Trevor Sinclair knows a thing or two about playing on the wing for West Ham United and he has been having his say on his old club’s summer signing Gokhan Tore.
West Ham United’s Gokhan Tore looks dejected
It has been a difficult start to life in East London for the Turkish star who is on a season-long loan from Slaven Bilic’s old side Besiktas.
The Hammers have an option to buy the stocky winger should he impress at the London Stadium.
But so far he has struggled with injury and form in his fledgling West Ham career.
A knee injury restricted his involvement in pre-season and it showed when he was used as a second half substitute against London rivals Chelsea in the opening game of the season.
Tore did not have much of a pre-season
Difficult start to life in East London for Tore
Tore was virtually anonymous in the 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge and came in for criticism from supporters afterwards.
Then away to Romanian side Astra last Thursday, Tore was poor again offering little as Bilic’s side drew 1-1.
The winger also had a below par first half against Bournemouth in the first ever Premier League match at the London Stadium on Sunday.
But he improved in the second half against the Cherries and set up the all-important goal for fellow winger Michail Antonio late on in the 1-0 win over Eddie Howe’s men.
Former West Ham star turned pundit Trevor Sinclair
‘He had some rascal orange boots on’
In a career spanning five years at Upton Park, Tricky Trev – as he affectionately became known on the terraces – scored 35 goals in 177 appearances, the most he made at any one club throughout his career.
He knows a thing or two about playing on the wing for the Hammers and has delivered his verdict on Tore as a pundit for BBC’s Match of the Day 2.
“In defence of him (Tore), he’s not had a pre-season (and) he was in Romania on Thursday playing in the Europa League,” Sinclair told MOTD2.
“You look at his quality and in the first half it was pretty poor, he got in some good positions, good situations (but his) crosses were too flat and from dead ball situations.
“Let’s get it right Dimitri Payet is usually on these, he’s not got the same kind of quality as that, so he won’t be on them once Payet is back.
“He changed his boots by the way, he had some rascal orange boots on first half, second half he’s put some white ones on and his game got better, he retrieves the cross well (before the goal) doesn’t let it just fade out and here’s a bit of quality double stepover and that (cross) is just crying out to be headed in – that is an absolutely amazing cross.”
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
Hammers hope Tore is slow burner
Bilic and Hammers fans will be hoping the assist gives Tore the confidence to produce more of those game-changing moments which made him such a fans’ favourite in Turkey.
Do that and it will convince co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold he is worth the £10 million Besiktas want for his permanent signature.
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