Niclas Fullkrug’s verdict on how things played out for him at West Ham United perhaps doesn’t go far enough.
The German is now at AC Milan and despite it only being a loan move, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Fullkrug returns to West Ham.
His move to east London from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024 was little short of an unmitigated disaster.
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An underwhelming number of 29 appearances yielded only three goals, so it was slightly surprising that a team as storied as Milan would make a move for Fullkrug, particularly when they are chasing the Serie A title.
Thus far, Fullkrug hasn’t scored for Milan in either of his two appearances.
Despite already taking to the field as a Milan player, the forward has only just held a press conference.
Niclas Fullkrug says West Ham wasn’t an easy place
Fullkrug fielded questions about his move from Italian journalists.
Naturally, he was asked about exactly what happened at West Ham.
The forward in fact claimed that the club just wasn’t an “easy place” to be, and then stressed he was looking forward to the new challenge ahead.
“It wasn’t an easy place,” he said (via Corriere Dello Sport).
“It was a huge change, it didn’t go well. I hope to be able to turn the page. I came here and didn’t go elsewhere because Milan convinced me. I want to play for prestigious teams, for me it’s a positive pressure to handle, I hope to continue like this in the future.”
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Niclas Fullkrug wrong to blame West Ham for his failure
He certainly isn’t the only striker to have failed at West Ham in recent years, so that context must be applied.
Still, that doesn’t mean it can’t have gone better. There is not a mythical curse stopping West Ham strikers from scoring goals, even if it might feel like that at times.
There can be questions as to why exactly he was signed but to take any blame from his perspective out of it would be unwise.
How are the fans supposed to feel about the club just not being an “easy place”? That is not a good enough explanation.
The whole point of paying that kind of premium for a big name striker is that they thrive in adversity.
The blame has to go around and, sadly, it’s the fans who have to deal with the mess.
Fullkrug did struggle with injuries at West Ham but it’s not as if he set the world alight when he did actually play.
West Ham might not be the easiest place right now, but someone has to make it work and it’s hardly out of the question to expect a big-name international striker to at least make a start.
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