Rebuild the English Core – Striker targets for West Ham this January
By Adam Smith
West Ham are currently in an identity crisis. Their manager wants the team to play possession-based attacking football, the team needs to cover extensively on defense, and the players aren’t allowed to be themselves on the pitch. It’s time to rebuild the team and install a strong English core.
Manuel Pellegrini has emphasized attacking football at West Ham. As it stands, the Hammers sit 13th in the table with 14 goals scored, and a whopping four goals in their last five matches leading to just one point banked over that period of play.
What is clear is that the team is disorganized and confused on how to play attacking football when they can’t seem to break down the opposition’s defense or get the ball in general. Once the manager sorts this out, it’ll be down to the players to pick up the slack and these two English striker targets could help facilitate the change.
Jarrod Bowen:
The right-winger turned striker of Hull City would be the number one attacking target for West Ham in my eyes. The 22-year-old attacker is blisteringly fast, has a keen eye for a long shot, and his dribbling allows him to take on defenders and break away from coverage to create more space for the attack.
At West Ham, he is exactly what is needed. The club have a noticeable lack of pace in the player ranks outside of Ryan Fredericks, Arthur Masuaku, and Michail Antonio. Bowen brings this element as a right-wing foil to Antonio while also offering it upfront where he’s played his last three games at striker, converting three goals in that time.
This season, Bowen has played in 16 games in the Championship, netting nine goals and adding two assists along the way. He is a shoot-first winger/striker – think a shorter, speedier Yarmolenko – who creates space to try and whip in a curling long shot. West Ham lack the physical edge he plays with and would do well to bring him in ASAP to support the floundering attack.
Ollie Watkins:
Another winger-turned-striker, Ollie Watkins of Brentford is second to only Aleksander Mitrovich of Fulham for goals in the Championship this season with 10 to his name thus far. The striker can play across the entire front line but has spent all but two of his seventeen matches this season as the Bee’s out-and-out striker.
A brief look at his highlights will show you one very clear aspect of his play – he is far from a one-dimensional player for Brentford. Winning headers for goals, ripping some unstoppable shots from range, bursting forward with pace to get in alone, slotting through balls in between defenders to create, or running across the face of the goal to tap in a pass. Watkins currently does it all in Brentford.
The Hammers do have a link to Watkins as well. Having scouted him (alongside Neal Maupay) at Brentford this past year and back into 2018, West Ham are clearly keen on the 22-year-old striker joining their team. This screams a David Sullivan deal, however, as Pellegrini has shown his desire to recruit overseas.
West Ham’s current striker, Sebastien Haller, has been far too isolated this season to have any success that resembles his time at Frankfurt last season. Haller played alongside Luka Jovic and thrived as the link-up man and target man, allowing Jovic to be the shooting threat at the end of his passing. With Albian Ajeti off to an unknown start due to his nearly non-existant usage, another striker could be needed.
Next. The West Ham Squad: An optimistic look at every Hammer that’s played. dark
As well, both players offer the ability to play on the wing. West Ham currently have no senior left-wingers behind Anderson with Nathan Holland’s call up being needlessly delayed. Mix in one of Bowen and Watkins to an attack that will feature fellow youngsters Grady Diangana and Holland and the is suddenly looking refreshed and poised to score more goals.