Why Niclas Fullkrug FINALLY Solves West Ham's Striker Problem

When it comes to centre-forwards, West Ham have had some real stinkers over the years. But with his blend of technique and physicality, there's a great chance Germany's Niclas Fullkrug can finally be the focal point they've needed for years. Adam Clery explains why, despite his underwhelming numbers, he might be the one.
🏃 Adam's doing the Great North Run in September to raise money for Mind. They provide vital mental health services in the UK any donations are enormously appreciated 🙏
🔗 ajbellgreatnor...
⚽ FourFourTwo - At the heart of football since 1994 - in print - online - on video ⚽
📰 SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/3ErE4ai
💻 WEBSITE: bit.ly/3GFXMC0
Follow FourFourTwo on:
Instagram: bit.ly/3VoHkKz
Facebook: bit.ly/3UgQYxX
Twitter/X: bit.ly/3GB0Or7
📥 Sign up below for 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗔-𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 @FourFourTwo's FREE weekday newsletter
🤝: Transfers
🛒: Deals
🎥: Videos
💡: Quizzes
✍️: Opinion
➕: 𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀
𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 👇
t.co/Yn3AQUt7b6

[@FourFourTwo]

🏃 Hello! As mentioned, I'm doing the Great North Run in September to raise money for Mind. They provide vital mental health services in the UK, and I can personally attest to him important that can be for people. A small amount goes way further than you might think, so any donations are enormously appreciated. Thank you 🙏 🔗 ajbellgreatnorthrun2024.enthuse.com/pf/adam-clery

[@adamnichols26]

I honestly don't care about his statistics in his case. You only have to use the eye test with Fullkrug to see that he is top quality. His touch, quick thinking, intelligence, strength, aerial ability, positioning etc is top notch. With Bowen, Kudus and Paqueta around him, that's frightening.

[@Max_Malletus_64]

Great analysis

[@charliemcadoo4746]

And Summerville

[@user-mq5ou3tq5j]

he is above average at most.

[@jdmstar2732]

Yes! And he works very hard. Would have better stats for dortmund is he wasnt so much a sub for haller and if he would have more trust and a better role.

[@user-mq5ou3tq5j]

@@jdmstar2732 he would've even better stats if he had more skills

[@cafeplastique890]

For Germany, Füllkrug has 13 goals in 21 matches, which is alright - well, it's actually really good when you consider he's mostly on as a sub. I would deduce from this stat that when the service he is getting is good, he can raise his bar accordingly. Well I for one am wishing "Lücke" (= "the Gap", as he's affectionately known) all the best.

[@Nice-ou8ps]

Also do not forget that many of those goals came from WC 2022 and 2023 when Germany was still playing crap. Dude actually carried.

[@j-mil9136]

@@Nice-ou8psexactly. There were a lot of Germany games under Flick where either he scored or the team didn’t score at all.

[@Nunu14]

Been waiting on a West Ham related video for a while now

[@joshgasparro509]

i’m so excited to see him play. as a hammer, we’ve missed out on that central presence for far to long. with the quality we have now who are able to whip balls in to him from out wide or from deep, we finally have someone who is consistently in that final third ready to pounce on the final ball

[@dominiklemke3726]

Füllkrugs late blooming is down to a history of constant injuries. In fact his strong physique is down to him trying to get his body more sustainable and less prone to these constant injuries. The most underrated part of his game (even in Germany) is the technichal and tactical part of his holdup play. Ge doesn't just shielding the ball, he keeps driving the play and his oversight of the attack.

[@danimaster6647]

He is good but there is a reason Dortmund sold him after 1 year while he was a starter during that time: They got Guirassy who scored in every game he played and was the best striker after Kane in the Bundesliga being also in the best age (28) for only 18 million Euro. Füllkrug has very good stats for Germany because he has the worlds best assisters around him who dominate every game but are so incredibly wasteful that they need 25 chances to score a goal. Every half decent striker there will shine. My prediction is: He will score between 10 - 15 goals in the league and be a good target man

[@danmarks158]

Most "James Bond villan name? I think you might be overlooking our very own Maximilian Kilman...

