Former Hammers star would ike to see more signings like Bowen
Former West Ham striker Alan Taylor believes supporting club record signing Sebastien Haller up front is a must when football returns.
There is no sign of any action in the Premier League for the forseeable future as the coronavirus pandemic continues, but when and if football does return, West Ham still have a lot of work to do.
They currently sit outside the relegation zone only on goal difference with just nine games to play and Taylor thinks the whole team has been underperforming.
“With the players they’ve got, West Ham should’ve done so much more this season,” said the 1975 FA Cup final hero, who is now 66-years-old. “They have underachived and some players just haven’t been doing it.”
Taylor works at the London Stadium on matchdays in hospitality and so can watch the West Ham games live and he singles out the use of Haller as a significant one.
“They spent a lot of money on Haller but they haven’t given him the support he needs,” insisted the former front man. “I was always helped out by the likes of Billy Jennings and Keith Robson in my time, but a lot of the time Haller has been up there on his own.
“He looks a skilful player, but he must be supported as he was at Frankfurt, otherwise he is knocking the ball down to nobody.”
In recent matches, Haller has played up front with Michail Antonio with good effect, but that has not always been the case.
“There have been times when Antonio has been injured, but just play someone else up front with Haller, anybody, even if it is a centre half,” said Taylor, who did applaud the January signing of Jarrod Bowen from Hull City.
And he thinks that West Ham should be looking for more home-grown players to strengthen the squad.
“I came from Rochdale, Robson was in Newcastle reerves and Billy Jennings was at Watford and we all fitted into the team well, while others don’t,” he said.
“With Felipe Anderson you can tell in the first 15 minutes if he is up to it and if he is not you may as well take him off and that is not right.
“Those are the sort of transfers West Ham need to be making. Jarrod Bowen looks a good signing, so why can we not have more like him?”
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