Niclas Fullkrug, Evan Ferguson and diverging paths to solving West Ham’s striker problem

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In a contest of little in quality, it was Niclas Fullkrug who served a reminder of what he offers to West Ham United’s attack when fully fit.

The encounter against Wolverhampton Wanderers had little consequence for Graham Potter’s side given their position in the table.

But for Fullkrug, who joined from Borussia Dortmund for £27million ($34.8m) last summer, the experience of feeling like a footballer again appeared to mean everything. It was his first appearance since sustaining a hamstring injury in the FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa in January, Potter’s first match in charge.

Fullkrug was part of a triple change at half-time in the 1-0 defeat to Wolves. On another day, the 32-year-old would have left Molineux with a goal and an assist. Fullkrug was also denied a penalty when defender Matt Doherty appeared to catch the forward in the face with a high boot.

The long road back to action for the 32-year-old German involved behind-closed-doors friendlies, rehab in Dubai and messages of support from former technical director Tim Steidten. When he pulled up only 15 minutes into that tie against Villa on January 10, a soberness took hold as the forward was assisted off the team by the medical team.

It prompted the January arrival of Evan Ferguson, who joined on a straight loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. But while Fullkrug showed his importance from the bench, Ferguson’s performance in his first start was ineffective before his removal at the break.

“We weren’t happy with the overall performance in the first half,” said Potter. “We had a good chance to score (via Evan Ferguson), which we didn’t take. In the first half, we were pushed back too much so we had to adjust at half-time, which we did and we were a lot better in the second half.

“The big chances were relatively even in the game. We were happy for Fullkrug to get 45 minutes. The more he plays, the better he will get but overall we’re disappointed.

“We’ve been building him up and he’s been working hard. We’ve had to do some work with him behind closed doors to get him the match time. You can’t replicate the Premier League but credit to him on how he’s been and his ability to influence the game like he did.

“You can see he gives us a different option which we haven’t had. He helps us be more direct and more vertical. I’ve been very impressed with him. His attributes include touch, intelligence and quality around the box. He’s going to help us a lot.”

Ferguson squandering a chance to give West Ham the lead is indicative of his time at the club.

The 20-year-old, who was handed his first start, has seldom impressed across the last six matches. Jarrod Bowen, the captain, unselfishly passed up the opportunity to test goalkeeper Jose Sa when he squared it to Ferguson. The forward failed to adjust his body in time.

Ferguson scored for the Republic of Ireland against Bulgaria in the recent international break, but he has not shown that same level of efficiency in a claret and blue jersey.

“It’s about supporting and helping him on the training ground,” said Potter when asked about Ferguson. “When you’re involved in sports you have to accept the good and bad times. He’s a young player that will get better with time and games.”

Ferguson has struggled to impress (David Rogers/Getty Images)

Fullkrug, however, did not waste time in showing his younger team-mate how to be a focal point. West Ham’s small improvement in the second half stemmed from the forward using his skill set to bring others into play. It was his clever back heel which put Tomas Soucek through on goal. The midfielder, who has a penchant for bailing out West Ham, uncharacteristically hit the side netting.

Fullkrug has missed over 20 games during his injury-plagued season. In September, he sustained an Achilles tendon injury while on international duty with Germany. In an interview with podcast Copa TS, the forward was candid about the struggles he endured.

“I was injured for three months and things were going really badly for me too, to put it bluntly,” he said. “My Achilles tendon was inflamed and it was really annoying. I’ve had something like that before but it only lasted six weeks. This time it’s taken a bit longer and this phase is catastrophic. You just want to play and you feel like you’re close, but then you get another setback.”

But neither Ferguson nor Mohammed Kudus have stepped up in Fullkrug’s absence. Fellow forward Danny Ings is not part of Potter’s plans, while Michail Antonio will not feature again this season as he recovers from the broken leg he suffered in a car crash in December.

Fullkrug was inconsolable when he found out the Jamaica international was involved in a serious accident. He had only known the forward for a short amount of time but deeply cared about his well being. It is the side of Fullkrug that has made him a popular figure at Rush Green.

There have been few positives this season, but Fullkrug’s belated return offers hope that he will be the forward West Ham have long desired.

(Top photo: Stuart Leggett | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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