Danny Ings video footage shows why West Ham United can’t rely on him
Video footage has emerged from the game against Lincoln City showing why West Ham can’t rely on Danny Ings this season.
The 31-year-old was named in the starting lineup as the Hammers secured their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 win over the League One side on Wednesday (27 September).
But the English forward was unable to take his opportunity against the Imps, as footage has shown him missing a huge chance in the first half when the scorelines were level.
It looked like a real shrewd piece of business when the Irons persuaded Ings to make the move to East London, given his impressive goal records at different clubs over the years.
But he failed to really make much of an impact in the second half of last season, with his only goals in the Premier League both coming in the 4-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest in February.
His fortunes haven’t improved much this season, either, as he’s only played 43 minutes in West Ham’s opening six league games and hasn’t been able to make his mark.
The forward was handed his first start of the campaign in the 3-1 victory in the Europa League over Backa Topola on 21 September.
But he once again disappointed during his 77 minutes on the field – registering just one shot and failing to create any chances.
That didn’t stop David Moyes from turning to him against Lincoln, though, as 10 changes were made from Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool, with several key players not included in the squad.
The video shows Pablo Fornals playing Ings through one-on-one with a defender before he beats his man with a neat touch and sends the ball at least a yard wide of the post from inside the area.
A Premier League striker simply can’t afford to be missing the target in those situations and it will have done little to endear him to the fans or propel him into the manager’s thoughts for the upcoming matches.
Despite playing 90 minutes, that was the only shot the Englishman had in the game even though he was playing against a side from two divisions below [SofaScore].
He also had just 39 touches of the ball despite the Hammers having 75 per cent of the possession, while he made no key passes and lost the ball on nine occasions.
It just isn’t good enough for a player with his pedigree and, with every opportunity that passes him by, it’s becoming more apparent that the Irons can’t rely on him as a capable backup to step in for Michail Antonio when he’s out of the side.
In other West Ham news, one star is expected to sign a new deal to make him one of the club’s highest earners.