Having covered what feels like a thousand different stories about Simone Zaza’s time at West Ham so far and Napoli’s interest in the Italian striker, we’ve made it clear he hasn’t done very well so far.
Yet to score a goal or pick up an assist for the Hammers this season, the Juventus loanee was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
However, with Diafra Sakho now injured again, the chances of him starting on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup have grown considerably, and this could be his chance to turn things around and show Slaven Bilic and the fans what he is capable of doing.
At least, that’s what David James, speaking to Calciomercato at the WyScout offices on Tuesday believes.
He said: “I recently attended a training session, and you can see that Zaza is improving. Slaven Bilic is a great manager, and one who makes his players grow. He’s helping Zaza to get used to English football.
“At the cub, Di Canio is an idol, and all Italian strikers will be compared to him, which isn’t easy. If West Ham give him an appearance at Old Trafford, it means they like him. Sooner or later, he’ll have his chance.”
While we don’t doubt Zaza will score a goal in the near future, the fact he hasn’t in his first 10 appearances is an increasing worry for West Ham.
With Jonathan Calleri also struggling and Diafra Sakho injured, a lot of pressure is now on Simone Zaza for Wednesday.
If he even plays, that is.
