Troy Deeney makes Callum Wilson claim after latest snub at West Ham
West Ham have made an abysmal start to the Premier League season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham lost 2-0 to Brentford on Monday, with the club now sitting in 19th place in the table.
New Hammers boss Nuno must turn things around quickly, and with Leeds, Newcastle, and Burnley to come in the next three matches, this is a pivotal moment in West Ham‘s season.
Ahead of their trip to Elland Road to face Leeds on Friday, Troy Deeney gave a potential reason as to why Callum Wilson has been left out in the cold.
Callum Wilson not a traditional forward used by Nuno Espirito Santo
With West Ham in search of a goal against Brentford, Nuno refused to bring on Callum Wilson from the bench.
West Ham are predicted to lose to Leeds, yet they cannot afford to drop more points to relegation rivals.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 24 October, Deeney highlighted why Nuno doesn’t favour using Wilson up front.
He said: “At his previous clubs, Nuno’s always used a target man with his back to goal, which is not Wilson’s strength.
“He’s usually running in-behind, playing on the shoulder, more of a poacher in front of goal. Respectfully, Wilson can’t move like he used to.”
Starting strikers Nuno has used in the past:
- Raul Jimenez (Wolves)
- Harry Kane (Tottenham)
- Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
Whilst Nuno didn’t work with Kane for long, the other two strikers are both imposing figures who were brilliant in the air.
Wilson doesn’t offer that at this stage in his career, and we’re seeing the early signs that he could be phased out of the squad.
However, what he does bring to the table is an exceptional goalscoring record that simply can’t be overlooked when West Ham are struggling to score.
Against Brentford, Nuno used Lucas Paqueta as a false nine, and with the tactic failing miserably, he must revert to using Wilson as a traditional striker.
West Ham must rely on Callum Wilson at this moment in time
Nuno has been criticised for the Wilson saga, yet there’s no evidence to suggest that the Hammers are better off without him.
West Ham are linked with Joshua Zirkzee and Ivan Toney over potential transfers in January, however, they must improve their attacking threat now.
Wilson’s fantastic header against Nottingham Forest showcased that there are few strikers in the league who have better movement within the box.
Nuno will probably bench Wilson once again due to his preferences against Leeds, and if West Ham lose on Friday, he’ll have even more questions to answer.
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