Paqueta sends message to Fullkrug after West Ham striker scores v Bournemouth
Niclas Fullkrug is back on the field and back in the goals for West Ham United, having fired his first at home in the Premier League at the weekend.
The German striker’s season has been decimated by injury since his arrival, but he has still managed three goals with only three league starts to his name, heading an equaliser against AFC Bournemouth to break his London Stadium duck (5 April).
Fullkrug, 32, will aim to finish the season strongly under little pressure as Graham Potter’s side have one eye firmly on going again next year.
Lucas Paqueta sends message to Fullkrug after goal
Fullkrug will have endured some real struggles this season as his maiden year in England has been largely robbed of him and spent in injury rehabilitation.
Potter, however, threw him on in each of the last two games against Wolves and Bournemouth, and he entered the pitch to great effect.
The frontman was at the centre of creating the two best chances the Irons had at Molineux in midweek, and took it upon himself to plant home a bullet header to open his side’s account against an impressive Cherries outfit.
Fullkrug displayed his gratitude to the patient West Ham supporters via an Instagram post (5 April), captioned: “Happy to have scored my first goal at home! That’s the energy we need, let’s build on that.”
Teammate Paqueta was one of many responders to his post, replying in the comments with three emojis – a hand-shaking ‘call me’ gesture; a red heart, and a flame.
West Ham look to finish the season strongly
Overall, this season has been abjectly disappointing and West Ham fans cannot wait for its end.
The mental reset as much as anything is what everyone is yearning for in East London, after so much appeared to be promised last summer only to fall on deaf ears through the medium of sluggish, inconsistent performances.
Potter has at least turned the tide from the reckless Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten days, with several losses now coming by a solitary goal instead of opening the floodgates.
| West Ham – remaining fixtures | Date |
| Liverpool (A) | 13 April |
| Southampton (H) | 19 April |
| Brighton (A) | 26 April |
| Tottenham (H) | 3 May |
| Man United (A) | 10 May |
| Nott’m Forest (H) | 18 May |
| Ipswich (A) | 25 May |
The Hammers are 15th – at least until Tottenham Hotspur host Southampton on Sunday afternoon (6 April) – but are a comfortable 15 points clear of the drop, leaving them in a seemingly endless abyss.
With seven to go, Potter will merely seek to implement his ideas further ahead of pre-season in late June – and Fullkrug will hopefully be a central figure in those plans.