[@aqua_noodle]

I love Fülle, as someone who supports Werder Bremen. But it has to be considered a shirt term fix, getting someone his age I to that position on a while new team in a new country is something else. I hope it works out.

[@billybobthornton9668]

While there's some risk because he's not played the league, if you asked me to describe a striker who would settle quickly then a combative, physical, internationally proven scrapper would fit the bill. Yeah he's probably only got 2-3 years, but I expect they'll be a very good few years. It won't just be his goals, it will be his link and hold up play which will make the team a much more cohesive unit, giving us an out ball and a platform for the creative players to bounce off of and aim for. A very solid signing, and alongside the other singings we've made, I feel relatively confident about us really going for it in the league and sneaking into Europe again!

[@Jhhuvviko]

Füllkrug unser Bremer Junge 💚

[@christopherstaffordd]

I don’t speak German but i understand this

[@DIN_A8]

He is more than the stats ... he will someone who motivates everyone in the hard phases of games, connect the team with the fans and set a positive tone by being a good bloke.. imagin Gattuso, Vini Jr. or Neymar are the first thing you get associated with :D

[@DaxRaider]

His main problems were Injuries, the last years he was I jura free and that's when he exploded it was mainly that. Also his German team stats are often as sub so it's rly exceptional he scored a goal every 56 minutes !!!

[@DC11373]

I've liked this guys videos, but now I really like him. Finally someone who admits how we played under Moyes, and, even as a Newcastle fan, he actually admitted that was a dodgy pen. He's right, the second we took off Antonio we were done, but that pen didn't help. Anyway, thanks for the info on Fulle. Also, could some of those stats from Antonio (except for possession lost) be down to how defensive we were under Moyes?

[@Here4Hummus]

God that game just typified Moyesball at the end of last season. Perhaps the worst single-game substitutions / man-management I've seen in recent memory,

[@Renzenrocker]

One of my favourite players (yes i am german). Here we call him "Lücke" (or Luecke depending on if you see the umlaut) because of the massive gap between his teeth. While at Bremen he and Ducksch called themselves "ugly birds" or "hässliche Vögel". He is a really sympathetic guy and is very well liked in germany because of his no nonsense playstyle. This guy just comes on the pitch and slams the ball under the crossbar every time he has the chance to do so.

[@edavis6077]

He’s just a very solid striker. Good hold up and passing

[@Raydensheraj]

Team player....he will fit perfectly into the Premier League. Very intelligent transfer. Tactically he can play as classic striker or somewhat as false 9. As mentioned in the video. His mentality and spirit will fit perfectly to this Team. Underrated in every way possible...

[@wonderfullife3108]

I'm glad no one knows how West Ham will set-up under Lopetegui because everyone knew how West Ham set up under Moyles.

[@dlg-whu]

Great video, thank you for your insight. Excited to see what fullkrug can bring, a journeyman career, a German Jamie Vardy if you like. Wonder if he by some miracle can propel us to a league title!! Note when you are talking about Antonio not holding the ball up, you show a clip of his cross going straight into the keepers hands, 7:56 7:56, the ball goes up the other end and deflects in from Olise's shot. You said last year but that game was in fact 2 years ago, palace at home. The point still rings true, and I am splitting hairs, just something to point out.

[@mazamonx]

Wow! You did a West Ham video. Adam, I genuinely thought when you said you were going to cover every team that you were joking and were just going to do the usual top 4-6 teams. I'm sorry for doubting you. Thanks for making this. Could you also possibly do videos examining what teams need to work on this season compared to last. Biggest weaknesses. I think West Ham still need to rebuild at the back and replace a few of the ageing and unreliable defenders such as Zouma and Aguerd so we stop giving away the easiest goals in the league. Good luck with the run. It's a cause that is also important to me. Will chip in.

