West Ham’s season has barely got going, but the criticism is already rolling in. Gabby Agbonlahor has singled out one big-money arrival, slamming the decision to spend close to £30million on a player he says is “not good enough”.
West Ham have made a slow start under Graham Potter, with even a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest not enough to cool the pressure.
Jose Mourinho has already been linked with the job, while the latest reports suggest Frank Lampard has been sounded out.
Transfer business has been part of the problem, and Agbonlahor believes it was doomed from the moment the club signed Niclas Fullkrug.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “I don’t think it’s about how much you spend, it’s what you spend it on. They’ve signed Niclas Fullkrug for near enough £30m. He runs like he’s got no hips, he can’t get around the pitch.
“Honestly, what a bad signing. Yes, he did well at the Euros, but he’s not a good enough player for me. That was a strange signing. Other signings they’ve had, Todibo for £32m.”
Alan Brazil, sat alongside him, agreed: “Who is signing these people? This is what gets me with modern football. Who is buying them? What gives them the expertise to go and spend £30m, £40m, £50m at a time?”
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Fullkrug’s struggles are clear in the numbers. Last season, he managed three goals across 18 league appearances, a return well below what was expected of a striker arriving fresh from a Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund.
His expected goals rate in the Premier League sat at just 0.25 per 90 minutes, while his pass accuracy dropped below 70 per cent. This year, he has started three games without scoring, registering only five shots and losing more than 70 per cent of his duels.
There have been occasional flashes of the physical presence that made him effective in Germany, but in England, he has looked immobile and blunt. At 32, it is hard to see where the spark will come from.
The German has made a career out of being useful out of possession, holding up play and offering an outlet. Yet in a side struggling to create chances, his lack of sharpness in the box has stood out more than his strengths.
To top it off, Fullkrug has just picked up an injury on international duty. Depending on how you look at it, that might be good news or bad news for West Ham.
