Wednesday, January 11

Hogan's heroes?

West Ham have had a £12.5 million bid for Scott Hogan turned down by Brentford, with the west London club holding out for £15 million. We're buying at a bad time and will undoubtedly have to pay over the odds for a Championship player. The 24-year-old Hogan had a decent season for Rochdale and then one and a half decent seasons for Brentford, but he would still be a gamble, particularly as he's already had a cruciate ligament injury. 

We should remember that Ashley Fletcher prospered with Barnsley in League One but is taking time to adjust to the Premiership. On the other hand, having come up the hard way, starting at Woodley Sports and playing for Haifax Town, Stockbridge Steels, Ashton United and Hyde, Hogan might have an Antonio-like hunger that some of our bigger players don't have. It's been a disastrous summer in the transfer market, so let's hope that at some stage we get lucky.

7 comments:

Ratcatcher said...

If Hammers sign Hogan he will cut many Premier league defences to pieces. His shots on target rate is unerringly high at around 84%. He is another Greaves in his style, very quick and lethal in the box, good with his head and both feet, a pedigree marksman.

Pete May said...

If he's that good we'll have him! Some players seem to score wherever they are like say Charlie Austin, whereas others really struggle at a higher level. How much have you seen of him?

Jason van Donovan said...

He's not had a season and a half at Brentford, you moron; he only managed seven or eight games last season. Well worth £15m.

Unknown said...

he definetly scores in a brothel,me and the lads see him at a brasshouse in southampton he scored the perfect hat trick,left,right,then a bullet header.

Edward Soudan said...

Plays off the shoulder, Is pacy and is a very smart, 2-footed finisher who would score in any standard of football. With better service at Brentford he would now be on, at least, 20 goals. Rather than query Hogan's goal scoring ability, West Ham fans should ask themselves, do they have the players who could provide the service to him. If you do, you will quickly rise up the table.
I'm a Brentford fan who would like him to stay but have recognised the inevitability of a move.

Regards,
Ted.

matt said...

21 goals in 33 league games for Brentford. A good ratio, but he only played 9 games in the two seasons before this one, as the charming and very intelligent Jason van Donovan notes, so he'd be a gamble both in terms of whether he can stay fit, and make the step up.

Pete May said...

He certainly sounds very promising from what Edward Souden and Ratcatcher say. Hogan actually had two and a half seasons at Brentford as the erudite Jason van Donovan notes, but lost nearly two seasons to injury. Hopefully the cash will come in handy for Brentford and both sides will benefit.