[@rossjn3]

Class video mate as a West Ham fan I didn’t know too much about him at all but now I do ! Quality ⚒️

[@Davidov1967]

Excellent analysis. I was thinking all that you said 🤣 COYI ⚒️

[@duk210]

as a west ham fan i like antonio at times he can be unplayable but that is maybe 2 or 3 times a season he is also 34 now and his hamstrings are like cold rubber bands

[@dargoid]

Just a solid, physical striker capable of holding up the ball and bringing up the wingers. That's what we need, a second antonio because the first one ran out of gas after 60

[@jacksanluka2]

Nice video, I'm glad you pulled up the analytics and tied it to play style. Fullkrug is sure to create more goals and finish fantastic chances for West Ham

[@ThisAlbino]

Think someone forgot to add a screenshot during that Newcastle example.

[@pjbradley1749]

Cracking breakdown chap, love your style and enthusiasm ⚒️

[@flashiemate729]

Thank you for making this video easier to understand and showing how our team will play this coming season. This is my 50th year in supporting West Ham COYI.☺

[@Xacbert74]

He provided 20 pre-assists last season, making him number 1 in the Bundesliga. 2nd was Xhaka with 11.

[@st0rm_cr0w661]

Where did you find those stats? Never heard that one, that's crazy

[@liam8664]

Great video, just trying to forget you made me think Phillips would be a good for us before becoming one of our worst signings ever

[@PhilipSmith-p4b]

Great feature on Niclas Fullkrug

[@thatladfromsheffield]

So what you're saying is I should definitely put him in my FPL team?

[@SethBartonSEF]

Adam Clery covers West Ham. Happy Day! ⚒️

[@sampsonerasmus5219]

You deserve 1M subscribers TBH.

[@pdhillon6977]

Excellent analysis and video

[@benthornhill7903]

Best analyst around, Adam.

[@PilbeamMP97]

Great video, thanks. Really interesting insight and easy delivery - top job! 👍

[@dannygoring6722]

Great video Adam and sound analysis presented with humour 👍🏽

[@oliverbarnes5345]

Same Channel said Kalvin Philips is perfect for West Ham, let’s not get ahead out self’s us irons let’s prepare for another mid table finish anything more then will be a success ⚒⚒

[@user-cl9gj9fo4d]

Great video , cheers mate

[@JoeC6868]

Always insightful. Well done. Ty

[@raenico5285]

Remember, Ings, Haller and Scamacca all came to West Ham intending to bench Antonio. Antonio outlasted them and got more minutes. These are roughly all Fullkrug-level strikers

[@DaveGuff]

Very insightful. Great video ⚒️

[@dannysmith2040]

I’m a Westham fan and I’m so underwhelmed but this signing. He’s old he’s not prolific and we need pace and more youth in our squad. Also it’s to much for a player who will have no sell on ability if he falls is at whu

[@officiallama4146]

zero ballknowledge

[@jonathanboice]

This is great and very insightful thanks for the amazing production as well. but I am sure I fully understand why Fulkrug, for example we where after Duran, how is he a better altertive, we all know that Antonio is a poor front man, and with the number of strikers coming and going back out, its not like the club have not tried to address it. But also I don't think we can look at last season as a reference, we know that Lopitagui is not going to be a full all out attacking manager, but everything he is doing is night and day from David Moyes. Also being a German fan I happy to have Fulkrug at the club when watching him in the euros I thought he would be good for us, and something that Anontio could not finish like that... but if I understand what your saying is we bought him to be a link up player not a striker but if the ball does fall to his feet he can finish well, and have nice tight control and passing.

[@markboatwright416]

Great analysis.

[@generalpenultimo6502]

Btw "Wednesday" is "Mittwoch" in German 😉

[@DzT910]

the won and lost on aerials is based on how many per match he lost ie. won 4 lost 3 per 90 out of 7. it’s the basis for the following stat of %won

[@vombird]

Please do one for Samu Omorodion once he arrives in Cobham

[@CryptixYT007]

Yayy we're making big enough signings for fourfourtwo to make a video on it

[@Bigal70]

Thanks interesting video 👍

[@davidmassey1346]

Unreal analysis that! from a West Ham fan

[@stuartrussell891]

Great vid to watch from from a happy optimistic hammer..)))

