The attacking options on the table at West Ham are still limited. Thanks to the unfortunate calf injury sustained by January signing Pablo, the Hammers are looking likely to ditch the high energy, pressing from the front football which has been a hallmark of their recovery this year.
It isn’t Nuno’s first choice: Clearly Taty Castellanos prefers playing as one of a pair of strikers, as he confirmed yesterday, but Callum Wilson being the third and final option simply doesn’t have the legs to keep up Pablo’s habit of chasing relentlessly for an hour.
There’s still a ‘striker situation vacant’ sign hanging over the dressing room door whilst Pablo recuperates: Clearly two up front is the best way to secure those much needed wins this season: A hatful of scoreless draws won’t cut it now.
Whilst bringing youngsters straight from the academy into the first team away at Anfield clearly isn’t an option, Nuno does have talent within the under 21’s to consider moving into the senior squad.
Fit and full of running: West Ham’s striker options in the u21’s
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Having sent his ‘perfect-for-the-job’ young attacker Callum Marshall out on loan, Nuno has nobody fast and fit to chase the ball down for a frantic last twenty minutes: Josh Ajala and Dan Cummings – who scored for the u21’s last night – would seem to be the next taxis off the rank if Nuno wants to replicate the two – up-front striker system in training that has seen the Irons extract dividends in recent games.
Cummings is finding his way after an injury-prone first few months at West Ham and seems to have Mark Noble’s seal of approval, and remember, the young Scot has Champions League experience to boot! Alternatively, merely adding Ajala to the senior squad in training may be just the ‘nudge’ the youngster needs to get on and commit his long term future to the club.