Gianluca Scamacca can only carry a portion of the blame for his West Ham United struggles.
After all, the Italy international has been starved of chances throughout much of his early Premier League career. You certainly could not say the same of the strikers at Inter Milan. At least, not when Federico Dimarco is around, serving up a veritable buffet of goalscoring opportunities for Edin Dzeko, Romelu Lukaku and, during Inter’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Benfica in midweek, a very grateful Lautaro Martinez.
“On the goal, I saw that Dimarco controlled the ball. He saw my movement and put in me right away,” Lautaro smiles. “I hadn’t scored in a long time. I’m happy because the goal helped the team.”
Federico Dimarco’s seventh assist of an excellent campaign was typical of the man. Drifting in behind the Benfica defence, Dimarco controlled the ball on the run before fizzing it into Martinez’s path.
it was the sort of delivery West Ham used to rely upon Aaron Cresswell to provide. At 33, however, Cresswell no longer possesses the energy to get up and down the pitch like he once did. Summer signing Emerson Palmieri, meanwhile, is more of a ball-carrier than he is a creator. In nearly 100 Premier League appearances for Chelsea and West Ham, Emerson has just seven assists. The same number Dimarco has produced during 2022/23 alone.
Can Federico Dimarco save Gianluca Scamacca’s West Ham career
If Scamacca is to live up to those lofty expectations at West Ham, he’ll need a bit of help.
Expecting the former Sassuolo talisman to emulate his tally of 16 goals from last season in this West Ham team is like Lewis Hamilton to win the Monaco Grand Prix with a flat tyre.
Scamacca is a striker who thrives on quality service into the penalty area. The sort of service Dimarco could provide.
According to Inter Live, the £25 million-rated Italy international has admirers at the London Stadium. And, while colossally important to Stefano Inzaghi’s Champions League semi-finalists, Inter’s well-publicised financial issues means – like during the summer of 2021 when both Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi were sacrificed to the FFP gods – some high-profile sales may be required.
Dimarco has created eight big chances in Serie A this term. A tally which puts him alongside Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Rafael Leao, Paulo Dybala and co in the top 15. Only Fiorentina’s Cristiano Biraghi and Nerrazzuri team-mate Hakan Calhanoglu have completed more crosses, per Kickest.
Like Sebastien Haller before him, Scamacca should not be ruled a ‘failure’ in Premier League terms until Moyes – or whoever is sitting in the West Ham dugout next season – can first find a tactic capable of getting the best out of a talented but poorly-utilised talent.
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