Haller proves he is ready to step up for West Ham

It is strange to think that a record-signing striker who has scored five goals this season is not an automatic pick for West Ham’s starting XI, but last night’s victory against Wolves shows the reasoning behind it.

Prior to the match, West Ham fans were calling for the Sebastien Haller to start after his two goals in midweek in the Carabao Cup, with some shouts to even replace Michail Antonio on the teamsheet.

But Antonio led the line expertly for the Hammers, with his bursting runs stretching the Wolves defence combined with his superb hold-up play giving others the platform to steal the headlines.

He won the foul for the Irons’ opening goal and played a big part in the second, which all but confirmed West Ham’s win, proving why he is currently David Moyes’ first pick to play up top.

There have been reports that Moyes doesn’t believe that Haller works hard enough when he plays, which is in contrast to Antonio’s natural lung-busting game. If the record-signing is to earn his place back in the team, it looks as though he will have to fight for it.

His cameo appearance last night, however, was certainly a start, as he showed what he could do when presented with a chance, scoring West Ham’s fourth and final goal with a fine header to round off a fantastic display.

In the limited minutes that he was on the pitch, he also made a clear effort to work for the team by closing down the ball and making himself a nuisance to the Wolves defence, showing that he is willing to do what the manager demands.

After a summer where two strikers – Albian Ajeti and Jordan Hugill – have been let go from the Hammers, the fact that both Haller and Antonio are seen to be worthy of a starting place in the team bodes well for the season, and it looks as though they are capable of pushing each other to lofty heights, whether they are used alone or in tandem.