It took only two minutes, as West Ham United hosted Premier League relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, for Taty Castellanos to show what he can bring to the table.
Crysencio Summerville stormed forward to lead an early counter-attack.
Immediately, you could see the benefits of a fresher, more mobile centre-forward leading the line. Taty Castellanos, at 27, is five years and six years younger than Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson respectively.
Pre-match Castellanos promised to bring ‘incredible’ energy to a frontline which has often looked about as lethargic as a moody teenager on dishwashing duty. He was as good as his word.
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That extra little burst of pace allowed the Argentine to dart between both Forest centre-halves, leaving Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic for dead in the process.
Because Summerville’s through ball took him a little wide, there would be no shot on goal. Instead, Castellanos cut back and forced a corner.
But as former Aston Villa and England midfielder Lee Hendrie noted during Sky Sports’ live coverage, it was clear to see the difference Castellanos is capable of making only 75 seconds after kick-off.
West Ham United fans may grow to ‘love’ Taty Castellanos
This was not the only time Castellanos went haring behind a talented but sluggish Forest backline.
The former Lazio, Girona and New York City FC firebrand again turned on the afterburners to storm past Murillo in the build up to Summerville’s disallowed 51st minute volley.
Castellanos had admittedly strayed beyond the last man. But only because Summerville delayed playing the pass which might have put him through one-v-one, Milenkovic’s crunching challenge on the winger eventually seeing the ball rebound into Castellanos’ path while in an offside position.
“He could be a major threat running in behind, using that running power to get in behind defences,” Hendrie said, also highlighting the work rate which drew rare applause from the admittedly dwindling crowd in attendance.
“They will love [his pressing]. This is what you are going to get from the centre-forward. He does work hard, tirelessly. Someone new going into the fold… Castellanos could just give them that little bit of a lift.
“It’s unbelievable what a few new signings can do.”
This was not a perfect debut, of course. On the spectrum from Jonathan Woodgate’s Real Madrid disaster to Wayne Rooney’s Fenerbahce hat-trick, Castellanos’ falls somewhere in the middle.
There are concerns over his finishing ability – he scored only 16 goals in 75 Serie A matches while his conversion rate stands at a measly 28 per cent – and Castellanos could be found on his heels as a few teasing crosses were chucked in his direction.
“It’s a brilliant ball into the box,” Hendrie said after Kyle Walker-Peters’ fine delivery just before the hour mark was cleared away. “That is what [Castellanos] has been brought in for. Get into the box and score a tap-in.”
He skewed one half-chance miles off target on the volley, and also failed to beat his marker to the near-post following a fizzing Bowen delivery.
Yet, for a fanbase who have been starved of pace in attack – from the blundering Fullkrug to Lucas Paqueta moonlighting as a false nine – having someone both willing and capable of sending opposition defenders haring back towards their own goal makes a welcome change.
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Castellanos may be West Ham’s most mobile striker since Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez
Ask yourselves this; When was the last time West Ham had a centre-forward with the sort of darting movement Castellanos possesses?
You can forget about Fullkrug. Sebastian Haller and Gianluca Scamacca were more ball-to-feet, back-to-goal number nines. Even Michail Antonio, undoubtedly West Ham’s best striker of recent times, was arguably not blessed with a natural striker’s instincts when it came to opening up space and stretching defences.
There is a debate to be had, then, that Castellanos gives West Ham something they haven’t had since 2019, when Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez left for sunny Sevilla.
Whether this translates into goals – Castellanos’ conversion rate is lower than Callum Wilson by a fair whack – remains to be seen. Castellanos did score four times against Real Madrid in one thrilling 50-minute spell in his Girona days, but that is very much the exception rather than the rule.
But still, a striker who can run, stretch defences and press from the front is a start.
“[Castellanos and Pablo were] good,” Nuno told BBC Sport of the South American and his fellow debutant Pablo Felipe.
““They have settled in with the team. They have qualities and they have come to help.”
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