Ian Wright thinks West Ham need a player like Charlie Austin up front.
BT Sport’s Ian Wright before the match
Pundit and former West Ham striker Ian Wright has told The Sun Goals Podcast that he thinks Charlie Austin is exactly what the Hammers need up front.
West Ham were beaten 3-0 at home by Southampton on Sunday afternoon, with Austin scoring the opening goal before Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse made it 3-0 in the second half.
Slaven Bilic’s men looked hopeless against the Saints, and whilst their defensive woes have been well-documented after conceding 11 goals in the last three games, but their attack was also disappointing against Southampton.
Southampton’s Charlie Austin celebrates scoring
With just one shot on target from 13 attempts, West Ham were completely impotent going forward, and striker Simone Zaza continues to come in for stern criticism.
The Italian, signed on loan from Juventus last month, has yet to score for West Ham, and looked cumbersome and off-the-pace throughout Sunday’s clash as the Hammers still lack a proven goalscorer.
West Ham United’s Simone Zaza looks dejected
Ironically, a man they could have signed in 2015 came back to haunt them on Sunday. Striker Austin, 27, scored one and assisted one against West Ham just over a year since a row between himself and West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan.
Sullivan told the Knees Up Mother Brown podcast in August 2015 that he didn’t want to pay £15m to sign Austin from QPR, alleging that he had no ligaments in his knee.
Less than five months later, Austin left QPR for Southampton for just £4m (Sky Sports), a fraction of the £15m price Sullivan quoted – and his decision now looks foolish considering Austin’s goalscoring form and West Ham’s struggles in front of goal.
Southampton’s Charlie Austin scores their first goal against West Ham
After the game, pundit Ian Wright told The Sun Goals Podcast that he thinks Austin is exactly what West Ham need right now, and highlighted just how much better he is than West Ham’s new boy Zaza.
“You look at West Ham, and he’s exactly what they need,” said Wright. “What they’ve done is, they’ve paid £5m for Zaza to maybe pay £20m more? Charlie Austin has got experience, he can score. You saw the movement, the way he held the ball up, and the way he linked play up, I’m delighted for him,” he added.
Would you rather have Charlie Austin than Simone Zaza?
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