problems and opened up opportunities for others like Taylor and Nolan to get their goals, and as I said at the top it’s a team game. And as long as were scoring I don’t care who scores the goals.
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2 points i feel obliged to make. 1) carlton cole is not a good header of the ball. just because he gets it right sometimes doesnt means he’s good in the air. he wins 2/10 headers. 2) carroll will miss more chances than he scores. you wrote the opposite. but he will score and his dominance in the air causes loads of problems. he wins 8/10 headers. im hoping carroll stays injury free because carlton isnt doing it.
Andy Carroll has only played a couple of games for us so far, so give him a bloody chance! Modibo Maiga has scored on both his starts in the league Cup and barely featured in the league yet. Cole hasn’t looked confident this season and missed that glorious chance to seal the game against QPR. But on a wider point about Cole, we dont really play to his strengths so unlike that good season he had under Zola when he played alongside another striker (often the frustrating David Di Michele)