Oojays_gramAll eyes were on Nuno Espirito Santo during West Ham United’s Monday night Premier League tie against Everton, as the Portuguese manager took charge of the Irons for the first time. And he oversaw a 1-1 draw which gave fans cause for optimism.
Although the Toffees took the lead through defender Michael Keane, the visitors rallied in the second half and began to turn the screw. They were eventually rewarded for their efforts as Jarrod Bowen, often the talisman for the east London club, curled home a strike to level proceedings.
While there will be much discussion about how the game played out, one of the biggest talking points was Nuno’s decision to drop midfielder James Ward-Prowse, who was a regular feature under former head coach Graham Potter. But the new manager should really consider dropping another established name after a lacklustre showing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Nuno Must Drop Niclas Fullkrug
Many players who featured in Nuno’s first West Ham lineup impressed, namely Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, who provided the most attacking threat. But striker Niclas Fullkrug endured a difficult night on Merseyside.
The German failed to get the better of centre-backs James Tarkowski and Keane, despite several crosses into the box which he could have challenged for. Although he tried to help build attacks with link-up play and by applying pressure on defenders, he didn’t really have many chances to test Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal, managing two shots, one of which was on target.
| Niclas Fullkrug vs Everton | |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 89 |
| Touches | 37 |
| Expected goals | 0.24 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Shots off target | 1 |
| Pass accuracy (%) | 68% |
| Key passes | 3 |
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Only Summerville managed a higher expected goals total against Everton (0.42) than Fullkrug (0.24).
Monday’s performance from the centre-forward was just the latest instalment in what has largely been a disappointing career as a West Ham player. Signed from Borussia Dortmund for £27m after scoring 15 goals in 46 games for Die Schwarzgelben, Fullkrug has failed to find the back of the net with any regularity at the London Stadium, scoring just three times in 22 league matches.
Patience among the Hammers faithful has been wearing thin for weeks now, and many believe that the striker must be the next domino to fall as Nuno bids to save the club from relegation this season. One remarked, “Fullkrug is by far and away the worst player on the pitch, get him off man,” while another added, “Fullkrug being terrible wasn’t a Potter thing then.”
Other West Ham fans remarked that the striker wasn’t putting his physicality to good effect. “Can’t hold a ball up and does sod all else,” one supporter said. “Never have I seen such physically large footballers be so weak.” Another stated: “Btw Fullkrug: Seems a decent guy but I’ve never seen a centre forward of his size look terrible in the air and offer no outlet leading the line.”
With him proving to be so ineffective, Nuno really should be asking Callum Wilson to lead the line moving forward. Although the Englishman is now 33-years-old, he is only one year older than Fullkrug, and has proven over the years that he is more than capable of operating up front for Premier League sides, such as Bournemouth and Newcastle United.
During his time in the top flight, Wilson has scored a total of 89 goals, including one in his opening five matches as a West Ham player. Although Nuno’s next match is a stern test against Arsenal, asking the former Newcastle man to lead the line might give them more of a chance at a result. And better yet, a chance to avoid relegation.
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