[@spel9840]

We need to acknowledge Füllkrug’s heading ability

[@edavis6077]

West ham’s midfield and attack are champions league quality now. Hopefully Paquetá can play

[@andrewnorth64]

Great video thanks and very informative

[@Popeye147]

Gap toothed gnarly, brilliant

[@shawshankzak1153]

Romero against Fulkrug will be a fun watch next season.

[@danjoyce4929]

This geeza told me kalvin Phillips was the answer to west hams problems 🤣

[@bobbob6978]

fr, I think he just says every signing is good lmao

[@melissayeboah1210]

Can you blame him?. Most west ham fans were happy about that signing

[@Shraan82]

you missed a key season for füllkrug. he wasn't worse for werder in the 1. bundesliga. he won the golden boot while at werder in 22-23, then he was bought by dortmund.

[@marshall8782]

"I want Fullkrug" "why?" "cause I don't have Fullkrug"

[@davidthomas4877]

Excellent as usual

[@drewfoster6138]

Wardy boys straight in my fantasy team. These crosses are gonna get some assists

[@davidrichards613]

Such a good point in the comparison to Antonio. We love the guy but he's so frustrating... as a hold up man he just doesn't retain possession enough anymore. Also I feel Antonio as a big bloke never gets a fair shake being fouled by CBs, but Fullkrug doesn't have that rep of being a big beast guy and that may give us a fairer shake with the manhandling and shoving as the ball comes into him

[@jimteh_]

Big Moneyball 'he gets on base' energy

[@benjiradach1361]

Surprised West Ham were able to get him.

[@DrawnInk1]

Brilliant as usual.

[@crazygiraffe3002]

good thing we got him, unlike most people who blame the "negative" football of david moyes. i blame the lack of ST choice that we can choose from, which is why i believe we went so badly in the 2nd half of the season

[@niklasra669]

You have to mention that his career was plagued by serious injuries. Only now he shows his full potential

[@_kalbo_]

Nice 👍

[@anioketeugochukwu6357]

Do the messi/inter miami tatics

[@coldmanrules]

Mom wake up! Four four two made a west ham video!

[@sampsonerasmus5219]

Hammers fans are extremely pleased with this video

[@edmanning274]

German Ricky Lambert?

[@kiriakoz]

I'll take "competent" as a West Ham fan. I am concerned about the long contract but not my money, I guess.

[@westhammark]

WESTHAMS LOOKING GOOD😮 WELL DONE DAVID SULLIVAN TIM STEIDTON AND JLO..... LETS FULLFILL OUR POTENTIAL.....

[@FMOAB]

As always very interesting and funny too

[@hammerheadbark]

Great video

[@colin-yc9bv]

Fantastic video, 25 mill on a 31 year old on a 4 year deal looks like bad business, are there no younger blokes on the market that can do that job and have good potential for that kind of money?

[@DavidSmith-cz4wo]

Fuckin fantastic analysis ⚒️

[@albionmyl7735]

because he is German and germans fitting very well to England.... not only in football

[@elduderino7767]

4 year contract makes sense when you appreciate he is only on 50k/wk - that is one of the lowest wages in the squad on top of that he isn't the type of striker that relies on pace, or one you'd leave isolated on his own, in a possession based system with patient build up a decline in pace isn't going to be a big deal

[@saschamenzel3680]

According to various sources, he earned around 6 million a year at Dortmund. Füllkrug is not known for chasing money, but he won't voluntarily give up that much either. It also makes no sense for the club to spend 30 million and the player has to take a 50% cut. My figures are in EUR ;)

[@elduderino7767]

@@saschamenzel3680 the reports are quite clear about his wages, it's around 3m a year theres an additional 2 years on his contract which would equal the original contract value theres also reports that the transfer fee has been heavily overstated, these days with PSR there could be some creative accounting, so west ham pay 27m euro but that includes a loyalty bonus for the player which will then be paid out to fullkrug by BVB, say the difference of the wages, 6m in this case so the deal would look like a 27m fee, 6m sign-on fee for fullkrug (paid by bvb) plus 60k in wages that sounds reasonable to all parties, BVB and west ham and player or does the following sounds likely: 27m fee, 120k/wk for 4 years for fullkrug - i don't think so :) west ham were offering the same deal to aaron wan-bissaka, 18m, of which 3m is the loyalty bonus, man utd price was 15m

[@saschamenzel3680]

@@elduderino7767 Thank you for the info!

