So that is that, Mauro Zarate’s limited chances at West Ham have seemingly come to an end with the confirmation that QPR have snapped him up on loan. But should he have been the one who was let go?
Some time back I claimed that Enner Valencia wouldn’t fit into West Ham’s system and that he would be an expensive flop. Okay our system has changed considerably (or at least for the early part of the season), but I have been more or less proved right.
It’s the 23rd August and Zarate has been patiently waiting for his first appearance in a West Ham shirt. The Hammers made the short trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace and Mauro was awarded with a starting place. Thirty-four minutes into his debut and the Argentine struck a sweet volley into the bottom corner. A superb start.
His next start was in the following league match against Southampton and despite starting in behind Carlton Cole, Zarate managed to notch an assist in the 3-1 defeat.
Despite looking bright in the following fixtures, it wasn’t until three months after his first goal that he came off the bench against Everton and scored his second for the club almost instantly. Before being loaned out Mauro had been awarded with only 415 minutes of Premier League football, and in that time he had scored twice. I admit not particularly impressive.
Meanwhile, Valencia had scored his first goal for the Hammers with a stunner against Hull City, and had followed those up with goals against Burnley and Stoke. Beginning to prove me wrong perhaps, and I was more than happy to see it.
But since that goal away against Stoke City, Valencia has played 301 minutes of football without scoring or assisting a goal. Enner and Mauro’s styles are not too dissimilar and physically they’re not a million miles away. Two things separate them, however, and I’ll come back to the second later, but firstly one is comfortably outperforming the other.
Goals Scored per 90 minutes
Valencia – 0.30 Zarate – 0.44
Key Passes per 90 minutes
Valencia – 0.61 Zarate – 1.31
Assists per 90 minutes
Valencia – 0.20 Zarate – 0.22
Shot Accuracy
Valencia – 33% Zarate – 100%
Successful Take-ons per 90 minutes
Valencia – 2.33 Zarate – 2.40
Hardly a marginal victory for Mauro, and in fact I was hard pressed to find any statistic in which Valencia had outperformed him. It seems that Enner is considerably better in the air and that’s it, perhaps that says it all about this situation?
The second thing that separates the two of them is the price of which they cost to club to purchase. Mauro was signed for free whereas Valencia cost a mighty £12m. Statistically it makes sense that if Big Sam wanted to loan out an attacking option, that Enner would be that man. However, to admit a £12m mistake and to effectively throw that money down the drain would be a mistake – I understand that.
The point still remains that if Valencia hadn’t been signed for such a hefty fee that Zarate would have been given a fair crack of the whip. After all, if you’re going on performance only it certainly doesn’t make sense for Mauro to be the first to go – money talks.
I think both should be playing up with sako that would be a threat up front, but no Sam has to put Carroll up front! Don’t get me wrong but he played well against Swansea but he can’t keep it up every game he’s like 1 in 10. Since Carroll had been back in the team the football has not been as good. Please sell Carroll vaz te Jarvis and Nolan. Big Sam has to go end of season for us to move on and we should go for an experienced manager who’s won stuff and can get us to the top of Europe and can attract top quaillty players.
You haven’t been proved right at all you numnut. When Sakho and Valencia were up top together do you remember how prolific Sakho was? And since Carroll and Sakho have been put together just how useless we’ve looked? Also, almost exclusively Zarate has come off the bench where has had to make an impact and been given essentially free reign to do his thing. It is therefore not unusual to see the stats in his favour with that regard. Valencia’s movement created huge problems for defences and combined with Sakho who unlike Carroll also does a fair bit of running around it created havoc for defenses. I don’t believe Zarate should have been loaned out as he is a great option for us to have and it shows that Sam is unwilling to use signings pushed for by the owners which might be a reason why he has decided to break up the formidable partnership of Valencia and Sakho.
Agree with the comments. Both Valencia and Zarate should have had more game time.
Sakho and Valencia should be our starting two. Especially if we’re looking to attack on the break, playing a goal up or away from home for example. They are both better at running with the ball, running down defenders, shooting.. etc etc than Carroll. Carroll’s strengths should be used when the opposition have dubious CBs or we’re chasing a game (and people panic and go route one).
