Former Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips has voiced his concerns over West Ham‘s decision not to reinforce their strike force during the January transfer window.
The Hammers allowed Sebastien Haller to join Ajax early in the month and many might have expected an instant replacement to follow, with Michail Antoino now their only natural centre-forward. However, that wasn’t to be, with Said Benrahma‘s loan deal being made permanent and the Said Benrahma the only notable deals in January.
That relative inactivity has prompted Phillips to tell Football Insider: “It is a huge risk to go into the second half of the season with just one striker. Would you say Antonio is going to stay fit all season playing week in, week out? History would suggest that he will not.”
The 47-year-old went on to suggest that Andriy Yarmolenko could deputise up front if called upon, albeit not with the same effect as Antonio, and Phillips described the lack of centre-forward depth as “an area of big concern“.
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Phillips is preaching to the converted here.
Whilst everything is rosy in the Hammers’ garden right now after Lingard’s dream debut in midweek, realistic and perhaps pessimistic Irons fans will know that the Irons are one major Antonio issue away from all their hard work unravelling.
The talismanic striker is so important to Moyes’ side as the focal point of the pressing and as a way of allowing players to get higher up the field, two facets in which Yarmolenko simply isn’t as efficient. Therefore, it’s not hard to agree with Phillips on his views in this regard.
