Mark Chapman questions quality of West Ham United strikers after poor start to season
Mark Chapman has questioned if West Ham have the striker who can score up to 20 goals in the Premier League this season.
Niclas Fullkrug was signed from Borussia Dortmund this summer, adding to Michail Antonio and Danny Ings as options in the final third.
Speaking on the Football Daily Podcast (16 September, 26:24), the BBC presenter questioned the quality of options that Julen Lopetegui has at the London Stadium.
“I suppose the question will be have they got the player who can put the ball in the back of the net regularly 15/20 times,” Chapman said.
“Is that going to be Fullkrug or Michail Antonio or Danny Ings?
“But certainly in those options behind the front man, they’ve got plenty of attacking talent”.
West Ham United need to improve the quality of their strikers
Last term the Hammers somehow managed to grind out a ninth-place finish in the Premier League despite not having the best quality of players in defence and attack.
While David Moyes’ men had the fourth-worst defensive record in the league last term, Antonio and Ings didn’t even manage to hit double figures combined.
Hence why Fullkrug was brought in during the summer transfer window.
However, as he is now sidelined due to injury [WHUFC, 12 September], Lopetegui is having to turn to the aforementioned pair to lead his attacking line once again.
Even when the German international returns to full fitness, it doesn’t seem likely that the former Borussia Dortmund man will be able to play every game.
It likely isn’t a surprise that Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush has been linked with a potential move to the London Stadium over the next two windows [TEAMtalk, 16 September].
His addition would improve the attack tenfold and would allow them to make the most out of players such as Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.
Only time will tell if Lopetegui chooses to reinforce his attack over the next season or so but one things for sure, the club would be far better off if he managed to do so.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers’ final league position has been predicted by a supercomputer after their 1-1 draw v Fulham.
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