Let’s be honest, who wants to play second fiddle to another player in any football team? The majority at least play football because they love the game and would also want to be playing when possible. It was reported that West Ham target Salomon Kalou wanted to play through the middle but was told that he was wanted as a wide player as record signing Andy Carroll would be playing through the middle. This halted the deal for Kalou, which apparently still has legs.
West Ham are also reported to be interested in English front man, Rickie Lambert who has impressed and scored many goals in all levels of English football, but why would the 31 year old give up first team football for a place on the bench to play behind a player who didn’t score as many as Rickie last season? I would only suggest that this ‘target’ was made up by the papers as it makes no sense for Lambert, Southampton or West Ham, who would have a large wage player on the bench each week.
The balance between having a good quality bench but not wanting to leave out high wage and/or high quality players when having weaker positions which could have done with the extra strengthening. Modibo Maiga scored twice against Eintract Braunschweig in the latest pre-season friendly. He has impressed many times off the bench and seems to be willing to play second fiddle. He is also a completely different player to Andy and if the style of play around Andy fails to work during a game, he can be brought on to change the entire dimension of the team.
Carlton Cole left West Ham this summer and was certainly playing second fiddle to Andy last season. Carlton’s game is very similar to Andy’s, but he certainly isn’t as good and isn’t getting any younger. He also wanted to be the main striker at the club, which was never going to happen with the permanent signing of Carroll.
I would suggest that Maiga should be the only back up striker we need, and if both Carroll and Maiga were to get injured we would either have to use the new wide signing down the middle (which would suit Kalou perfectly) or use one of the youth players until one of the first choice strikers returns to action. There is no need to sign another striker when only one will play the majority of the season. The priority is obviously a wide player with pace and skill, if we could possibly kill two birds with one stone and buy a adaptable player who could play striker if necessary, then that would be ideal.
Matej Vydra seems the best bet, cuts in from both wings, so possibly could play as a Winger / Striker, maybe we’ll play 2 up front this season, start off with
Vydra / Maiga then
Carroll / Vydra or Carroll / Maiga or all 3
Possible starting XI
Jaaskelainen
Demel Reid Collins Rat
Morrison Diame Nolan Jarvis
Maiga and/or Carroll and/or Vydra
Poch rubbished the rumours of any interest for Lambert. I think you are right, the papers made it up.
Trouble is Lambert is by far the better, both in terms of creating chances, pulling the strings and getting goals. This was never viable as southampton would never sell
Obviously we need a right sided striker not just any striker
Andy Carroll isn’t going to score 20+ a season. If we play him as a lone striker he will ALWAYS have 2 defenders on him. But he will cause chaos when he wins the aerial battles. BUT who will make the most of these chances? Nolan? The Carroll/Nolan combo is well known now by Prem teams. So who will bang them in? Jarvis? Joe Cole? I don’t think so. Look at their scoring records. To get the most out of Carroll we HAVE to play a ‘real striker’ alongside him. BFS has to be brave enough to play 442 against those teams where we should have superior quality. Our goal tally last season was woeful. We need 5-10 more this season if we are to kick on.
Absolutely spot on Steve, couldn’t have put it better myself.
yeah! spot on Steve.
Whoever we get would have to be a better right sided striker than Vaz te otherwise what’s the point. Also we’ve lost cole and chamak and the Brazilian striker Wellington who never played so what was the point of signing him. So we are replacing three mediocre strikers with hopefully one good quality right winger come striker
i completely agree with this article. Rickie Lambert would never come to west ham because he knows he’s not good enough to keep Carroll out of the side. He’d never give up first team football for the bench. Its quite obvious that Sam doesn’t want to go another full season with only Vaz te playing wide right. I cant really see Maiga having much part in this season unless Carroll is injured. I honestly think kalou would be a great signing, he understands the wide right role much better than vaz te, he can score with both feet, he’s quick, he can score with his head, and people forget that kalou is 6ft1″ !!! so I think if he had the lone striker role once in a while he would do very well there. He will also make runs in behind the defence which Carroll cant do very well, so would also give us another option. It seems like Eminike is joining fenerbace which i’m gutted about. But Remy, Odemwingie and Scott Sinclair would also be a good alternative. But to answer your question about whether we NEED another forward.. yes we do, if we want to improve on last season. Its ridiculous to rely on Nolan and Carroll to provide all the goals again this season. Joe Cole knows how to find the back of the net when he gets the chance, but I cant really see where he’s going to fit into the side this year.
I would have Rickie Lambert in my team every day of the week ahead of Carroll!! The only argument for him is his price..which is ridiculous but he’s a big Sam type player!!
We absolutely need another striker. The Premiership is becoming tougher (more physically demanding) by the year. The requirements of one striker are massive. Andy Carroll is a beast and creates a lot of opportunity for the supporting cast around him as well as himself. This is where Jarvis, Nolan, Maiga, Cole, Vaz Te and any new strikers (Kalou or Vydra) come in. We must have three scoring options around big Andy. Four goal threats is what I’m talking about.
Ideally we will get both Kalou (purchase) and Vydra (on loan now, purchase later if he works out). Both of these strikers can play up top, if necessary, and score!
Big Sam knows what he is doing people. His record over the last two years is all the evidence Hammers fans need. When we get the strikers we are looking for a top 10 finish, with the possibility of European football, is a reality.
Big Sam likes his players big, strong and prem quality. Let’s start with Kalou and take it from there.
i think we need more than just one forward we have competition in goal the defence could do with another centre half with potts and spence and on top of the senior full backs we seem ok in midfield i think we are a bit short after gary o neil has gone i never rated him but he seemed to have played quite a few games last year we like most clubs need a couple of proven goal scorers a twenty goal a season man atleast the problem we have is budget fair play rulings wich seem very confusing since man city have spent 97 mill this summer
ive read bfs wants one more player hes our manager like him or not we have to trust his judgement and get on with it and hope come january we wont be in a league position that will bring in loads of panic buys
i hope we dont regret not doing more this summer i think its been a bit underwelming weve been linked with so many players if we bought half of em we could have fielded six teams the fees involved are mad and the wages are obscene
id be happy with another tenth place and a cup run either will do and maybe a youth team player or two come through aswell
Last time we started a prem season w only two senior strikers they were…?????
PDC & FK
Both got injured and Defoe ended up alone most of the season. Oh, and we were relegated and picked clean by the vultures.
So, think before stating we don’t need more strikers. Maiga is useful but to have another who can play wing and central is what we need. Hence interest in kalou and potentially the Austrian guy. Kalou works for me, but he’s playing the game and we rarely end up signing those that do that.
COYI
Did we only ever play 1 up front that season?
Poorly thought out posting this one,we didn’t use maiga,carrol injured large part of it and the management not overly keen on youth,so we don’t need another striker! Why? Are you a spurs fan?
My point is, Carroll will play all of every game if fit. Why have Maiga and another out and out striker on the bench for the entire season?
If you saw Maiga at Spurs last season you’d struggle to see him as good enough to replace AC when injured/banned. It’s a scary thought. We need better.
spain and barcelona have both played with no strikers everyone seems to think its the quality of the players
i.say its the tactics and laziness of the players after all its only kicking and running
i.played football for 30 years the modern game is why westham have lost the success
bring in if u.dont win u dont get paid
You’re a bit naive if you think Maiga is adequate cover for AC. He deserves a chance, but can no way carry the burden on his own.
The burden of the bench?
I rather agree with Johne in that I thought Kalou was a pretty good fit. He can play well wide (when AC is on the field) and can play in the centre if we need that. Looks like he’s got away though.