So far in the January transfer window, we’ve been linked with nearly every living footballer (and even then I’m not sure a pulse is required nowadays to pass a medical at Upton Park) and although we’ve not made a lot of signings yet, we actually managed to sign ourselves a decent striker – and set ourselves up for the potential for a promising attacking force.
There was a surprising lack of fanfare surrounding the “new” signing, especially given that we just signed the striker with the third highest goals per minutes played in this year’s Premier League!
Yes that’s right, we’ve signed loyal striker and future club legend, Carlton Cole.
For those of you keeping score, we’ve now signed Carlton Cole in two consecutive transfer windows and three times in 8 years, which must be another record of sorts.
Somehow this player, love him or hate him, keeps doggedly proving his commitment and loyalty to the club. We let him go, he came back. We accidentally forgot his contract expired and let him go again, and yet here he is again, and now with an 18-month contract that he really has earned (especially after four goals in 12 games, including goals against Arsenal and Manchester United.)
Where our striker situation gets even more exciting is with the return of Andy Carroll (and boy is he, uh, “excited” to be back), the potential signing of another striker, and rumoured interest in yet another. We are currently waiting on paperwork to complete the signing of Monaco’s Lacina Traore (who may or may not be a little injured, but apparently that is not a legitimate reason to not sign someone) and also may have renewed our interest in Southampton’s Rickie Lambert in the wake of the lack of stability at his home club.
I know nothing’s confirmed, but might we actually go into February with the option to have a decent strike force?
We’ve gone from nothing up front to a potential plethora of goal-scoring giants (I don’t mean that in a metaphorical way, I mean they are literal giants—they are all so tall) which means we might actually end up asking ourselves what on earth we are going to do with all these strikers?
Will Big Sam finally bow to public demand and play more than one of these strong strikers at once, or will they all be watching the Andy Carroll show, waiting with baited breath until he gets injured? It would be really interesting to see how two tall, solid forwards would suit our style of play.
Of course it’s entirely possible that all the other interests and deals fall through, and we end up with Carroll and Cole. Having said that, provided they stay fit, it’s not the worst thing that could happen. We’ve also got the player with the fifth highest minutes played to goals scored about to make a return from injury (it’s Ricardo Vaz Te, by the way – who knew we were sitting on such a gold mine of goal-scorers) so even if we fall flat in the January window, there’s a lot to look forward to up front before we even hit the summer transfer window.
And hey, if we get to the summer window and struggle to make any inspiring signings, we can always sack Carlton and then re-sign him just to boost morale.
Never say never.
What are your thoughts on our striker situation, and Lambert and Traore? If we land all these strikers, will Sam have to put two up front, and if so who would you like to see? Let us know below or tweet me @makingthemarrow
Id love to see Carroll n Cole or Carroll n treore up front together but I cant see fat Sam going 4,4,2 against newcastle . We need to be scoring more goals but with one striker up front you limit your chances by 50%.
Thats a stat Sam should take note of.
C o y i…….
Good post Emily. However, after the last transfer window debacle I can’t get excited about this one. I am pleased we’ve re-signed Carlton. That was a common sense decision based on our current circumstances. I think Traore would be a good signing BUT he hasnt kicked a ball since last September, due to Russia’s winter break. So, he isnt match fit, begging the question, when will he be??? As for playing 442, I don’t think Sam has this in his vocabulary. Downing and Jarvis on the wings, supplying crosses to our lone target man. Plan A we call it.
I want to be optimistic about us signing a quality striker, but i’m finding it hard.
come back down to earth.
we will be lucky if we get 20 goals between both of them between now and the rest of the season.
i dont know how old you are but having seen geoff hurst and bryan pop robson in the attack
and scoring goals for fun these other two dont exactly have me salivating.
it just goes to show how easily pleased and excited present west ham supporters are . unless you watched the hammers at least 40yrs ago you wont know what i mean at
present your being fed scraps.
its all so sad.
Correct Geoff….I like Cole but he is not and never has been a great goal scorer and if he gets 8 goals this year in total it will be a miracle. He is also not this wonderful loyal person to West Ham…..he is a nice guy , but he is lazy off the field and is in it for money. That’s why he had so much trouble finding a club in the summer…..his demands were crazy. It is nothing to do with his love of WHUFC so get real on that . He will paly his heart out v Newcastle and then Chelsea and then start to fade as AC gets to start games and he goes backwards.
