West Ham Zone View: Club must ignore McAvennie’s striker signing advice
There’s no doubt that West Ham United have struggled in front of goal this season, and there’s likely no quick fix for manager David Moyes.
Club record signing Sebastien Haller has really struggled to replicate the blistering form he showed at former club Eintracht Frankfurt, while fellow summer recruit Albian Ajeti has barely gotten a look-in.
For some people the answer is simple: buy another striker. However, that’s probably not going to fix the underlying issues at the club.
Former Hammer Frank McAvennie, though, believes that Scottish striking sensation Lawrence Shankland could be a big help to his old team.
“He’s got to go to England and I’d love him at West Ham,” he told The Courier. “I can’t believe a top Championship club or a Premier League club near the bottom of the table didn’t come in for him in the transfer window.
“If someone called me up and asked me about Lawrence Shankland, I’d tell them to take a chance on him.
“The strikers at West Ham are big lads but they don’t have the mobility of Shankland. His movement in the box is brilliant. He’s a proper striker, you can’t teach what he’s got.”
While some of what McAvennie says makes sense, Shankland is a risk that the Hammers simply can’t afford to take – if they remain in the Premier League, that is.
Now, if they suffer relegation this season then Shankland would be the perfect frontman to take a punt on in the second tier. But if they remain in the top flight they need proven Premier League performers.
That means a striker with a respectable track record of consistently scoring goals in the division. While Shankland’s record of 26 in 26 this campaign is hugely impressive, he doesn’t have that. Nor has he proven himself at Scottish Premiership level either.
They would be better off going for a Teemu Pukki or a Chris Wood or Ashley Barnes. Not the most glamorous names, but proven top flight scorers who work extremely hard.
In other West Ham news, a former England international has called on Moyes to drop one underperforming Hammer.