WHZ View: Pablo Fornals is improving at West Ham
West Ham are very fortunate with their options in midfield at this moment in time.
The team currently pick itself. In midfield, it’s usually Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Lingard and Benrahma. It’s easily the best collection of midfield players I’ve seen us have at West Ham in over 15 years.
Lingard has come in and appeared to make the number ten role his own. After all, two goals in a 3-1 away win on your debut isn’t a bad way to start.
The arrival of Lingard has had knock-on effects, however. One man feeling the impact most is our Spaniard, Pablo Fornals
The number 18 joined from La Liga side Villarreal for £24m in June 2019. Following the move, he spent the summer playing for Spain’s under 21 teams at the European Championships.
It was the perfect opportunity for West Ham fans to see their new singing, had they not watched him play in Spain before.
Fornals came on as a substitute in the first two fixtures. It was in matchday two when he made an impact. The midfielder scored an 89th-minute winner against Belgium. He was rewarded with a start against Poland for matchday three and scored the first in Spain’s 5-0 routing.
The Spaniard started the semi-final and final as his country won the competition. £24m was appearing to look like an absolute steal for one of the players of the tournament.
It’s fair to say that the midfielder had a bit of trouble adapting to the style of play in the Premier League initially. A 5-0 loss at home to Manchester City was a true baptism of fire.
It was his second performance which was a bit more alarming, away to Brighton he lost possession eleven times and won just five of his 20 duels [WyScout].
Overall, in his first season Fornals featured 36 times in the Premier League, a really impressive number of appearances. As the season went on his performances improved, he made a name for himself with his relentless effort and tireless running.
He ended the campaign on two goals and four assists. Not exactly setting the world alight, but something for him to work on. He’d won 42.3% of his duels overall and averaged a 54.7% success rate of total actions per 90.
This season he’s looked a lot more comfortable in the David Moyes system. In 19 appearances he’s already equalled his goal tally and has three assists, just one shy of his four last campaign.
It gets better too. He now averages 47.2% of duels won and a 60.39% success rate for overall actions per 90. Yes, these are just numbers. But anyone watching him play can see his confidence on the ball and his excellent work rate.
The arrival of Lingard has meant Fornals hasn’t started the last two league games. Crucially, he sees this as a challenge and will be looking to improve on his goal involvements before the end of the season.
He still has plenty of time to succeed at West Ham and is going the right way about it.
In other West Ham news, this man will forever be a hero in east London.