David Sullivan finally gets it right after expensive gamble pays off despite loss vs Chelsea
David Sullivan has gotten it spot on with West Ham’s striker signings in the winter transfer window so far.
The Hammers have made significant progress in January despite losing 3-2 to Chelsea after Enzo Fernandez scored a 92nd-minute winner at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
West Ham remain five points adrift of safety, but wins over Sunderland and Tottenham have reinforced the belief that Nuno Espirito Santo can guide them out of the relegation zone.
Defensive reinforcements are desperately needed if the Hammers want to stay up, but seven goals scored in their last three matches show that Nuno is getting it right in the final third.
Although West Ham will be gutted with the loss to Chelsea, Pablo and Taty Castellanos have certainly had a positive impact in E20.
Taty Castellanos and Pablo have transformed West Ham
Sullivan invested heavily in attacking reinforcements, with £47.7million being spent on Castellanos and Pablo as the Hammers look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Both players arrived in the early stages of the winter window, and at first, it seemed unclear if Nuno would be able to get the best out of them.
Pablo currently operates just behind Castellanos, but in possession, the Hammers attack in a 4-2-4 formation.
| Castellanos | Stat | Pablo |
| Lazio | Club | Gil Vicente |
| 12 | Appearances | 14 |
| 2 | Goals | 10 |
| 3 | Assists | 1 |
The tactical change has brought the best out of Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville and that was clearly shown against Chelsea.
Both forwards pinned back Chelsea’s defence in the first half, which allowed the wingers to isolate their full-backs.
What needs to happen next is for both players to start firing in the Premier League.
For all the good work they do on and off the ball, goals will define their legacies in E20.
West Ham completely lost their composure in the second half, which was encapsulated by Jean-Clair Todibo’s late red card.
However, it’s clear that using both of the new arrivals together is having a good effect on the level of their performances.
Has David Sullivan finally broken the striker curse?
Credit must be given to Sullivan for actually identifying strikers who can benefit the team.
The likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Sebastian Haller, and Gianluca Scamacca have all buckled under the pressure of playing up front for West Ham.
Poor recruitment in attacking areas has have often been the downfall of West Ham teams in the past, and Sullivan was rightly criticised for his failures.
However, it looks as if the curse may be broken if they continue to impress.
While the goals haven’t come yet, they have shown encouraging signs that they can provide exactly what Nuno needs.
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.