Monday, July 11

Tore signs for Hammers

Gokhan Tore is West Ham's third signing of the summer, arriving on a season's loan from Besiktas with the option of a £10million deal. Slaven Bilic will know his character well from his time managing Tore at Besiktas. The Turkish international was raised in Germany and has just played in the title-winning Besiktas side, scoring six goals last season. He had a spell in the youth side at Chelsea when he was 17 before signing for Hamburg, Rubin Kazan on loan, and then Besiktas. Judging by this YouTube video he looks to be a pacy little player with an eye for goal who will excite the fans and provide competition for Antonio. And he's the first West Ham player to be called Gok, so might be able to give some fashion fixes to any players — as Jimmy Walker might put it — having themselves in dodgy gear.

3 comments:

mj said...

Not another season of Antonio at right-back?

matt said...

Yes mj, if you look at David Gold's most recent comments, they clearly do see Antonio as a right back. Tore is left footed but prefers to play on the right and cut in. As of now we seem to looking at in Slav's preferred 4-2-3-1: Adrian, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Reid; Antonio. Noble, Kouyate; Tore, Payet, Lanzini. Carroll. With Randolph, Collins, Byram/Oxford, Obiang, Valencia, Nordtvelt,Feghouli possibly on the bench. Assuming Sakho leaves. But there should be the big name forward; and Payet, Lanzini and possibly a couple of others won't start the season.

Pete May said...

Agree with MJ that Antonio is much better as a winger. You'd think Byram would be a better bet at right back. Wonder if Tore can also play behind the strikers? Seems like we're stocking up with lots of wingers in Tore and Feghouli when what we need more urgently is a striker.