West Ham’s summer recruitment came with much hype after the Duran debacle: We were sold the idea of ‘The Gap’ – Niclas Fullkrug – arriving to become West Ham’s striker addition to bolster the squad, bang in lots of goals and replicate his form from the Bundesliga.
However the damp squib reality of three months of mystery shrouded-injury had left supporters feeling a sense of anti climax which was completed yesterday as Fullkrug finally took to the pitch with a long overdue starting debut against Brighton.
Not that you’d have noticed. ‘Fullkrug fails as attacking fulcrum’ headed the bbc.co.uk/sport website. Followed up with “Fullkrug looked especially ponderous.” and “But a few flick-ons, a couple of misplaced passes and some lumbering runs were the culmination of Fullkrug’s efforts during 57 largely ineffective minutes before he was hooked from the action.”
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And strangely I don’t think most West Ham watchers are surprised. The noises from within have told us ‘Fullkrug hasn’t settled” in London and wants to be on the first flight outta here in January. The unkind would say he dipped his toe in the Premier League and instantly found the pace too hot. Others might just feel his style is not suited to West Ham.
Whichever option, Fullkrug offers no solution. The brief moment when Bowen switched ‘on’ and ran straight at the Brighton defence with pace and aggression was a striking counterpoint to everything that Fullkrug had served up before. Somewhere I read this morning that Fullkrug’s style would be more suited to a Premier League team of twenty years past.
Evan Ferguson in action last time out
Contrast that with Brighton’s young forward Evan Ferguson who, within two minutes had one clear chance on goal – fluffed it- and a diving header 6 yards out which he failed to connect with, got up, smiled and ran away. Energy, physicality, drive and desire. Instantly I thought: ‘Give that young man ninety minutes and he’ll score’.
The same cannot be said of Fullkrug – neither ‘young’ nor threatening.
Much has been written about Evan Ferguson being linked with West Ham: It shows the lack of goal threat at London Stadium that even the prospect of a short term loan gets us licking our lips.