Frank McAvennie, the former West Ham striker, has shared his perspective on how he believes manager David Moyes should utilize new signing Danny Ings, writes the WHW.
West Ham acquired Ings from Aston Villa in January with the aim of enhancing their striking options. Ings joined the team alongside summer signing Gianluca Scammaca and long-serving player Michail Antonio, providing West Ham with additional goal-scoring potential.
David Moyes brought Ings to the club for a transfer fee of £12 million, intending to provide Michail Antonio with some respite and inject freshness into the squad following a lackluster run of form and a scarcity of goals. However, this objective did not materialize as expected, with the Villa striker experiencing a similar spell, managing only two goals since his arrival.
Nonetheless, Frank McAvennie is of the opinion that “Ings can’t play on his own.” He further expressed his confusion, as reported by Football London, stating, “I think he’s a great striker but he can’t play on his own, so why play him up front on his own? I don’t get it.” McAvennie, who spent a total of five years at West Ham, believes that the most effective way to unleash the potential of the new striker is by pairing him with Antonio. McAvennie explained that while Ings is adept at finding the back of the net, he struggles with the task of holding up play.
“Everyone can see that. He’s never played on his own. They’ve bought a few like this before. I wouldn’t even try him.”
“He can’t do the holding up work that you need to bring others in. Ings can’t do that. He’ll put the ball in the net. He’s got to play with Antonio or he doesn’t play at all. Don’t play him on his own.”