West Ham United boss David Moyes has admitted he is struggling to find the right player to bolster his threadbare striker options.
The West Ham of yesteryear lurched from one crisis to another making scattergun signings left, right and centre in almost every window.
The constant upheaval was proof West Ham lacked a coherent philosophy and plan. And that rudderless, lottery ticket approach became a trademark of the David Sullivan and David Gold tenure.
Moyes recruitment methods a world away from incoherent, scattergun approach of GSB tenure
But since Moyes’s return to the club the opposite has been true. He is in charge of transfers. And West Ham are more diligent and prudent in identifying the RIGHT players and signing them on THEIR terms.
And it is certainly working on the pitch judging by results.
Jesse Lingard was signed to play multiple roles last season including that of a second striker. He did it to great effect too scoring nine goals and laying on six assists in 16 games.
But with Lingard – as yet – not returning to the club and no sign of an alternative or striker being signed as the transfer deadline looms ever larger, some fans are understandably concerned.
Hammers fans concerned by lack of striker options as Moyes makes admission
West Ham supporters find it unfathomable that the club could go into a jam-packed campaign with European football having injury prone Michail Antonio as Moyes’s only senior striker option.
But the Scot has admitted finding someone to add something different and compete with Antonio is proving extremely difficult.
“Mickey has more of a physical element, he is quite a unique character,” Moyes told the press ahead of the game against Leicester.
“But in the world of centre-forwards now so many of them are past wide players who become centre-forwards. Even the best one, Ronaldo, started as a winger. So many of them turned into centre-forwards.
‘We’d miss him if we didn’t have him’
“We’re short so we want to give him (Antonio) some cover or some competition.
“But he is very unique and we’d miss him if we didn’t have him.”
That is an understatement. Particularly with no Lingard around to step in up front this season.
Yes Jarrod Bowen can operate as a forward. But West Ham fans want to see a real statement of intent to continue the progress made under Moyes over the last 18 months.
In other news, duo could miss West Ham game unless Moyes intervenes.
And Moyes delivers honest assessment of main man’s future this season and beyond.