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With three-and-a-half years’ worth of evidence to look back on, did West Ham United make the right call selling Issa Diop to tonight’s Premier League opponents Fulham?
That is a question we at Hammers News put to our TalkingPoints users ahead of that 7.30pm kick-off at Craven Cottage.
How do the West Ham United fans feel now about a deal which took their former skipper, and one-time record signing, across London for £15 million?
West Ham face a familiar face at Fulham…
While some could not resist another sharp jab into Max Kilman’s already-bruised ribs, the response from the majority is that cashing in was probably the right call in hindsight, even if West Ham will face Issa Diop in ‘brilliant’ form this evening.
West Ham United fans think selling Issa Diop to Fulham was right
“How many years after he left? [Diop is only] just showing promise,” one fan wrote on our official Facebook page.
Yes, Issa Diop was a colossus as Fulham gave West Ham a handy leg-up with a 2-1 victory Tottenham on Sunday, bullying Randal Kolo Muani into submission. But as many are keen to point out, Diop has started only five of 28 league matches and only recently celebrated his 29th birthday.
One great performance against a dreadful Spurs side does not make a sale a blunder.
Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
“[Diop tends to have] a good game in 12 matches. We did lot better when Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson came, including them scoring headers from corners. Think it has been two or three years since our centre-backs have scored from a corner!”
That honour goes to Konstantinos Mavropanos; scorer of a thumping header in a 2-0 win at Arsenal in December 2023.
Since joining Fulham, Diop has started only 57 of a possible 142 Premier League matches. For the most part, he has been restricted to a watching brief behind Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey. Furthermore, only Brighton captain Lewis Dunk has conceded more penalties than Diop’s five in that time.
Two more than Kilman, by the way.
What CHANGES would you make at the Cottage?
Wilson in? Magassa on the bench?
Some fans would still swap Diop for Max Kilman
As great as Diop can be once in a blue moon, there is a reason why he is still Fulham’s third-choice centre-half at the age of 29. And, as another supporter points out, it was the Kurt Zouma – Craig Dawson partnership which brought a European trophy to the London Stadium one year after Diop’s departure.
He was not missed then. And, despite Kilman’s struggles and West Ham’s poor defensive record, it would be a stretch to suggest Diop would be an upgrade on Nuno’s current Mavropanos – Axel Disasi combination.
“Slow and cumbersome, [Diop] hasn’t regularly featured for Fulham,” one fan says, while others would take Diop back in a heartbeat if it meant sending Kilman in the other direction.
“Let’s just say I’d swap him with Kilman and get the £20m difference!”
“I don’t think he was good enough, although miles better than Kilman.”
“Thought he was a liability and very average! But compared to Max Kilman, he’s Franco Baresi!”
“We should get him back in a swap deal with Kilman, plus 15 million.”
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