West Ham United’s search for a striker has seen them look all around Europe with links with just about every available striker under the sun. This comes after we saw strikers leave the club one by one in the form of Marouane Chamakh, Wellington Paulista and Carlton Cole.
At one stage it left just Modibo Maiga at the club, the forgotten man of the club, and his two goals in the final game of the German pre-season tour showed that he still has eyes for goals albeit in rather fortunate fashion. With the club searching for a striker continuing could it be Maiga’s time to shine should the east end club fail to attract a striker before August 17th.
With Andy Carroll struggling to be fit for the first game of the season against Cardiff City at Upton Park in a little over couple of weeks time. Maiga has been given all of pre-season to impress with just the injured Andy Carroll as competition, after struggling throughout the early fixtures his lucked changed in rather bizarre style to give him his first two goals of preseason.
Maiga’s hard work over the summer looks to have improved his chances of getting a starting berth against Cardiff; West Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald gave an update to the official site on Saturday on Modibo’s progress.
He said, “Modibo’s ability is there as we paid a fair bit of money for him. When you sign new players sometimes they take a bit longer to settle into the team. He’s got one hell of a chance to start the season.”
In my opinion however the club have to sign a new striker before the start of the season, because for me Maiga just isn’t the answer to our problem. He is a very talented individual and at times last season he look unplayable. His goal against Southampton was top draw and on his day he can be very dangerous. He is very similar to Carlton Cole in that way, one week he is blooming awful the next he looks quality.
We can’t rely on his inconsistency, we need a forward who can produce nine times out of ten, and links with Emenike and Kalou are positive as they are just the types of player we as a club should be linked with. I would love Maiga to prove me wrong but in my opinion he is just a little too lightweight for this division and I just don’t see him as a backup for Carroll.
Come on You Irons!
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Yeah , spot on mate , we can’t be hoping he does well and even if Carroll is fit we must have another decent and proven striker ! Just hope people aren’t put off by only playing if Carroll is injured !!! Whoever comes should be good competition for him to keep him on his toes !!!!
Bit harsh on Maiga calling him ‘inconsistent’. You have to be picked to show any form of consistency.
I think Maiga has a future with us as long as he is happy on the bench! As BFS has shown with Sam Baldock and Nicky Maynard, if he gets a half decent offer for Maiga I think he’ll be gone.
He ain’t good enough, ship him out. All about levels & he didn’t cut it last season & defo won’t this season either. Remy is class u can see that, go get him BFS.
Truth is Modibo like many players that come to British football take a season before they become accustomed to the pace and frenetic nature of our game.
Hey, this is the second season and he now seems like he has finally come to terms with aspects of our game. It’s happened with bigger players, with bigger fee’s at bigger clubs than ours, so don’t be too eager to write him off.
To be compared with Cole is a little bit of a cheek to Cole (long time servant of this club) and the fact that Modibo has only (infrequently) played a bit part in his first season.
Do we need another striker???
Of course we do, which is why the club are “still” pursuing striking options!!!
I can’t see how anyone can write the fella off without really seeing him play, he didn’t get a look in last season even when we were struggling for fit strikers, that might tell you enough about how Big Sam rates him, or not ? I think he’s worth keeping in the squad but if we do sign another striker (one that will score goals regularly, Sorry AC !) he won’t get a look in again. Maybe Carroll not being fit for the start of the season will be a blessing in disguise, Maiga is still a fairly unknown quantity. Mind you, gotta love him for the last goal against Chelsea on that wonderful day in December !!!! Deserves a place in the squad for that alone !!!
People keep saying he didn’t get a look in last season. It’s true. Now look at the number of goals he scored, coming off the bench. His record (extrapolated) is just about the best in the league. Goals scored vs minutes played, he’s off the scale. Check it out for yourself. It maybe tough to say he can do it week in week out, but statistically he was one of, if not the best striker in the premiership. Think I’m in fantasyland? Just compare goals scored v minutes played. I’m not drawing a conclusion, but facts is facts.