If we don’t win on Saturday we are in big trouble. We will not get anything at Chelsea and then have must wins away to Villa and then home to Norwich
l remember Hurst and Robson, they did score for fun, also McAvennie and Cottee. But BFS wont play with 2 strikers, never has done. That is why his teams will never win the
big prizes. He has no plan B. Cole has been a tryer, AC will take 5 – 10 games to get
match fit. Traore has not done pre-season. So if Lambert does come then where is he
going to play? Time for Nolan to be sacrificed!!!!! YIPPPEEEEE!!!!!!!
Peter, Don’t be ridiculous. If we drop Nolan that would mean BFS wasting all those pre printed team sheets with Nolan’s name on! We don’t have the budget for that sort of additional cost!!!!
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember both of ‘Pop’ Robson’s stints at WHU & he was equally prolific in each. He wasn’t the fastest around but he exploited the spaces & knew where the net was. However, those days are well & truly gone.
We have to face that presently we won’t match the scoring rate of Man City or Liverpool but be encouraged by the news that key players are returning from injury & those who wish to play for West Ham are at last showing signs of the will to fight for results. COYI
Ok, so we’re still in a precarious position, but cmon, dun take everything so seriously. I enjoyed reading this article for its comedy. COYI
Shah, What do you mean ‘comedy?’ Supporting West Ham is no laughing matter!!!! They’ve had me in tears for more than 50 years!!!!!
Carltons rubbish, simple as that. BUT, I still love him to bits and will go down as a legend simply because of his loyalty.. Andy Carroll can’t hold the ball up as well as Carlton, but is 100 times more lethal and dangerous in the box.. Traore is a PHENOMENAL signing.. I can’t wait to see Jarvis and downing swinging the ball into him.. defenders will crap themselves.. hopefully he gets an appearance against the Geordies this weekend.. COYI
Traore is not going to be playing for a while even if he signs today. He has not played a game for a long while and will not be match fit and not trained with the team. CC in my opinion is no more than a Championship striker at best and we need a striker to bag 20 goals a season not just 6 or 7. With a full squad and AC and Traore fit we will be a force to be reckoned with. Pre Reids injury our defence was rock solid, get Reid and Tomkins back, Rogers and Collins as back up and get Jarvis and Downing back on song which with a fully fit squad and options will be possible we should stop leaking goals and start scoring them. We will finish 14 or 15 at a canter at the end of the season.
Adrian,
Demel, Reid, Tomkins, Rat.
Jarvis, Diame/ Morrison, Noble, Downing
Carroll, Traore
COYI
Possibly the most incompetent striker the premier league has ever seen,
my heart sank when the news we had again signed Cole,
and as for loyal, where does this come from, he left in the summer because he thought he could do better, when in fact, not one team on the entire planet wanted him, then when he is offered a contract in this window he states he’s “keeping his options open” not what I’d call loyal, roll on the end of his contract, complete waste of space
We not had a strong striker partnership since Harewood and Zammo or Hartson and Kitson (If anyone know where Paul Kitson is now Id love to know what his up to)
don’t want anything to do with diouf, waste of time time and money. he will be sent off more times than Nolan!!!!!
While Nolan’s around we’ll never see 2 strikers up front together, everything Sam does revolves around him. As I said 2 seasons ago, our club will never make progress until we get shot of Nolan (or BFS or both).
Big calton is beginning to be like marmite! With the way he divides opinion! Only think he was signed was just in case we went after “all”these strikers again! and ended up with egg all over our faces again! For not only would that not be a very good idea/go down well with the Boleyn faithful! But it would have certainly end up in relegation and near certain oblivion ! Trouble is even with a change of formation, if we get in traore and lambert how are they going to all fit in? What a strike force though! Carroll! Vas te! Lambert! Traore! And Cole! Oh and if man citeh let lescott go what a defence we will have too! Reid! Tonks!(if not in jail!), Ginge and Lescott! What firepower! and a rock solid defence! Wait a minute, that can’t be right! Can’t ever remember us being like that all at the same time! Something’s bound to go wrong! However with the buzz going round the place just now we still should have to much for the magpies Saturday! COYI!
AS I SEE IT MOST OF THE TEAMS ARE PLAYING ONE UP FRONT. THE COMMENTATORS SAY THIS IS THE MODERN WAY, ????????
With the amount of balls we put in the box with or good wingers 2 up front has to be the the way to go
The sad thing is, every time we’ve signed him he’s got worse than the time before!!
Well where do we start, AC and Carlton nothing new there then. Doesn’t look like Traore, lambert or any other decent if not old forward will be coming but hang on El Haj Diouf is surplus to requirements at Leeds and he has learned not to spit but to swallow. Come on Big Sam sign up this exciting 33 year old. By the way we could also sign Yakubu with a big money contract, am sure he will eventually agree to sign for us.
Cottee & mcavennie. Best ever. Allways banging them in.