Niclas Fullkrug is a return to the old -fashioned attacker, a 6 -foot 2 inch German with his large shoulders and his missing tooth – and what West Ham needs to move them forward.
The 32 -year -old man left the bench twice to give Graham Potter the focal point of the attack they have been missing for a long time.
Fullkrug suffered an injury to the hamstrings 15 minutes after Potter’s first match in January and since then, the new boss has mixed various combinations of Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen, none of the attackers, to direct the line.
The summer signature of 27 million pounds sterling from Borussia Dortmund has just returned, leaving the bench against the Wolves, then Bournemouth on Saturday and the twice, he changed the game.
Against the Wolves, he installed Tomas Soucek for a very late chance to grasp a point and hit the bar with a decent head. Then seven minutes after coming against Bournemouth, marked a ball head in a corner of James Ward-Prowse.
“If you look at some of my career goals, you will see more headers like that,” said Fullkrug. “It is one of my strengths. With PROWSEY CROS, it’s easier.
Fullkrug has intensified West Ham lately, marking in two of its last three championship games
The German striker could hit his stride after what was a first season of London Stadium injury
Fullkrug and Danny Ings are the only two natural attackers available from West Ham for the moment
It is not only his physique of meat and potatoes and an air threat that is impressed, but also his ability to bring those around him. Bowen added a second shortly after decreasing.
Fullkrug admits that it was a difficult journey, requiring late friendly matches and training in hot weather in Dubai to get it to this point and, even now, he is not ready to start a game.
‘What should I do? I had to accept it – and get the most out of it, ”added Fullkrug. I need to be smart and intelligent as now. I still need to adapt. We have to work more and more to fully adapt to programming.
“It’s a very, very difficult season. I came here to enjoy the Premier League with a big club. Now I can and I am very happy. So let’s see what the season will bring to the end.
Fullkrug is nicknamed Lücke in his homeland, German for “The Gap” in reference to that of his front teeth. Once back in great shape, he has shown that he can fill a giant in the West Ham attack. A swung attacker to repair a toothless attack.