Fletcher Fails Medical due to Bad Feet

As Norman Stanley Fletcher famously remarked when confronted by the Slade prison medics as to his disability "with these bad feet who'd have me".

And so it is as the rumour mill gathers suggesting that West Ham are about to swoop for wantaway Sunderland striker Stephen Kenneth Fletcher, one wonders at the wisdom of taking on board a player who has amassed a mere 12 goals in 76 league and cup games over the last three seasons.

As a comparison, Andy Carroll, hardly the most prolific striker, has scored 17 goals in just 45 games many of which have been as a substitute when returning from injury. Even more illuminating is that his scoring rate (0.15 per game) is less than Carlton Cole's has been for West Ham (0.16) during the same period.

Moreover, its hard to see how Fletcher can add more to the squad than the departing Jelavic or departed Zarate. if we really do harbour Champions league pretentions we surely need to look fmore closely at our up and coming players rather than fading (modest) talents. All of this must be very frustrating for Elliot Lee and Jaanai Gordon who are out on loan at Colchester and Sligo Rovers respectively.