Sam Baldock, Nicky Maynard, Modibo Maiga, Wellington Paulista and Marouane Chamakh have all got something in common. First of all, at some stage, they have been signed by Sam Allardyce, for West Ham United. They are all strikers, and they are all strikers who have not been given a chance to show what they can do in the First Team.
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It’s fair to say that Andy Carroll and Carlton Cole are our main two strikers, but Cole knows that as long as Carroll is fit, he will not be playing. Obviously, Baldock and Maynard are no longer at the club, having only stayed for the whole or part of last season, and our promotion push. But there was certainly bags of potential between the two of them. Baldock was unfortunate to pick up a bad injury early in the campaign, and he never really got a look in after what seemed a promising start. Maynard joined in the January transfer window last year, but again, was rarely given the opportunity to show us what he could do. There was no doubting his finishing ability, you only have to look at his strike against Cardiff in the second leg of the Playoffs to see that. Both were sold in the summer to help fund the transfer for Carroll. During the summer, we signed Modibo Maiga from Sochaux in France. He came with a good reputation in Ligue 1, Newcastle tried to sign him in the January transfer window last season, but a knee injury prevented him joining the Magpies, and Harry Redknapp also said that he was scouting him whilst at Spurs. To be fair to Maiga, in the appearances he has made, he has scored goals. However, rumours in the press surround his attitude around the training ground, and Big Sam has not played him much this season, despite looking a danger. Chamakh and Wellington joined in the January transfer window, Chamakh has had two games and looked promising, but again, as soon as Carroll returned, Chamakh has been dropped again. Wellington hasn’t even appeared for the first team yet, not even as a sub!
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So why is Sam Allardyce signing these players if he has no intention of using them? I can’t answer that, but to me, they are not players in the mould of Carroll and Cole. The big centre forward who will win headers and hold the ball up. However, is that the problem? It’s all well and good having an Andy Carroll in your side, but you also need someone to finish off the knock downs, and the rebounds in the 6 yard box. Is Big Sam just playing it safe and then when survival secure, will he tinker with the formations in an attempt to plan for next season? Maiga certainly deserves a chance, he is impressive when playing on the shoulder of the last man, and as we saw against Chelsea, is the striker who will pick up the rebounds in the box. Sam won’t ever play 2 strikers, but we don’t necessarily have to play with one big man up front. Barcelona and Real Madrid can prove that. Messi or Benzema are hardly big lumps are they? It’s just about changing the style of play to accommodate them, something we haven’t done this season. Its my only criticism of Allardyce, we are too predictable. If we played Maiga or Wellington as the lone striker, it would mean we have to play on the floor. I say give it a go Sam, you might be pleasantly surprised! COME ON YOU IRONS!! By ChelmoHammer
Agree, totally! I’ve rated Maiga from day one since he joins us. I keep reading that Paulista is scoring in the reserves so I think he deserves a spot, at least the bench!
Apparently the problem with Maiga is his work ethic; he’s lazy in training, was late coming back from AFOC etc. If he’s not putting in the effort, chances are he won’t start (and if I remember rightly the games he has started he’s been a passenger). Obviously players like Baldock and Maynard showed sparks of potential, but not enough to warrant a starting place (now one barely features for Bristol and the others been injured all year). Realistically, anyone could comment on any player on this site, but whatever you see on TV, or whatever sentimental values you hold to any particular player, BFS is the only one who sees them in training, and you have to put your faith in the fact he picks the best team for his system. Only when our league position is secure should we think about experimentation.
That was meant to be ACON, sorry
Where have you got the training info from? He was late back from AFCON because the Mali FA mucked up his flights. Nope he has been a passenger in one game he has played for us. Scored in both league cup games he has started for us. Deserves a chance. Big Sam knew he was a striker who needs a partner, why sign him if never going to use him, he is a fantastic striker. I would trust Sams decisions if we were playing good football that warranted his trust with regular goalscorers. None of that his happening so why should I trust his decision? He also plays Vaz Te out of position in midfield so again why would I trust him? He only has one system and unless you are a big lump up front you won’t get a chance. Rant over but I completely disagree with you.
Lets face it. Sam isn’t very good at spending money but very good at wasting it. Our better signings have been for free or cheap, diame and cole etc. Should Sam be the man to rebuild the irons, your havin a larf.
Maybe not to rebuild, but to stabilise. Couldn’t ask for much more considering where we were 2 years ago
Stabilise? How have any of his signings that cost us money help stabilise the squad? Aside from Vaz Te’s goals last season everyone else has been either useless or massively overpriced. It wasn’t hard to get us up at the first time of asking because we had by far the best squad in the league. He still didn’t manage to get us automatically promoted.
realist is right. Big Sam is holding us back and will take us backwards as a club.
Quality is no guarantee of promotion or indeed success, look at the so called quality of QPR. And as for the overpriced player remark, who else other than Jarvis are you referring to? Collins on a free – aside from a few mistakes he’s been fantastic, Cole – 2 goals and some lethal crosses. Carroll/Chamackh/Paulista/Pogatetz – all on loans, Carroll is completely underrated and the others just haven’t worked out, but we’ve got the quality we need in other players – and I include Nolan in that.
Last season after jan he started to play 2 striker
We only lost 1 game !
Quality over quantity. Having 7 or 8 mediocre strikers on the books is stupid, especially when we mostly play with 1 up front. We’d be better off having 3 or 4 strikers who score goals. Buying loads of strikers doesnt somehow give the team more goals, because only 1 of them starts the game anyway
But according to mr gold himself you can never have enough strikers haha joke really every jan since they have been here we’ve loaded up on strikers an all have been just as bad as each other apart from 1 or 2 and they dot get a look in all in all if Sam don’t know you from previous clubs you don’t stand a chance baldock, Maynard, maiga, chamakh, wellington, diarra all signal that for me haven’t last very long unlike the likes of Nolan, Taylor, obrian, jussi, Carroll, who all start near enough every week!! Yes Sam has been decent in stabilising us but I think it’s time for a change he’s wasted near enough same amount as what curbs did but at least they was good at some stage with us unlike majority of the players Sam has signed.
