Welcome Simone Zaza - official

alderz

Personally, I think that we were spoilt by our summer signings last year.

Going back previous windows we always say how it takes time for some players to settle into a new country / league / team / style / whatever, but last summer we had Payet, Lanzini, Ogbonna and whoever else all come in and hit the ground running.

This year, Zaza, Tore, Nordtveit, Feghouli haven't done the same. It doesn't mean they aren't capable of being great players for us, it might just mean they need to settle into a brand new environment.

Yeoldhammer

grey_til_I_dye said:

So, in Slav we trust, but not in this particular instance?

Slav hasn't indicated he is going to buy him or take up the option to.

Yeoldhammer

alderz said:

Personally, I think that we were spoilt by our summer signings last year.

Going back previous windows we always say how it takes time for some players to settle into a new country / league / team / style / whatever, but last summer we had Payet, Lanzini, Ogbonna and whoever else all come in and hit the ground running.

This year, Zaza, Tore, Nordtveit, Feghouli haven't done the same. It doesn't mean they aren't capable of being great players for us, it might just mean they need to settle into a brand new environment.

True but one has less than 10 more appearances for a 20m+ fee attached. The others are either freebies or loans who will no doubt go back to said parent club if they do not cut it or were free anyway so had little to no risk and so have the time to prove themselves / get use to the league.

brookingsirons

Send him back and buy someone in January instead ;ok

grey_til_I_dye

Yeold

Slaven Bilic has denied that West Ham United are planning to send Simone Zaza back to Juventus in January following the on-loan striker’s underwhelming start to life in England.
...
“This one is false,” Bilic said of suggestions Zaza’s loan may be cut short. “He’s our player, we got him, he’s here. He’s training good and we expect him to do the job.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/14/slaven-bilic-west-ham-striker-simone-zaza-juventus

brookings

Well, yeah, if it's that easy... ;hmm

Yeoldhammer

He's hardly going to come out and say yeah we are going to send him back whilst he is still being played, unless he scores a few goals before Ayew / Carroll gets back I reckon he will be gone in Jan back to Italy !

MrsGrey

brookingsirons said:

Send him back and buy someone in January instead ;ok

I got a voucher out of the newspaper, 10% off January strikers. I'll send it to the club ;ok ;wink

IronHerb

I read somewhere that he is on a season long lone so even if we sent him back we would likely have to cover his wages as per Jenkinson.

Expat_Hammer

MrsGrey said:

I got a voucher out of the newspaper, 10% off January strikers. I'll send it to the club ;ok ;wink

Sorry Mrs G, that's for the Southern Rail ;run

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

If he doesn't score we have to let him goal

Feel he needs a goal to boost his confidence he hols the ball up ok, links up well but needs to be a presence in the box and the starts by making the right runs

Hopefully for him is that the team looks a lot more cohesive atm so it should be easier for him to get opportunities but if not then he's an expensive liability and we will have to settle for Carroll, Ayew, Calleri and Fletcher

Doubt we'll see Sakho again

brookingsirons

Mr Mrs Grey ;ok ;wink , you will be surprised who will become available in January
some top strikers I'm sure around Europe , I see our friend Mr Bacca cannot get in the Milan squad again ....and then Mr Sturridge may be leaving Liverpool I know I 'd rather spend 20m on him than keep expecting Zaza to turn the corner ..

brookingsirons

yes I think Sakho is gone in January ;ok

IronHerb

So we buy either someone who has an injury record no better than AC or someone who 2 months ago refused to come to us when he had no other options?

That'll be a no from me.

brookingsirons

if they score goals I don't care tbh , take your point on Bacca Herb .

I see Icardi will also be on the move after his book upset Inter fans ...
problem is we probably couldn't afford him .

brookingsirons

Herb ;ok or we could always sign another non scoring striker like ZAZA

grey_til_I_dye

I think it's a bit disappointing that fans are turning so quickly on a player who has only made 4 PL starts, one of which was just half a game (plus a half a game as sub) and I can't help but feel he is bearing the brunt of fans' anger at our poor start.

What ever happened to getting behind our own?

IronHerb

He won over the travelling support on Saturday. All he needs, like all strikers, is goals.

thornburyiron

If you read what Slav said about him after the game then it's clear that we won't be getting rid in January.

brookingsirons

my problem is what do we expect of him he never scored many at other clubs his best season was 2012/13 while on loan at an Italian 2nd division team , I think he is young enough and has the potential to be a good striker its all down to taking the pressure of feeling he has to score and perform in 10/12 games or he is sent back that maybe is causing the problem .

IronHerb

As you state brookings, that is an added pressure. ;ok

Yeoldhammer

he was employed as a striker to score goals, so the expectation is he scores goals or assists in goals being mostly up that end of the pitch. 15 games is pressure but its pressure that he should be able to deal with if he really is worth 20m+.

sweepy23

grey_til_I_dye said:

I think it's a bit disappointing that fans are turning so quickly on a player who has only made 4 PL starts, one of which was just half a game (plus a half a game as sub) and I can't help but feel he is bearing the brunt of fans' anger at our poor start.

What ever happened to getting behind our own?

The clause is the issue not the fans. 15 games was the deadline and with the clock ticking no one would say he's worth the amount, even those assuming he will come good. He was always to be judged on the 15 games. Not a theoretical 5 or 10 games after the deadline.

He also clearly has no right foot. Big issue IMO.

MrsGrey

Is that '15 games' official now?

I've seen various numbers bandied about ....

sweepy23

Not Sure Mrs G. Just took what I remembered

grey_til_I_dye

No sweepy, the issue for me is the fans, at least those writing a player off after fewer than half a dozen performances.

Glad to see the away fans took to him after his efforts on the weekend.

Fortuneseeker

grey_til_I_dye said:

So, in Slav we trust, but not in this particular instance?

To be fair it's not just this case where his judgement is being questioned he wanted Tore and he has unfortunately been a big let down.

;ok

If Zaza was making chances for others then I would be a little more lenient but he isn't and I rather we spent the money on someone else in January. There are other options around Europe we could have had Ben Yedder for 9 million euros. Braithwaite is still a an option from Toulouse (1 in 3). The price is high because he is deemed to be a top class striker as he has played for Juventus. I don't think a strike rate of one in four is sufficient to merit us paying the fee.

IronHerb

But Fortune, can you guarantee that Yedder or Braithwaite will hit the ground running?
That is always the gamble and as it stands Zaza is currently cheaper than both.

Fortuneseeker

Braithwaite would be cheaper and we lost our chance at 9 million euros on Ben Yedder who has scored three more than Zaza at Sevilla so far.

Yeoldhammer

grey_til_I_dye said:

No sweepy, the issue for me is the fans, at least those writing a player off after fewer than half a dozen performances.

Glad to see the away fans took to him after his efforts on the weekend.

Cheered his work rate because he worked hard. But that's no basis for signing someone. In fact its why people chastised Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole, worked hard but weren't good enough.

IronHerb

But they played over 100 games, Zaza 6 isn't it?