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Nuno Espirito Santo appeared reluctant to start Callum Wilson alongside Taty Castellanos in recent weeks at West Ham United, and Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Fulham may prove why.
The veteran striker made his first Premier League start since the 2-0 win at Burnley almost exactly a month ago when the Hammers made the short trip across London to Craven Cottage.
But, playing in a sort-of hybrid number ten/number nine role behind Taty Castellanos, Callum Wilson’s evening ended after just one hour, ten touches and two shots at goal.
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Credit: Getty Images/Rob Newell – CameraSport
Now, there has been a growing clamour among the West Ham United fans, feeling that Nuno should bring Wilson in alongside Castellanos for as long as Pablo Felipe remains on the sidelines.
A largely anonymous evening away to Fulham, though, shows that simply having two centre-forwards on the pitch at the same time is no guarantee of a greater goal threat.
Callum Wilson struggles to make an impact as West Ham United beat Fulham
Wilson did, at least, have one of the visitors’ better opportunities in the first half. Dropping deep to pick up possession and play the ball out wide, the 33-year-old hung back at the edge of the Fulham box, waited for the cross to roll into his path, and curled his shot harmlessly over the bar.
This was brief a glimpse into the potential rewards of such a set-up.
With Castellanos linking the play, hassling defenders and forcing Fulham’s backline deeper towards their own net, Wilson’s intelligent positioning occasionally offered West Ham a useful outlet in possession, in between the centre-halves and Sander Berge in defensive midfield.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
But the fact he only touched the ball ten times before being replaced on the hour mark – Soungoutou Magassa was outstanding in his place as part of a second-half reshuffle – perhaps explains why Nuno has preferred to use Mateus Fernandes or Tomas Soucek in Pablo’s role instead.
Of course, the problem here is that Fernandes is more effective driving forward from deep. More of a box-to-box number eight than he is a defence-splitting number ten, a la Lucas Paqueta. Soucek’s physical qualities also mean he is arguably more useful breaking forward from a midfield pivot.
Taty Castellanos is looking forward to Pablo Felipe’s return
Pablo’s absence has certainly made the heart grow fonder, then.
The £18 million signing from Gil Vicente might not have scored a goal for West Ham yet but it is no coincidence that most of their best performances since the turn of the year have come with him in behind Castellanos, rather than Fernandes, Soucek or a largely anonymous Wilson.
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But what should his role be at West Ham?
Pablo brings the out-of-possession work-rate an ageing Wilson cannot, while also offering a physical outlet and an aerial presence for Castellanos, Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville and co to play off.
“I like it more with a two number nines. I feel more comfortable,” Castellanos said on Agusneta and Teo D’elia’s YouTube channel last month.
“In the first few games, we played with another nine, with the kid Pablo who just arrived. And well, he got hurt. Now, I’m playing alone.
“My second year with Lazio, I had a blast because we played with two strikers and a playmaker behind with Pedro. I played a lot with Pedro or [Boulaye] Dia and, honestly, we got tired of scoring goals and playing well! We finished first in the Europa League [group] and everything!”
On the upside, speaking before the 5-2 defeat at Liverpool, Nuno confirms that Pablo is ‘improving day-by-day’ as he looks to return from a calf injury in the coming weeks.
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