Sunday 19 September 2010

How good is Obinna?

There were some very tangible positives from yesterday's game: Jacobsen looks the part at right back, Da Costa and Upson looked like a good centre back pairing, Parker and Noble were solid in midfield, and Piquionne looked promising. The shape also worked well in the first half, although we didn't work the flanks enough still because Piquionne will work the channels but is not naturally a wide player.

The player who is likely to trigger the most debate, Green apart, is Obinna. How good is the guy?

So far, I can understand why he is on Inter's books but I can understand just as well why they have sent him out on a season's loan. He has ability, no question. His instant control is impressive and his movement tests defences. Yesterday, he forced a good save from Sorensen and played a major role in the goal, with his free kick delivered deep and accurately into the Stoke six yard box. Pandemonium ensued.

However, the guy looks very raw and far too impetuous to me. We saw a shot go out for a throw in on his debut and he missed a golden opportunity against Chelsea when he blazed at goal, rather than control the ball and place it. Yesterday, he chose to shoot from 30 yards when we were counter attacking and Stoke defenders were back peddling anxiously. The ball blazed wide and players racing up in support were left frustrated by Obinna's lack of composure and awareness.

The question is, will he bring more to the table than he takes away? How many goals will he score and create to compensate for his impetuous wasting of openings? He needs to score soon. If he goes game after game without hitting the net, he will become more anxious and the crowd will see his errors and start to groan and hurl abuse. He is a tryer, and that will go down well at Upton Park, but West Ham fans like cute footballers, not dumb ones, and thus far, Obinna has looked a tad on the selfish side and not the brightest of buttons when in possession of the ball.

Obinna is adjusting to new team mates, a new country, a new manager and a new style of play of course. Not many arrive in the Prem and make an instant impact. We do not have the luxury of time, however. If Obinna spends a season developing, that will be to Inter's benefit, not ours. He has hit the ground running - the guy has pace - but we now need him to hit the back of the net, hit his team mates with passes and to become a hit with the crowd.

How good is Obinna? Time will tell. But time is in short supply when you are bottom of the table five games in to a 38 game season. Remember how long it took for Tevez to bed in? If Obinna takes that long, we are in trouble!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't tell anyone, but you've actually posted something I agree with fully.

I'm not sure he is great, but like you say he tests defences and he looks good going forward, but he is no way a brilliant shot taker! As you highlighted with his shot come throw in!

If we had someone other then Cole (who I like but isn't doing it this season)to partner him so he could lay a ball of to a young Sears (or like) then I think a few goals will start to happen.

Anonymous said...

Hes better than all of our strikers bar Hines as he has real pace and the ability to go past other players. Finishing lacks but he is very exciting and glad we have him. Cole needs a kick up the arse as he has been very poor this season so far.

Anonymous said...

Idiot.

1. We have an option to buy, which Inter cannot turn down, so it's not to their benefit.

2. You are placing all of your hopes on Obinna to keep us up this season? He is not Tevez and never will be.

3. Tevez didn't keep us up, his goals did, goals a striker should score. Green, Neill, Noble and Zamora kept us up that season, Tevez helped.

4. Moron.

fred149 said...

abit harsh on the shot yesterday but ur right he shudnt of take it on but he was well of balance so im wondering if it was menat t obe a shot cuz to me it didnt look like he was trying to shoot and i think cole needs to be dropped and no matter wot u say HF benni MCcarthy can score goals and apperently hes now fit so time for him to play

AEK&WEST HAM UNITED said...

UP THE HAMMERS FROM GREECE

Hammersfan said...

1316, I think if anybody is a moron, it is you.

1) Have you seen the contract? Can we afford the price? I doubt it. We are £100million in debt and had to make do with never never signings, freebies and cheapies this summer. What sort of price tag do you think Inter have put on Obinna's head?

2.I never said I was placing ALL my hopes on him. Read the opening paragraph.

