Julen Lopetegui and Danny Ings talks emerge ahead of West Ham United v Fulham
Frank McAvennie believes Julen Lopetegui will have pulled Danny Ings to one side before West Ham drew 1-1 against Fulham on Saturday (14 September).
The former Hammers star was unable to hide his delight after the out-of-favour striker became the hero against the Cottagers, coming on to score five minutes into added time to salvage a point.
Following the crucial moment at Craven Cottage, news emerged that Ings has decided to stay put at the London Stadium ahead of the January transfer window [GiveMeSport], and McAvennie says this is down to talks with the manager.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, he said: “I’m delighted for him because he had the chance to go somewhere else. I would imagine the manager spoke to him and said, ‘Listen, you’re going to be part of my team.’ There had to be space there for him.
“It’s great to see him score. Good strikers are few and far between, and he’s an out-and-out striker Maybe he’s old-fashioned, but give him three chances and he’ll score twice, maybe even three.
“I’m delighted he stayed because goals are a commodity. We don’t see too much of it at West Ham right now.”
Danny Ings rescues West Ham United after transfer call
There had already been some clamour for the 32-year-old to start against Fulham, with Niclas Fullkrug sidelined through injury and Michail Antonio returning from international duty.
While the Jamaican was given the nod up front by Lopetegui, Ings grasped his opportunity with both hands, coming on in the 82nd minute before bulging the back of the net 13 minutes later.
With it being just his second goal in all competitions since April 2023, Ings certainly deserves the praise from Hammers fans, with some even suggesting he deserves an apology for some of the recent comments.
In other West Ham news, Lopetegui was clearly right to drop one of his stars after a 0% substitute appearance v Fulham.
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