Striking Has Beans Means Hines Is The Answer!

How quickly has Hines burst onto the scene? I know the kid has been knocking around in the reserves and out on loan for a couple of seasons now, but did anybody seriously expect him to be one of the diamonds in the current crop of youngsters? Up until this season, all the talk was of Freddie Sears and how he might be the new Tony Cottee, but with Sears farmed out to Palace and not pulling up any trees in the Fizzy Pop, it is Hines who is grabbing the only positive headlines that are West Ham related. Could the boy be the new Jermaine Defoe?

Unfortunately, because of his ridiculous 4-3-3 formation and his obsession with picking wide men on the wrong flank, Zola has been playing Hines out of position so far. As a result, along with Tompkins, Zavon was to blame for the Torres goal at Upton Park, having given away possession in his own half, and has not yet had the goalscoring impact that Defoe and Cottee achieved in their early days. However, his two goals for the England U21s and his goals against Millwall show that the boy, given the chances, has the composure to bury them. I still think he should have the number 57 on his back!

The sooner Zola reverts to 4-4-2 therefore, the better. It is a little desperate to be pinning our hopes on a kid who has yet to net in the Prem, but these are desperate times. The boy does have pace and an eye for goal and is, therefore, potentially ideal to play on the shoulder of Cole, giving Carlton the opportunity to play the ball behind defenders rather than having to always look backwards as under the present set up. The inclusion of Hines would induce opponents, fearful of his pace, to defend deeper and would create space between their back four and midfield for either Diamanti or Jimenez to operate in. How can either play "in the hole" when there is no hole because the opposition are able to compress the play so easily?

Collison and Behrami are on their way back and that must make us stronger. Put Hines into the mix and, who knows, we might find a way of making the jigsaw fit. How ironic would it be, however, if after wasting money on Savio and sourcing General Franco, it was a kid apparently on nobody's radar at the start of the season who emerges as our key player? Tristan, Di Michelle, General Franco...the striking has beans means Hines may be the answer. Here's hoping!