West Ham’s Haller showing determination to right some wrongs
After joining West Ham for a club-record fee, not everything went perfectly for Sebastien Haller during his first season but is now determined to push on.
Sebastien Haller scored seven and assisted two goals for the West Ham in his debut season but struggled to fit into the club’s tactical system. The Frenchman was used to playing with strike partners and found the job of being alone target man difficult.
After Haller failed to perform the required role, Michail Antonio replaced him. The 30-year-old scored eight goals in just six games to push the Hammers up the table and to Premier League survival.
The form that the Hammers showed during the run-in has built confidence in the former Frankfurt striker. Speaking to West Ham TV, Haller discussed how he wants to see the club “reach its goals“, but he also understands that plenty of hard work is going to be needed.
"“We need to be ambitious. We have the potential to do it, but the potential won’t be enough to reach our goals – we need to really work on it, be strong, stay together and do the right thing for the team.” Haller on WHUTV"
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Haller went on to suggest that the club will benefit from the short break between the end of last season and the start of the next. Since the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, there were only twenty-two days of rest before the players returned for pre-season duty.
"“With this short break, we haven’t lost too much of our fitness. I think that can be a good help, especially because the end of last season was good for us – we were in good form and great shape, so hopefully we can just keep that up.” Said Haller"
Now the players are back training with David Moyes, who is now taking charge of his first pre-season as West Ham manager. Haller told WHUTV just how difficult training has been as Moyes looks to bring the teams fitness back as soon as possible.
"“It’s always the first days of training that are difficult physically, because you’re getting used to it and the intensity,” he continued.“Of course, after the first days, the body reacts, so now we’re just focusing on getting some recovery right after training, and if the body responds well, we’ll be able to go further and train even more.”"
The players are currently preparing for pre-season up in Scotland and friendly matches again Wycombe Wanderers and Ipswich Town. The squad will be split into two halves and play these friendly matches on the same day, Tuesday 25th August.
Despite Haller’s personal struggles in the first season, the Frenchman claims he has gained more knowledge of the Premier League. The 26-year-old is now hoping he can have a better impact wearing a claret and blue shirt.
"“I’ve learned small things – a lot of small things,” Haller claimed “From the way of playing here to the way of training, a lot of small things that can make the difference. Every day I try to learn about this and just build a lot of things around this to be better."
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In other news, West Ham will take on further friendlies against Brentford, and the Betway Cup will take place this year against AFC Bournemouth. The Hammers will be keen to reclaim the cup that they lost out on last year to Athletico Bilbao.