OPINION
There is no hiding from the fact that West Ham United have not been good enough in the last couple of months.
Manuel Pellegrini will be particularly concerned with the efforts of his side in the final third, especially in the 3-0 defeat to Burnley in which they were simply embarrassed.
The likes of Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini have not been good enough, and their poor displays have led to Sebastien Haller becoming increasingly isolated – something that has to change.
For that to change, the Hammers may need to be active in the transfer markets, and that may lead to them searching for available talent in the next year or so.
Darren Bent has recently admitted that he believes that West Ham would love to sign Liverpool forward Xherdan Shaqiri, who recently admitted that he wants to leave Anfield in the summer [Football Insider].
“West Ham for one, West Ham would love to get him I think,” the Sky Sports pundit told Football Insider.
Bent’s tip for the Hammers should come as a warning shot to Anderson in particular, who can not keep living on the success he enjoyed in his first full season in the Premier League.
It is hard to judge Shaqiri this season, given the fact he has only completed 11 minutes of action in the league, but he was on fire for Switzerland in the recent Nations League.
The 28-year-old averaged an impressive 3.2 shots on goal per game according to WhoScored and was involved in four goals in the six games.
That is compared to Anderson, who has yet to score this season and has only averaged 1.5 shots in each game according to WhoScored – simply not enough if West Ham want to turn their form around in front of goal.
Anderson needs to start stepping up and being counted at the London Stadium, or it won’t be long before he finds himself sitting on the bench.
The Brazilian needs to take Bent’s comments on Shaqiri as a warning and make it clear to Pellegrini that he doesn’t need a fresh face in the final third.
