Tuesday, January 19

Striker light

Interesting to watch Sebastien Haller playing in his first two games for Ajax. His body language certainly looked very different. When he made a goal he wheeled away with his arm in the air and when he scored he looked delighted. None of which happened at West Ham, where he always looked disgruntled even when scoring, suggesting he regretted his move to the Irons. There's no doubt he has talent and he'll be good for a team dominating possession and challenging at the top of the league. But Haller really didn't suit playing for a team like WHU that plays on the break.

Without Haller we're down to one fit striker in Antonio. We really shouldn't be asking Michail and his dodgy hamstrings to complete three games in eight days tonight. The only alternative is 18-year-old Mipo Odubeko who came on for four minutes at Stockport. He might be promising but is he ready for a run in the Premier League?

It was bad planning to start the season with only two strikers in Antonio and Haller. Now Haller has gone it's essential to get another striker in as Antonio surely won't be fit for all the remaining 20 games. Bids for Sevilla striker En-Nesri and Montpellier's Laborde have already reportedly failed. Moyes can claim that he will work with what he's got if nothing comes off, but it would be unprofessional to try to get through half a season with just one striker. Even if it's a loan we have to get another body in the box.

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