Three Thin Attacking Options Left For West Ham

Let the youngster Ademipo Odubeko start and run with the chance for West Ham.

Anyone writing off Ademipo Odubeko after his goalless debut had no sense in their head. The youngster got an unexpected extended run out against his former team, Manchester United, and despite not scoring he showed a lot of quality on and off the ball.

Notably, Odubeko’s work rate was fantastic. The striker stayed central on attacking play and was pressed up against the opposition centre-backs looking for vertical runs in behind. He also hustled from side to side to provide a passing outlet to his wingers when West Ham held possession.

Mipo also tracked back with intensity and a spring in his legs. From being committed forward to attacking the Manchester midfielders from behind, Oduebko showed his hustle and pace on and off the ball in his debut.

His substitution, while at the moment hard to digest, was the right move in the end. David Moyes has a plan for Mipo and while a 58-minute debut wasn’t likely on the cards, pulling him off the pitch for a more experienced attacker does make logical sense for a manager trying to push for a win in extra time to push for FA Cup penalties.

The experience was good for Mipo and he showed his gratitude on social media for the opportunity, while also committing himself to getting better moving forward:

"“A lesson learnt and experience gained that I can only thank the manager for. Thanks to all the fans for the supportive messages. Time to step it up!”"

Should Moyes choose to put full-faith in Odubeko, the fan base will support the player and the manager. West Ham supporters love seeing the Academy produce a talent (even an adopted one) and they love seeing the opportunity be there for youngsters to succeed. Also, the David Moyes seal of approval on a youngster means something in the footballing world.