Debate still rages and the jury is still out on whether West Ham have made the right move after finally signing a striker.
When the international break is over all eyes will be on whether Julen Lopetegui starts new West Ham striker signing Niclas Fullkrug.
When the Hammers brought in the veteran forward – who turns 32 this season – some fans were disappointed.
Many West Ham fans wanted to see the club sign a young, pacy striker like Jhon Duran – who was said to be Lopetegui’s prime target.
Despite proven pedigree and brilliant finishing ability, concerns were raised about Fullkrug’s lack of pace coming into the fastest league in the world.
Technical director Tim Steidten, who worked with Fullkrug at Werder Bremen, actually spoke out to defend the signing.
Steidten said West Ham wanted Fullkrug because he could hit the ground running.
Yet Lopetegui has not started the forward in the Premier League yet, preferring Michail Antonio instead.
Supporters feel that must change. But when Fullkrug came on against Man City, that lack of pace allowed the champions to push even further up the pitch.
No Fullkrug debate at West Ham if it wasn’t for Moyes snub
Fullkrug scored in a 5-0 Nations League win for Germany over Hungary to ramp up the pressure on Lopetegui to start him.
With the jury very much out on yet another West Ham striker signing, Steidten will wistfully look to another game in the Nations League tonight.
There would be no Fullkrug debate at West Ham if it wasn’t for a David Moyes snub that still stings.
They say hindsight is a wonderful thing. Well in football is certainly is.
With West Ham, though, there was plenty of foresight when Steidten was looking closely at Viktor Gyokeres ahead of taking up his role last summer.
With Gianluca Scamacca sold after one season and ageing Antonio entering his West Ham swansong, there was no doubt the Hammers needed to sign a striker last summer.
Sweden striker Gyokeres was one of the names on a list of players Steidten compiled for Moyes – who had power of veto on all transfers in his contract – to consider.
Gyokeres decision still stings for Hammers
The Swede was heavily linked and widely expected to join West Ham as the perfect heir to Antonio.
Especially after Coventry failed to get promoted in the play-off final.
Gyokeres even sent a come and get me plea to West Ham at one stage.
Moyes reportedly spent a lot of time looking into the all-action forward. But the Scot was unsure and ultimately decided against it.
Later Moyes admitted in an interview that Steidten arrived at West Ham with a list of targets readied but that he felt many of them were not right for the Premier League.
As West Ham dithered Sporting swooped, signing him for just £17m. That’s £500k less than West Ham paid for flop Maxwel Cornet the summer before.
To say Gyokeres has been a revelation and an absolute bargain is an understatement.
Bitter irony as Moye snubbed Fullkrug too
The 26-year-old scored 34 goals and laid on 12 assists as Sporting won the title.
Gyokeres already has a staggering eight goals and three assists in just five games for club and country this season.
He will be in action for Sweden tonight against Estonia where he is expected to increase that tally.
Moyes said he felt West Ham didn’t need to sign a striker to replace Scamacca as he wanted to use Jarrod Bowen up front.
But that experiment had mixed results and Bowen said he prefers playing off the right.
While it’s far too soon for anyone to be writing off Fullkrug, there is already talk Bowen should be tried up front again.
All West Ham’s problems would have been solved had Moyes agreed to sign Gyokeres.
Who knows what West Ham might have achieved with powerful, pacy and deadly Swede up top.
Given the wide open nature of the Premier League last season he certainly would have ensured the Hammers qualified for Europe for a fourth consecutive season. Ironically Moyes may even still be the manager too.
Another layer of irony is added by the fact another of Steidten’s striker recommendations last summer was Fullkrug.
And Moyes recently told Alan Shearer he regrets snubbing Fullkrug too.
Until Fullkrug gets a chance to prove himself, West Ham will always look back at the Gyokeres transfer call with immense regret.
So too will David Sullivan if and when he’s sold for £80m plus next summer as is being rumoured.
Now it’s over to Lopetegui – and Fullkrug – to help take the sting out of that woeful decision.
Starting at Fulham next Saturday.
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