Tony Cottee reveals what ‘does his head in’ at West Ham after Evan Ferguson debut
Tony Cottee has been left frustrated by what he’s seen at West Ham before Evan Ferguson made his debut.
The Republic of Ireland international made his debut for the Hammers in the 1-0 defeat against Brentford, coming on at halftime to replace Carlos Soler in the forward line.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, the 20-year-old put in an encouraging performance which certainly caught the eye at the London Stadium.
With that being said, Cottee has now revealed what has gotten on his nerves in East London surrounding the signing of the striker.
Tony Cottee raves over Evan Ferguson impact for West Ham
It is safe to say that the Irons were in desperate need of a number nine in E20 after Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug suffered long-term injuries.
This has left Graham Potter without a recognised, senior striker and as a result has utilised other forward options in a false nine-type role.
With Ferguson coming in, the English head coach has a solution to this which has certainly been well-received by Cottee live on talkSPORT (18 February, 8:11am).
He said: “I saw someone was leading the line, he looked fit, he looked sharp. He had a good effort where he hit it on the turn, if that had gone in, it would have been fantastic.
“West Ham need a focal point, I can’t stand playing without a centre forward, it absolutely does my head in. I think it’s hard for everyone, it’s hard for the defenders, the midfielders, the wide players, they’ve got no focal point. As soon as Ferguson came on, West Ham had a focal point.”
Evan Ferguson has heavy burden to carry at West Ham
There was plenty of excitement when the Brighton forward came in on a loan deal until the end of the season in East London.
There is no doubt that the ex-Bohemians striker represents a useful option for Potter after being forced to play Lucas Paqueta up front at times.
Despite this, the Irishman now has the pressure of being the only striker fit and available at the London Stadium which may not be easy to deal with.
Against Brentford, the loanee so nearly had a positive impact with a cutback for Mohammed Kudus but he somehow missed from just six yards out.
If Ferguson can maintain this sort of level for the Irons across the rest of the campaign, there is no doubt he is going to become a fan favourite.
It will certainly be interesting, with his injury record, if he can stay fit and if he can deal with the pressure of being the starting number nine under Potter at the London Stadium.