Wilfried Bony, Is he signing? Is he any good? Are Chelsea really trying to get him to sign for us? Thanks to David Sullivan, West Ham fans are wondering is this just another PR stunt or if we will actually succeed in someone we are after and what this potential new striker possesses.
Having signed Matt Jarvis for over £10million this summer, Sullivan has indicated in his press conference that he is talking to a European striker who will smash our record signing fee. Bony meanwhile has been slapped with a £12-14million price tag by his club Vitesse Arnhem.
Now we’ve got all these ‘ITK’ reports telling us he’s signed for the club, he’s in talks or he’s talking to Fulham or Stoke, in theory talking a load of rubbish.
With more rumours suggesting that Roman Abramovich is getting involved as he has something to do with Bony’s club Vitesse Arnhem and telling the club to sell to us in case interest from ‘Chelsea’s rivals’ appeals to the Ivorian more.
Aside from the rumours and the speculation, who is Wilfried Bony?
Yes you can look on YouTube for yourself and see if he’s any good, but then again it made the likes of Julien Faubert and Savio look invincible.
The 24 year old Ivory Coast international plays in the Dutch League as mentioned for Vitesse Arnhem. This season so far he is the third highest goal scorer in Europe, behind two of the world’s greatest players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with 24 goals in 26 games.
However this isn’t just one lucky season it seems. Last season for Vitesse, he bagged 12 in 28 games and the year before that 3 in 7. Altogether Bony has 38 goals to his name for the Dutch side in 57 games. It must also be added that he has 5 international goals to his name for the Ivory Coast in 17 caps. Impressive figures but you can debate whether it gives him the status as a prolific goal scorer.
Bony is also 6 foot tall, so must be ideal for Sam Allardyce, anything smaller and he’d be shipped off to the Championship.
You can argue though that the Eredivisie, (Dutch Premier League) doesn’t hold the best standard of football and the only strikers who have been imported by English Premier League teams that have turned out to be successful are Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Luis Suarez and Dennis Bergkamp. The likes of Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel have ended up on the wings and haven’t really set the world alight, particularly the latter.
But what can be said about Wilfried Bony is that he does know where the goal is. This being something that the club has missed for a number of years. Personally I feel Dean Ashton was our last consistent goal scorer and both Allardyce and Sullivan have come out and said that a goal scorer is something we desperately need.
It’s an expensive risk for the co-chairmen to make and knowing our luck if we do sign him he’ll flop but let’s hope that with the Olympic Stadium coming our way, another bit of fortune will follow just behind.
Ive watched his video a few times. It looks sensationalised. … I actually think the defending in some circumstances was Sunday League. .. In the negative, he looks slow and not agile. … In the positive, he looks very powerful and direct. He seems to know where the goal is (but then I didn’t see the video of his misses). …….
I doubt he’s the next Drogba. I doubt he’ll get us 15 goals in a season. .. The reason i doubt this is because Big Sam’s tactics (451 away/433 at home) usually verge on the unambitious and negative. …
I draw reference to Andy Cole. .. He was fast, busy, in and around the box.. but in my book, wasn’t a goalscorer. He scored loads of goals but missed loads more. Andy Cole played in some attacking minded and ambitious lineups where he’d scored some of the numerous chances he’d get. … Now if Carlton Cole or Andy Carroll or you name him, got as many chances as Andy Cole used to get then they’d get goals too.
My point is, it’s not the striker who scores them, it’s the team (or the players) that create them.
And Big Sam’s stats or Skysports stats are showing a false impression of reality. No distinction between the “quality” of the chances.
fat sam is crap
Big Sam did a marvellous job at Bolton, i couldnt quite understand what happened at Newcastle, Am sure the Indian Owner’s at Blackburn are still chewing their shoe laces! He made certain a great club like West Ham United returned to the premier league just after one season in the championship which is by no means a remarkable feat. Sam deserves respect and support from West Ham faithfuls not cynicism. Im a chelsea fan, bt Sam’s a wonderful coach and person.
Dribble Dribble. We don’t want to be like Bolton hard to beat but rubbish to watch. How often we’re Bolton on sky sports? Same as stoke this year and West Ham next season if fat Sam is in charge. So predictable and boring whack it from defence to stricker and hope for knock downs. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Fat Sam out!!!!!!
Don’t forget Van Persie as well. But for every Van Persie there is an Afonso Alves
Wasnt kezman another? Defending is shocking in the videos but finishing is good! Will he get that much space un the prem? No way will he
I think its a step in the right direction to be linked with young free scoring players as we desperatly need a 20 goal a year man. Now we have the stadium funding should be easier we will become an attractive team. I do hear westfield are already interested.
I don’t like this business of twitter and blogs and rumours about potential signings,its damaging our chances of getting our targets and the two chairman and their in-laws should learn to shut up and do the business in private,and then announce to all and sundry,Bony will be snapped up now because of big mouths looking for attention
I agree Terry. Fair enough rumours can start from anywhere but I don’t agree with what jack Sullivan is doing. Maybe other club news but not transfers that haven’t even happened