3. Did I say Tevez kept us up? Read the article. I said look how long it took for Tevez to bed in! So, in fact, I said kind of the opposite!

4. I think that establishes that you, sir, are the moron!

Kareem said...

Yeah I totally agree. I think what we need to do with Obinna is to put him on the bench and have him come on as an impact player in the 60th minute! Meaning that we can play Piquionne up front and Barrera or Faubert on the wings! That's what I think! If we don't put all our eggs in one basket, depending on Obinna to be our top striker, then we'll be fine and it'll be hte best for him and us

Hammersfan said...

I haven't said that Kareen mate, and I don't agree with you! I saw Barerra play against Oxford and he was hopeless - absolutely hopeless. I'm not writing him ooff, but, like Obinna, he is a long way from being a world beater at the moment. Of the two, I much prefer what I have seen of the Nigerian. As for Faubert, how many chances has he had? He is average, no better. At £6million, he was a TERRIBLE signing. Apart from his purple patch at the start of the season TWO SEASONS AGO, I have seen nothing to suggest that Faubert is anything other than a squad player. Remember how amazed we all were when Real Madrid signed him on loan? We thought he was crap then and, whilst he has earnt more respect since, he isn't going to emerge as a class act now. Obinna and Barerra are young and have scope for improvement; Faubert is what he is - on the crap side of ordinary!

Headmaster said...

When Obinna picks the ball up in the hole and runs at defenders, I find him exciting and I can't say that about any other West Ham player at the moment.
The end product is indeed so far disappointing, as is the choice to take the odd wild shot instead of pass - this can be coached out of him to a certain extent by the mighty Avram, no doubt.
On balance, I think he needs a run in the side and it is Barera that I'd use as the impact player (NOT LBM or KOVAC!!!!!)

Kareem said...

I didn't say that you said what I said. I agree with your statement, but I just said a personal opinion I had haha.

Barrera wasn't good against Oxford..but I think he should still get off the bench! Sitting on it won't do him or us any good!

Faubert was really good in pre-season..I wonder why he didn't impress at all. I hope we see him improve..although, like you said, Obinna and Barrera are young and therefore have room for improvement.

Anonymous said...

1. £100 Million in debt? have you seen the balance sheet? - of course you haven't.

2. Don't you understand the basics of debt? - ManUre are more than half a billion debt - and for UK Plc it's £951 billion...

3. Doesn't stop Fergie buying players or Cameron welcoming the Pope does it?

4. Moron!

Hammersfan said...

1. I saw the club's last published accounts, yes. And Sullivan and Gold have repeatedly said that the debt was in EXCESS of £100m on take over. I have no reason to disbelieve them actually. If we can afford to splash out £10million plus on a player without selling, why didn't we do it in the transfer window?

2)I do understand the basics of debt yes. I have a very full understanding of gearing thank you very much. I have written on here that our debt is servicable providing we stay in the Premiership and PROVIDING the debt can be rescheduled at the appropriate time. That doesn't mean that we can increase that debt willy nilly.

3. You might not have noticed but Ferguson didn't spend a lot this summer and he didn't splash the dosh a lot last summer either. In fact he took Owen on a free transfer! When you consider how much they pocketed from the sale of Ronaldo, it is amazing how little the Mancs have spent recently. Sorry to piss on your bonfire but your example was very poor. Arsenal haven't spent big this summer either and Liverpool have been reduced to signing the likes of Konchesky. O'Neill quit because the Villa purse strings were tightened too. Even 'Arry has been relatively quiet in the transfer market by his standards. So, take out Man City and there hasn't been a lot of transfer activity has there? Even Chelsea have largely stuck with what they had.

4) So, I think you will find that you are a moron.

Welsh Hammer said...

I saw that question and thought.... 'What's the odds that your answer will be a negative one?'..... and guess what, I was right.

Let's just give the lad a chance eh?

Hammersfan said...

I thought it was quite balanced actually.