West Ham flop suddenly transforms into a ‘top player’ with eight goals in nine games

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Of the many, many strikers signed by West Ham United in the David Sullivan era, genuine successes are extremely few and far between.

Sebastien Haller, Gianluca Scamacca and Danny Ings failed to live up to hefty expectations.

The likes of Benni McCarthy, Simone Zaza, Mido, Albian Ajeti, Marouane Chamakh, Mladen Petric and Jordan Hugill never even opened their West Ham United accounts.

And on the day when reporter Carlo Pellegatti indicated that Niclas Fullkrug secure a move to AC Milan as early as Boxing Day, Nuno Espirito Santo reflected in another striking flop who arrived amid much fanfare but now looks destined to be bungled out the back door.

Fullkrug, now 33, is only three years older than a forward who became one of the first arrivals of the London Stadium era back in 2016.

Ashley Fletcher, believe it or not, turned 30 in October. Where has the time gone, indeed?

Now, Italian football has quite the reputation for breathing fresh life into the lungs of ageing, seemingly declining number nines. The waters of Blackpool, it is fair to say, are not quite so renowned for their healing properties.

But eight years after West Ham sold Fletcher to Middlesbrough on the back of one goal in 20 outings, the former Manchester United starlet is coming good at long, long last.

West Ham United flop Ashley Fletcher can’t stop scoring at Blackpool

Until the beginning of the current campaign, the well-travelled but usually-underwhelming Fletcher had scored only 53 goals in 287 appearances. An average worse than a goal every five games.

So the Blackpool fans would be forgiven for staring at you with a look of pure incredulity if you had told them, back in August, that Fletcher would go from an almost one-in-five striker to a one-in-two goal-getter in the blinking of an eye.

With 12 goals in 24 matches this term, the former England Under-20 prospect needs only two to make 2025/26 his most prolific season. The last time he scored over 12 goals in a single campaign, he was representing Middlesbrough all the way back in 2019/20.

In the intervening years, Fletcher has led the line for Watford, New York Red Bulls, Wigan Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday with precious little success.

So, what is the reason for this most unexpected of turnarounds? Fletcher, who has eight in eleven games since former Tangerines skipper Ian Evatt returned to replace Steve Bruce at Bloomfield Road, insists the new man in the dugout deserves a lot of the credit.

“I love it,” Fletcher said on the club’s official X feed, referring to the new, more freedom-inducing role given to him in Evatt’s system.

“I love being all action; assists, goals, linking the play. I just want to try and be everywhere. It’s paying off at the minute but I’ve just got to continue to work hard and keep improving because I can do it. Let’s see where we end up.

“You’ve just got to be in the right positions to score.”

Ian Evatt channels his inner-Harry Redknapp to transform one-time Manchester United kid

Harry Redknapp was famed for his exceptional man-management at Upton Park back in the day. His arm-around-the-shoulder, ‘Uncle Harry’ approach often bringing the best out of mercurial attacking talents.

Speaking to The Hunts Post, ex-Bolton Wanderers coach Evatt believes he is reaping the rewards these days for getting to know Fletcher the man as well as Fletcher the footballer.

“He is a top player,” says Evatt, whose team are just two points off safety after a dismal end to the Bruce reign. “All he needed was some clarity on what his role was and some love.

“[players] respond to support and love more than critique and booing. So, all we have done is give him lots of love and lots of support.

“He is a good player and he has shown that since I came in.”