Is Pablo Felipe’s versatility a gift or a curse? Well, in three successive outings, West Ham United’s £18 million January signing has played in three different positions for Nuno Espirito Santo.
While the jury is still out on the former Gil Vicente talisman, after another goalless afternoon, some in the dock may feel ready to give their verdict.
Pablo is yet to score in nine Hammers appearances. Yes, it took Carlos Tevez 16 Premier League games to get off the mark. But, in West Ham United’s situation, patience is not exactly in high supply.
Ally gets it 😎 Where should Pablo Felipe play for West Ham – as a No.9 or a No.10?
A graphic showing Ally McCoist's quotes on Pablo Felipe during West Ham's FA Cup game against Brentford reading: "He's one these guys that the fans will enjoy watching because he's all effort."
Credit; Getty Images/Ben STANSALL / AFP
In Pablo Felipe’s defence, though, Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa was another game spent far away from his favoured position.
Nuno Espirito Santo must give Pablo a chance as West Ham United’s number nine
In three successive games in Premier League and FA Cup action, Pablo played in different attacking roles each time.
Because Nuno was without Crysencio Summerville once again at Villa Park, the Braga-born Brazilian was shoehorned into an ill-fitting left-sided role.
Presumably, Nuno felt Pablo’s defensive work-rate would help quell Villa’s threat on the wings. What he brings in terms of determination and discipline, though, Pablo lacks in speed, or the ability to beat a man one-v-one. This was another performance full of perspiration, but sorely lacking in inspiration; lumbering aimlessly down the flank with that trademark Pablo posture.
Pablo Felipe playing for West Ham United against Manchester City.
Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Pablo featured as a ‘second-striker’ in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City a week prior. And, in that FA Cup last-16 triumph against Brentford, he led the line for the first time in a Hammers shirt.
It should not come as a surprise that Pablo’s best West Ham showing came against Brentford. The only time, in his nine appearances so far, that he was given the chance to play in the position from which he scored 10 goals in 12 Primeira Liga starts from August to January.
What would you sacrifice for FA Cup GLORY?
Surely not your Premier League status…
Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United celebrates the win after the Premier League match between Fulham and West Ham United at Craven Cottage in London, England, on March 4, 2026.
Pablo can be a prolific goalscorer if given the chance
Nuno hailed Pablo’s fighting spirit following that £18 million winter transfer. Over in Portugal, though, Pablo boasted a conversion rate better than Erling Haaland’s and even Harry Kane’s.
He scored ten goals in 12 starts, from an XG of just over five.
The West Ham fans have witnessed Pablo’s ferocious pressing, his commendable out-of-possession work, and his ability to slot into various positions across the frontline with decidedly mixed results. What they are yet to witness, though, is the attribute which presumably brought him to the club’s attention in the first place.
Per FotMob, Pablo is averaging less than a shot-per-game in the Premier League. His ‘expected goals’ tally stands at 0.54. If Pablo’s best attribute is his finishing – as his time at Gil Vicente would suggest – perhaps Nuno should consider putting him in the position where he can do just that.
Fellow January recruit Taty Castellanos is becoming less effective and more exasperating by the game.
So why not give Pablo the chance to make the number nine spot his own, starting with Leeds in the FA Cup quarter-finals?
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox