They may well be in the Premier League relegation zone, but things are starting to look up for West Ham United.
Importantly, Graham Potter is now ancient history, and Nuno Espírito Santo is already getting the team to play better.
For example, they managed to fight back from a goal down and claim a point away to Everton, and while they didn’t really lay a finger on Arsenal, they also were not blown away.
However, there are still, of course, problems to solve, such as the team’s dire strikeforce of Niclas Füllkrug and Callum Wilson, although that problem could potentially be addressed through the academy.
West Ham's Füllkrug & Wilson problem
Even though West Ham are undoubtedly better than where they currently sit in the table, there are a few areas of the team that desperately need attention, like the striker department.
Go back to last summer, and it looked like the East Londoners had gone some way towards doing just that when they signed Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund.
The German international was just coming off a season in which he scored 15 goals and provided ten assists in 43 appearances for the Bundesliga side and featured at the Euros in his homeland.
Unfortunately, the player the Hammers got their hands on has looked nothing like that clinical striker, as so far, in 27 games for the club, the 32-year-old has scored just three goals and provided two assists.
Worse yet, all five of those goal involvements came last season, and so far this year, he has been less than effective up top.
Appearances
20
7
Minutes
877′
385′
Goals
3
0
Assists
2
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.25
0.00
Minutes per Goal Involvement
175.4′
N/A
Now, it might seem harsh to judge Wilson so early on in his West Ham career, but even as a free signing, he’s an underwhelming addition to the team at best.
So far, he has scored one goal in six appearances, which just isn’t good enough for a club of this size, and considering he scored just once in 22 games for Newcastle United last season, it seems unlikely he’s going to rediscover his form anytime soon.
In all, it is clear as can be that West Ham need a new striker, and while they could, and probably should, sign one in January, Nuno might already have a solution in the academy.
West Ham's Füllkrug & Wilson replacement
While the first team has been underwhelming at best for West Ham over the last couple of years, the academy continues to produce promising talent after promising talent like Emeka Adiele, Elisha Sowunmi and Chuk Obi.
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Moreover, the academy could provide Nuno with a solution to his Füllkrug and Wilson problem in the shape of Callum Marshall.
The 20-year-old centre-forward is currently plying his trade with the club’s U21 side and has racked up a reasonably impressive tally of four goals and one assist in just three appearances, totalling 270 minutes, which is an average of 1.33 goal involvements per game, or one every 67.5 minutes.
However, what makes the Northern Irishman a prime candidate to come and start ahead of the more senior strikers at some point this season is that he’s already got a good amount of senior football under his belt.
For example, he was given 29 minutes against Arsenal on Saturday, but more importantly, he spent last season on loan with Huddersfield Town, where he made quite an impact.
In all, the Glengormley-born poacher made 46 appearances for the Terriers, totalling 2841 minutes, in which he scored ten goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.28 games, or every 202.92 minutes.
Now, that might not sound outrageously impressive, but it’s important to remember that it was the youngster’s first proper season of regular first-team football, and he clearly did something right as he was named the club’s Player of the Year.
Moreover, with 12 international caps already under his belt, the “natural goalscorer,” as dubbed by former Huddersfield boss Michael Duff, is unlikely to be fazed by the task of starting a league game or two in the coming months.
Ultimately, it might not be the perfect solution, but with neither Füllkrug nor Wilson being good enough to lead the line for West Ham, Nuno should turn to Marshall.