IF THE HAMMERS FELT THAT NUNO ALONE COULD HALT AN ALARMING SLIDE DOWN THE PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE, IT SEEMS THEY WERE SADLY MISTAKEN. YES, WEST HAM UNITED HAVE ONLY CONCEDED ONE SET-PIECE GOAL IN THREE GAMES COMPARED TO EIGHT IN SIX UNDER GRAHAM POTTER. BUT GENUINE, OBVIOUS IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN FEW AND FAR BETWEEN DURING A SPELL IN WHICH ONLY ONE POINT HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED FROM A POSSIBLE NINE, AND ONLY ONE GOAL SCORED.
HAMMERS NEWS HAVE BEEN INFORMED, BY CHIEF FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT GRAEME BAILEY, THAT NUNO WANTS A NEW STRIKER AT WEST HAM IN JANUARY — PREFERABLY AN ‘ATHLETIC’ CENTRE-FORWARD CAPABLE OF GIVING HIS TEAMMATES A MUCH-NEEDED OUTLET. ONE WITH THE PHYSICALITY TO MAKE LIFE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR OPPOSITION DEFENDERS. UNTIL THEN, HOWEVER, NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO WILL HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH WHAT HE’S GOT. AND THAT ISN’T MUCH, REALLY.
UPTON PARK LEGEND TONY GALE IS HOPING TO SEE CALLUM WILSON MAKE ONLY A SECOND PREMIER LEAGUE START FOR HIS CURRENT EMPLOYERS AWAY TO LEEDS ON FRIDAY NIGHT. WHETHER THE MANAGER OBLIGES, THAT WILL BECOME CLEAR WHEN THE TEAM NEWS FILTERS THROUGH FROM ELLAND ROAD.
TONY GALE SAYS NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO MUST RE-CALL WEST HAM UNITED’S CALLUM WILSON
THE FORMER ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL IS YET TO PLAY A SINGLE MINUTE SINCE POTTER WAS PUT OUT OF HIS MISERY A MONTH AGO.
BUT AFTER SEEING BRENTFORD’S IMPOSING BACKLINE BULLY LUCAS PAQUETA, JARROD BOWEN AND CRYSENCIO SUMMERVILLE WITH CONSIDERABLE EASE, AND AFTER WEST HAM LOST NICLAS FULLKRUG TO ANOTHER INJURY, GALE FEELS THAT WILSON IS A MUST.
“NUNO HAS GOT TO PICK A CENTRE FORWARD. LUCAS PAQUETA IS NOT A CENTRE FORWARD, NEITHER IS JARROD BOWEN NOR CRYSENCIO SUMMERVILLE. NUNO MUST PICK A CENTRE FORWARD; CALLUM WILSON,” GALE, WHO PLAYED 300 LEAGUE MATCHES FOR THE HAMMERS, TELLS GIVE ME SPORT.
“THERE IS PACE IN THE TEAM WITH BOWEN AND SUMMERVILLE, AND GOOD PASSING IN PAQUETA. BUT THEY NEED TO BE PLAYED TO THEIR STRENGTHS. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND ROAM FREE WHILE HE TIGHTENS THINGS UP AT THE BACK.”
GALE SAYS WILSON SHOULD START OVER CALLUM MARSHALL AND CO
NUNO CHOSE CALLUM MARSHALL AHEAD OF WILSON WHEN MAKING CHANGES AGAINST BOTH BRENTFORD AND ARSENAL IN SUCCESSIVE 2-0 DEFEATS.
FOR ALL THE ENERGY AND YOUTHFUL ENDEAVOUR THE 20-YEAR-OLD NORTHERN IRISHMAN OFFERS, GALE FEELS THAT WILSON’S ‘VAST EXPERIENCE’ MEANS HE SHOULD GET THE NOD IN WEST YORKSHIRE.
WILSON, LEST WE FORGET, IS THE ONLY HAMMERS STRIKER TO SCORE A GOAL IN 2025/26.
NUNO WOULD NOT BE DRAWN ON HIS PLANS AHEAD OF THAT TRIP TO LEEDS. THE WEST HAM BOSS CONFIRMED THAT WILSON IS “WORKING WELL” ON THE TRAINING PITCH, THOUGH.
“[WILSON] IS WORKING WELL. ALL THE PLAYERS ARE WORKING WELL,” NUNO SAID DURING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. “IT IS UP TO US TO TAKE THE DECISIONS IN THE RIGHT MOMENTS.
“WE ARE GOING TO PREPARE THE GAME [ON THURSDAY]. SOME OF [THE PLAYERS] HAVE PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. THE REST, LIKE ‘JC’ [TODIBO] FOR EXAMPLE, WERE OUT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. NOW, HE IS COMING BACK, LIKE AARON [WAN-BISSAKA]. ALL THE PLAYERS ARE OPTIONS FOR US, AS LONG AS THEY ARE HEALTHY, AND WE NEED THEM.”
CHRIS WOOD, ENDRICK AND GONZALO GARCIA ARE JANUARY OPTIONS
GALE BELIEVES THAT WEST HAM CANNOT AFFORD TO LET THE JANUARY WINDOW PASS THEM BY, WITH SOME PROBLEMS ONLY FIXABLE WITH OUTSIDE HIRES. HAMMERS NEWS HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT NUNO COULD LOOK TO REUNITE WITH CHRIS WOOD, HIS OLD NOTTINGHAM FOREST TARGETMAN.
WEST HAM HAVE HELD DISCUSSIONS WITH REAL MADRID REGARDING POTENTIAL LOAN DEALS FOR YOUNGSTERS ENDRICK AND GONZALO GARCIA, THOUGH NEITHER POSSESS THE PROFILE OR THE PROVEN PREMIER LEAGUE TRACK RECORD OF WOOD.
“THEY ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SIGNINGS IN JANUARY,” GALE SAYS. “THEY HAVE TO GET A CENTRE FORWARD, BUT THEY MUST ALSO ENSURE THEY ARE NOT ADRIFT BY JANUARY BECAUSE THAT WILL MAKE IT EVEN HARDER TO GET PLAYERS TO COME.
“AND IF THEY DO, THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY MORE TO GET PLAYERS TO COME AND JOIN A TEAM STARING AT THE ABYSS.”
