There has been a lot of negativity towards the versatile forward Andre Ayew, as his move to West Ham edges closer. Based on leaks from the club and connecting the dots, Ayew may be a West Ham player within 72 hours. I personally see this as a positive purchase but some fans have used social media to express their unhappiness with the signing.
The Ghanaian was the key man in Swansea City’s bid for Premier League survival last season which included his league goal tally reaching twelve, whilst for the most part playing on the wing. Kevin Nolan is the last West Ham player since their return to the Premier League to reach double figures with ten goals in the 2012-2013 campaign.
The 26-year-old received rave reviews from the start of last season, as he was awarded the player of the month for August, after scoring three times in his first four appearances. He is rather limited with the use of the left foot only, but what he can do with it is destructive.
He has the ability to play killer through balls, run at defences and score. He oozes confidence on the ball, but he isn’t just a player who is easy on the eye. He also works hard and has great strength which makes it easy for him to play as a single striker.
Ayew was used in a number of roles last year by coaches Garry Monk, Alan Curtis and Francesco Guidolin, and he played exceptionally well in every role whether it was on the wing or as a lone striker.
Versatility is the key word here, something which West Ham players have lacked in their recent history. When have we known a player in Claret and Blue to comfortably play in centre midfield, left wing, right wing, attacking midfield or as a striker? The answer is rarely.
What some fans are forgetting about signing Ayew is that sometimes options are a good thing. He can be used by Bilic in different ways depending on the situation. He is a perfect player when a tactical change is needed during a game, whether for holding a lead or chasing a game.
He may not be the 20-goal a season striker, but he isn’t being bought to be one. He is not the goal machine we are looking for; he is the replacement for the inconsistent Enner Valencia. The goal machine forward is still in the pipeline.
Let’s put things into perspective, we need to improve the team, and buying the best from clubs below us in the table is what we need to do. This is a good signing and I hope we see Ayew put in some great performances that he did last season for an underachieving Swansea side.