Zarate should have been playing off the front two. In the role Downings been playing so well (tip of the diamond). Therefore as an impact sub, 2nd option for Downings position but ahead of Nolan. … To think that Nolan, Cole and Jarvis have been given game time recently while Zarate hasnt is utter daftness. He is good enough Sam! anyone can see that and he’ll score goals for QPR marks my words.
I too agree with the comments,also puzzled BFS let a striker leave knowing the ACoN was upon us.Sakho injured so not available to us or his country,if Valencia gets hurt we go back to route 1 again,been going that way more & more lately. Letting Zarate go is a HUGE mistake,he & EV could have played up front together leaving AC as an impact sub.
there are 2 very glaring differences you missed. firstly Valencia has bags more pace, secondly he works back for the team giving opposition defenders no time to relax. I don’t know if there are stats for those, but in my opinion I don’t think neither should have gone on loan. I think zarate and big sam should have both been more professional and kept their mouths shut and worked through their differences, with zarates aim being to prove big sam wrong!!
Someone put out an article a little while back where they raised the question as to if fans think ‘is Enner Valencia” worth the money, and you know I have to say to myself that I’m not sure that he is, well he doesn’t seem to get on the score sheet so much or create the goals so much if he hasn’t got his partner in crime Sakho playing alongside him, and after last night’s glaring miss in front of an open goal where he really should have repaid some of the money outlaid on him by wrapping up the tie, well I’m sure even defender James Collins would gobbled up that chance, I mean if he’d put his header anywhere else on target it, like 90% anywhere else, it would have been a dead certain goal, but straight at the keeper from what was it 5 yards?
West Ham totally controlled that game and thoroughly deserved to win the tie and a goal from that Valencia miss would have sealed it. Let’s make them really pay for the inconvenience of having to play them again. Let’s do them3-0 in the reply at Upton Park, please West Ham. Their manager is a sharpie who was frantically scratching his head last night as he knew we had them licked. We had them licked West Ham, now let’s do it again and lets bring out the full artillery of Song, Kouyate, Sakho & Carroll if we have to and maybe revert to Valencia being a sub again. And as far as letting Zarate go with Valencia missing goals like that, well that is just plain stupid West Ham. Valencia needs to get hungry. Let’s get the job done and the tie won, as after 35 years without winning anything, we are absolutely starving for some kind of success. We deserve it. COYI
Will be hard to bring out the ‘full artillery’ when 3 out of the 4 players you mention are unavailable…or have you not read about the African Cup of Nations?
Sam has caused this situation, everyone can see that Sakho, Valencia and Zarate are players suited to premier league football. NOLAN, COLE and CARROLL are one trick ponies that premier league teams know and have the measure of. We will not develop as long as Sam plays these three.They have done a job for the club but they must move aside to let the club move forward, or we will end up back where Avram Grant left us.
I agree completely with Dave, not only should those three go but Sam also,along with Jarvis, he is a stubborn egotistical fool if he thinks Nolan, Jarvis and Cole are premier players, all three too slow and one dimentional and Carroll has upset our rhythm since coming back. Sakho and Valencia were causing havoc at the start of the season and Zarate should be coming on as a sub every game as should Carroll to mix things up a bit but Sam true to form and history keeps picking his favourites, can’t the owners see this. I truly hope he and the three afore mentioned are gotton rid of by the summer so we can go forward into the OS with a team worthy of the stadium.
COYI
How Nolan gets in front of Zarate is beyond belief. Nolan has been completely anonymous every time has has played this season and is embarrassing to watch to be quite honest. Zarate could of made a difference last night. I hope he proves that doughnut Allardyce wrong while he’s out on loan at QPR & fat Sam is gone at the end of the season.
Just like too state that I agree that letting zarate go too qpr was a bad move as usual Sam getting his own way it’s time he went his to much of the old pal act time for him to get shot of his old school of Nolan, bestie mates Carroll and the hanger on likes of Jarvis they were useful when needed but it’s time for the changes there not premier class now let’s not look for the past but too the future and where and how we are doing this season without the fore mention