Pundit Jamie Redknapp says striker Danny Ings can change West Ham and makes a bold Newcastle squad claim.
Things have panned out very differently for West Ham and Newcastle United this season.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle are riding high in the Champions League spots and have made it to a first cup final since 1999.
Meanwhile West Ham are in the thick of an unexpected relegation battle.
Things look to be on the up for the Hammers of late, though, with the positive 1-1 draw at Newcastle the latest step in the right direction.
West Ham fans and the manager David Moyes know the big problem that has turned a season full of hope and expectation into a worrying battle for survival. Goals.
West Ham simply don’t score enough of them and haven’t all season long.
At one stage the Hammers had the joint second worst goalscoring record in the Premier League.
It has improved slightly but still ranks the fifth worst in the top flight, a stark contrast to last season.
Newcastle have proved just how important a solid defence is to a successful campaign. The Magpies sit top of the the tree in that respect.
But defensively West Ham are actually sound. In fact they’re better than sound with the fifth meanest rearguard in the Premier League, conceding just one goal from a free-kick all season long and none from 101 corners faced.
That’s why Jamie Redknapp says striker Danny Ings can change West Ham and makes a bold Newcastle squad claim.
Analysing West Ham’s hopes and aims on Sky Sports, Redknapp says Ings is just what his dad’s old club needed.
And the pundit went as far as to say West Ham actually have a stronger squad than Newcastle when it comes to striker options.
“David will be looking at that squad now, looking at the players that he’s got at his disposal – (Nayef) Aguerd coming back in, a little bit more quality in there as well,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports.
“And he’ll look at the back-up they’ve got as well.
“When you look at their bench compared to Newcastle’s, who are in a much higher position, they’ve got more firepower to come off the bench.
“Danny Ings is going to be a really good signing for them, get plenty of goals. And they’ll be looking forward to this game against Chelsea at the weekend. They’ll be loving that one at West Ham, that’s the sort of game they live for.”
Redknapp makes a salient point. And that was without £35m summer striker signing Gianluca Scamacca in the squad at Newcastle.
When everyone is fit Moyes now has Scamacca, Ings, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen to choose from as strikers. And young star Divin Mubama is emerging too.