Everton vs West Ham Preview
West Ham boss Graham Potter HAS to start Evan Ferguson against Everton on Saturday.
The Hammers manager confirmed what Claret & Hugh reported this morning regarding Niclas Füllkrug’s return to fitness, with the German striker set to be available for selection against Wolves on 1st April.
That leaves just one match for Ferguson to feature before facing direct competition for the No.9 role.
Forget, for a moment, that Potter has so far refused to use a recognised striker in his first eight Premier League games. But if we assume he will eventually revert to a traditional forward, it’s surely Füllkrug who will get the nod.
After all, West Ham have invested £27m in the big German, and as a contracted player, he should be the priority.
Ferguson, on the other hand, is only on loan from Brighton, with no obligation or option to buy. Factor in that Potter has shown little inclination to deploy the young Irishman in attack, and things look bleak for the loanee.
“He’s where we expected him to be when he came in. He came in as a young player who has had time out with injuries,” Potter said of the 20-year-old today.
If that’s the case, one has to ask—what was the point of signing him in the first place? Potter’s comments today are a far cry from his remarks when Ferguson arrived, which suggested the striker was ready to play.
Fergusons was signed to cover Fullkrug and Antonio absence
At the time, a delighted Potter dismissed doubts over Ferguson’s availability, pointing to the fact that he had featured for Brighton against Nottingham Forest on 1st February.
Whichever version one chooses to believe, the reality is that West Ham have taken on a player who was either unready or unneeded.
But if Ferguson doesn’t start against Everton on Saturday, there really was no point in bringing him in at all. In short, the club desperately needed a forward who could play in February and March to cover the absence of Fullkrug and Antonio . . . it hasn’t happened and now our main striker is back.
Any further appearances beyond this weekend would simply be getting a player fit on Brighton’s behalf rather than focusing on preparing our own forward for action.
West Ham will either sell Fullkrug or get the striker ready for the Premier League next season. But either one will necessitate him playing as much as possible in the final 9 games.