To many mediocre players and yet I hear he’s giving oneil yet another contract criminal when we had French international captain sitting on our bench while him and Taylor Tomkins all played in the middle, when Sam didn’t get a new left back in summer Said McCartney and Taylor were our left backs this year yet McCartney been out injured since December and Taylor has played central midfield
Sometimes it seems some of our fans are becoming as bad as spuds fans what with all the moaning. The math is really simple imho. We got promoted regardless of how and we are in a better position then the other newly-promoted sides as well as some prem regulars like villa. At the moment we are looking to be safe from relegation this season.
The likes of Southampton, Wigan, Villa etc. have in the opinion of some fans played more “attractive” football then us yet they are still below us so yeah, i’ll take Sam over that any day. We are still carrying championship level players in our squad at the moment (Taylor, Vaz, Demel, O’neil etc) which were ok signings at that level but unless we give the team an overhaul and bring in some quality in the summer any expectations are unwarranted.
It amazes me how every day we get some fans that for some unknown reason think they know better then the manager whether it be tactical knowledge, man management or whatever. Unless you are or have been managers at prem level i would voice such opinions with a bit of humility instead of acting as if you could do a better job.
Bottom line though, I for one trust the Davids to make the right long-term call for the club because they are fans too and more importantly businessmen and it is their money on the line.
…ok…rant over.
Those clubs you’ve named maybe villa apart could thy attract the array of players we could?? Wigan don’t Southampton dont so if we could sigh the quality players then really we wouldn’t be where we are if our strikers were given the chance the amount of goal scoring opportunities that we’ve created over the season we wouldn’t be where we are which is a decent position don’t get me wrong and I would take it but its frustrating to watch every week that’s all I’m saying
well put sir..!
maybe i’ve just been watching different games cause it never seemed that we created that many clear cut chances when i looked at our games. Semi-dangerous situations maybe…but not many concrete chances. I’m not saying other strikers shouldn’t be given a chance…in fact i’ve advocated for Maiga to be given a shot in attack as opposed to the wing…but i dont automatically assume my opinion is better then the manager’s as i am not privy to anything that goes on within the club…i only see the games. So yeah…we are getting there…slowly, but we are. With investment in the summer i expect us to play nicer footy even under Sam. Just look at how Newcastle played before they invested in January and after – both cases under Pardew.
Ro,
I am not having a dig at Allardyce, I am a big fan of what he has done at the club. The point I’m making is that we have signed all of these strikers, yet Big Sam doesn’t use them. And as I said later on in the article, maybe he is waiting for our survival to be confirmed before he has a tinker with the team.
CH
Chances created??????…thats the WHOLE problem, there are hardly any. In the Prem Stats table for CLEAR CUT chances, we are third from bottom…Villa, Stoke, and Wigan are all ahead of us. How can you blame strikers if they have no chances to miss ??? We have zero creativity in this squad, though Joe Cole may hopefully solve that failing. The team is crying out for a some skilful sharp ball players/creators but as we all know unless you are 14 stone and 6ft 2, Allardyce just wont pick you.
Let’s just remember it means nothing if ur in the reserves and scoring regularly!!!! Sears was prolific at schoolboy and reserve level, but was absolute shiite in first team…still loved the lad though….I’m frustrated at the fact its always one striker whether its home or away, against top opposition our low league opposition. We all want exciting football with an inspirational manager. Never going to happen with big Sam as manager. We may be safe this year, and THAT’S THE ONLY GOAL. problem i foresee though is if we do get the keys to Olympic stadium, how we going to fill it with a passionless manager and same old tactics week in week out. I love the discipline big Sam brings and expects, just wish he could show some new tricks and formations….HOPEFULLY Ravel Morrison will give us a bit of a spark next season…and Robert Hall…COYI
We have a clear dilemma at West Ham that relates directly to strikers, whoever they are. Its no secret that Allardyce plays one way, and that is a direct, long ball back to front style using a lone striker and a packed midfield behind, usually having a nominated second striker who is supposes to pick up bits and pieces and score (stop laughing out there !!!). There is almost no clever interplay in and around the box that the smaller, sharper, skilful players like Maynard, Baldock, Paulista, Maiga, even Joey Cole and the like can feed off and finish. Nearly all the balls delivered into the box come from deep: centre halfs chipping 40/50 yard balls straight in, or wingers putting balls in from wide looking for Carroll/Cole in the air and feeding off of the odd knock down or dodgy clearance. How many times this season have we seen a ball slipped in behind a defence for a player to run on to and slot home ???
This in effect means that there are hardly any decent chances created. Its all scruffy challenging for high balls and seeing what happens, which most of the time is nothing …just look at out goals for stats…awful ! Strikers live or die on the amount of supply they get and our strikers get no DECENT supply. Everything they get they have to fight for, win, control, and then, if they have done all of these things, whilst having two or three defenders battering them, they may be able to lay it off or get a shot away.
I am no fan at all of a lone striker. Its old fashioned and means one man has to do too much. At least two guys can get some interplay and hold things up as a pairing. Until we change this safety first 5 in midfield tactic, we could have Messi, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic or Batman up there on their own…the goals would still be in short supply.
Allardyce sets up teams not to lose rather that attack and win. Away from home, fair enough. At Upton Park, thats just a joke.
get rid of sam