OPINION
There’s no doubt that from the word go this season the pressure on West Ham United’s club record signing Sebastien Haller has been huge.
The fee involved is one part of that, but manager Manuel Pellegrini’s lack of other attacking options is another reason why the Frenchman has been heavily relied upon.
Indeed, Hammers correspondent Sam Inkersole has admitted that Pellegrini’s absence of faith in fellow attacking summer signing Albian Ajeti means that Haller will continue to be leaned upon for the foreseeable future.
“The manager doesn’t seem to be entirely convinced by Albian Ajeti just yet to play up with Haller so the Frenchman will be ploughing a lone furrow once again over the next few weeks,” he wrote on the Football London website.
The Switzerland international, brought in to serve as Haller’s understudy, has yet to make a Premier League appearance this season, not even off the bench. He’s played in two Carabao Cup games against lower opposition, but failed to impress in either outing and didn’t score.
With that said, all the pressure is on Haller. Luckily for West Ham, the 25-year-old has been performing incredibly well thus far since his move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
As per WhoScored.com, Haller has four goals and an assist so far. He’s also averaging 2.4 shots and one key pass per game. However, the fact that he is being fouled more than once per outing tells you that defenders are worried about him. Meanwhile, he’s winning 7.1 aerial duels per game, which tells you all you need to know about his formidable physical presence at the tip of the Hammers’ attack.
With Ajeti not even coming off the bench with last weekend’s game against Crystal Palace hanging in the balance, it’s clear that Haller is going to be the main man at the London Stadium for some time to come.