[@grid462]

JWP essential for FPL?

[@WambelyThrower]

can you do a video on crystal palace!!!

[@BoraY5734]

WE NEED FASTER AND SMARTER CENTRE BACKS !!!!

[@evilkenivel9345]

Füllkrug was always a really class player. But he has so much knee injuries. He lost 4 years couse of that

[@cjrendell1534]

Love your content, but watched your video on why Kalvin Phillips would be perfect for west ham and now im afraid you have jinxed another new signing ahahaha

[@Powerful_Raf]

Didn't you say this about Phillips?

[@FourFourTwo]

I always try to find the positives, just sometimes these *bums* let me down

[@ejairuvictory]

He cares not for your boxy channels adam that made me laugh 😂😂😂

[@harrywix]

All I can say as a Hammer is - at last!!!

[@Dmwinston]

Kind of miss on Wednesdays we wear yellow.

[@IggyGoesPop666]

OMG ... OMG ... OMG ... 442 have FINALLY done a show about a club from outside the top 6 .... shock ... horror ... HOLD THE FRONT PAGE 😳😱😲

[@free-can5609]

he solves it cause he's a decent striker who can score some goals

[@Circial]

I'm a Dormund Fan and I think Fullkrug is a really good player but I think we commited a big robbery.

[@dlg-whu]

After signing Guirassy for half the price

[@andrew7780]

His age and lack of pace is a concern for me going into this season. I obviously hope he proves me wrong and has a brilliant season.

[@CreazyPeazy]

Füllkrug was never known for his pace but for his prowess and the ability to make things happen.

[@MibS]

Cool

[@CreazyPeazy]

"Because you dont currently have a player like Niklas Füllkrug" 😄 People cannot imagine how difficult it is nowadays to find a real and decent Center Forward who is capable to hold the ball and create chances for the team. What is this complaining from some folks with his pace? He was not bought for his pace but his strength, aerial prowess and quick thinking.

[@migomontana4270]

He’s not starting more than 15 matches

[@MerlinSingh]

I thought Villa might get him. Good buy for WHU

[@bobbob6978]

ive got to be honest, i love this channel but I feel like you just say every signing is great, I dont think fulkrug works out great, hes a solid striiker, but he found ok form in germany after years, where he is comfortable, difficult for any player to transfer solid form to the prem, espeicllay considering he isnt elite at any specific thing

[@yannick245]

In German media, he was "made a symbol" for the state/decline of our national team. Like: "Today we have to rely/have no other options but a 30 year old player who played in the second Bundesliga until two years ago." If you go back only ten years (the year we won the World Cup), we had a squad of international stars, fighting for their place in the starting 11. Of course not on every position. But overall we had a much better, prestigious team. Among the favorites for titles.

[@garyperkins4193]

Sadly saw how good he was in the Champions League last year against Newcastle. Would have loved him at the Toon but … 4 year contract for 31 year old!? I might be wrong but I see him as having a sensational year or two before losing his pace, losing his place and being unsellable.

[@thesilvanalyst6880]

Well, he never had pace to begin with. His playing style largely revolves around being the big guy with reliable fundamentals that is at the right place at the right time. He could probably play similar to his level even after the 4 years. Additionally, his salary is relatively low compared to the average player in the league (around 2million £ a year) so he isn't an outstanding burden on the financial situation of the club, even if he ends up falling behind towards the end of his contract.

[@Madagon367]

Better get the Zubimendi deal done or people are going to lose their minds.