It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that Hammers manager David Moyes' patience has run out with the club's record signing, the misfit striker Sebastien Haller. Moyes didn't sign him, and perhaps the player himself would not have opted to move to the London Stadium had Moyes been in charge, either way the situation is a 'fait accompli' that suits neither party.
Time and time again, Barclays Premier League clubs, not only West Ham United, exert extreme pressure on their managers to play the expensive acquisitions they have bank rolled, more often looking at the figures on paper as opposed to the player on the pitch. Even a blind man and his dog would fail to see how ill suited Sebastien Haller is for the rigours of the Premier League, in fact the entire process of Haller's purchase is mired in mystery, with some observers saying there might have been a 'bit of a back hander' involved between 'certain parties' and Eintrecht Frankfurt!
With the health of main striker Michail Antonio's hamstrings as tenuous as a last minute Brexit deal, there is a distinct need for a plan C, as plan B involving Haller has obviously failed. The fact that flying winger Authur Masuaku was also injured heaped even more pressure on Haller, pressure he has been unable to convert in to goals, plenty of near misses, but no banana!
Having no other established striker available, Moyes has the choice of 'promoting' an U-23 player, or 'creating' a new striker from the pool of players that ARE available. There aren't that many! However he does have Andriy Yarmolenko available, 'Yarmo' is obviously not a traditional lone man up front, but he is good in the air and has scored a lot of goals playing up front for the Ukraine national team.
Utilising Yarmolenko as a 'false' number nine is not an ideal solution, but he can hardly do any worse than Haller, a man whose confidence is clearly shattered, the big French man, with the exception of his over head goal against Palace, has been unable to replicate even a fraction of the powerful striker performances he put in on a regular basis in Germany.
Haller will leave the club at the end of the season, that is without a doubt, if Moyes had his way Haller would be off in the January window, except given Seb's atrocious form of late any price offered would be way below even the bargain price set by the Irons! It should be remembered that while Moyes didn't sign Haller, he DID sign Hugill, the difference of course being that the Irons paid around £9 Million for Hugill, eventually selling him for £3 Million, thus losing £6 Million over three years.
The numbers for Haller are far more depressing, signed for £45 Million how much is he worth now? Even generous appraisals have his value at £25 Million, a loss of £20 Million, a 'hit' the club would probably take in order to get his £115,000 per week wages off the books as well!
So it looks as if Moyes will start Yarmolenko, because Haller is a salient lesson in how NOT to move a mid table club forward, pigeon steps can work a lot better than great hoof marks left by amateurs, albeit well meaning in their own way! -Ed Jnr
Comments
i no Haller was not
El Pels first choice he wanted Maxi Gomez but he clearly did not fancy us so out of the blue £45million on Haller and we all no the rest...the problem is our board love a Marquis signing but we normally get a Wigwam where as we would be better off like you say Nev taking pigeon steps but Sullivan cannot resist or help himself and loves making a headline signing.
If Yarma starts i would think it pointless to even have Haller on the bench as his confidence is shot and bringing him on if needed well he does not seem the type to say stuff you lot this is what i can do and why i should be playing..best for all concerned if he moved on