Typical, just bloody typical! hammers fans will be amazed to hear that Simone Zaza - the guy who couldn't score at West Ham (eleven games and no goals) has won La Liga player of the month for September!
Zaza enjoyed a decent run in the latter half of last season after escaping London for Valencia - netting six goals in 20 appearances, but this season he has been on fire with 7 goals in 8 games, including a recent hat trick against Malaga!
While Hammers fans would never wish anything but the best of fortune to ex-players (with the notable exceptions of Ince and Payet), Zaza's story raises important questions about Messers Sullivan and Gold's transfer 'deals' as Zaza's failure was compounded by contractual issues that prevented him from playing sufficient games to adjust to the unique environment of the Premiership.
Whatever next? Modi Maiga to win African player of the year? Hardly, as the Mali international has endured a torrid time since leaving West Ham and has struggled to settle in the Gulf leagues managing just 9 goals in the past 3 seasons!
Would Zaza have been a success in the Premiership if he had been handled differently by the club?
The 2016/17 season can
at best be described as one of consolidation for West Ham as they trundled in
12th in the Premier League having endured a frustrating first season at their
new home. Undoubtedly the story of the year was the departure of Mr Payet, who
returned to Marseille claiming that the London club lacked true ambition.
Meanwhile, their marque signing was supposed to be Italian hitman Simone
Zaza, but he was shown the door in January after failing to score in eleven
miserable appearances.
The departures served
to galvanise SuperSlav's troops who went on a decent run before running out of
steam and succumbing to a series of frustrating injuries. Meanwhile, Mr Payet
huffed and puffed but his Marseille side finished precisely where they were when
he arrived - in a Champions League missing 5th. He managed 4 goals in 15 games
- therefore averaging a similar strike rate to his West Ham career, and despite
playing in the relatively easier environs of Ligue 1.
Zaza meanwhile
rediscovered his scoring boots and notched a decent 6 strikes in 18 appearances
for Valencia who have decided to take up the purchase clause in his loan deal
and he will stay at the club for the coming season. As such, while Payet
looks to have hit a plateau, Zaza is back in the ascendency.
Let’s hope that
whoever comes as replacements fares better at the Olympic Stadium than these
two wannabes did last year!
After a wholly unimpressive 5 months at West Ham profligate striker Simone Zaza is still all talk and no action. In an effort to explain away his failure to deliver a single goal during his time in the Premiership, he has put it down to culture (?), environment (?), nutrition and training! nowhere in that is any acknowledgement of what was obvious to fans - who had to endure his poor first touch, mindless runs off the ball and poor finishing - that he lacked the necessary quality to hack it in the top league!
Speaking candidly, he explained "When I got there I found a different method of training: you exercise less, sometimes the sessions last 40 minutes and almost immediately I didn’t feel good. I need to train more, for someone to kick my arse".
Funny how he didn't mention that while he was actually at West Ham as no doubt there would have been a long queue of fans only too happy to oblige!
Interestingly, Zaza has yet to score since his move to Valencia - I suppose that'll be the hot climate and paella to blame!
As West Ham finally
see the back of Simone Zaza , there is one clear lesson to be learned
from the whole sorry saga - keep to simple contracts if you want top avoid
becoming trapped in the farcical situation of paying a player wages but being
unable to play them in games.
As Zaza approached
the magic 14 appearances it became apparent that his time had run out for fear
that further action would trigger the £25million buy out clause. Crazily, the
loan contact ultimately meant that he could only play 11 games before Bilic was
forced to bench him - a short 'trial' for a player trying to adapt to a new
league. Even though in his final three appearances Zaza looked to be finally
getting the message, it was too late because of his crazy convoluted contract.
The lesson: keep it
simple! However, it has emerged that his new club Valencia also have a
complex contract with Zaza's parent club (Juventus) whom they have paid an
initial £1.75m loan fee with an obligation to buy him at the end of the
season for £15m if he makes over 10 appearances for them and they are not
relegated! As they approach the half way mark and with 21 games left to play,
Valencia might indeed make the drop as they are currently fourth from bottom of
La Liga.
Zaza
watched Valencia grab a rare win yesterday against Espanyol which
will ease fears of relegation, and so perhaps he has finally found a new home after all? Either way, Hammers fans will wish him well and let's hope his latest contract doesn't perpetuate the nonsense!
Zaza enjoyed a decent run in the latter half of last season after escaping London for Valencia - netting six goals in 20 appearances, but this season he has been on fire with 7 goals in 8 games, including a recent hat trick against Malaga!
