West Ham transfer rumours: Chicharito set to depart?
Despite being hailed as West Ham’s next big striker, Chicharito could be set to leave the club.
If you’d asked me the potential avenues Chicharito’s career could have taken, this wouldn’t have been it. I genuinely thought the idea of him leaving the club so soon after his arrival would have been ridiculous. But West Ham are reportedly willing to listen to offers for the Mexican hitman.
Where did it all go wrong for a man who has scored everywhere? Why hasn’t he been able to find any form in East London and could this have all gone so differently if managed better?
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Well for starters, this was always going to be tough for the Mexican, because of our style of play. For the last few years at least we have relied on the striker being able to come short and hold the ball, as well as challenge for the ball aerially in both attack and defence. But we did not adapt to accommodate a player who could have been our main threat.
Playing Chicharito up front on his own and expecting him to score regular goals was ludicrous. And both Bilic and Moyes have been guilty of that. If he’d played with Carroll up front, or been closely supported by Arnautovic and Antonio then it could have been very different. If you look at the goals he got against Southampton for example, he wasn’t the main focus of the attack. His ability to create space that way is amazing.
But if Moyes is not willing to adapt the team, at least occasionally, to play to his strengths what can he do? How do we expect him to hit form if we never give him the supply he needs or the formation he wants? As such, selling him may not be the worst idea.
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Quite simply, if we’re not prepared to use him properly selling him makes sense. But then we should also sell Toni Martinez, because he won’t fit either. However if we are prepared to occasionally adapt and put pressure on sides then Hernandez must be kept. He still offers a threat, and it’s our fault for not using him properly.