Head Coach Graham Potter says Niclas Füllkrug gives his West Ham United team different options and a focal point in attack after the German climbed off the substitutes' bench to score in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth.
At the same time, the Head Coach knows his team cannot afford to concede ‘cheap’ goals if they are to win Premier League matches after the Hammers were made to pay for two defensive lapses at London Stadium, both of which were exploited by the Cherries’ Evanilson.
A slow first-half performance saw the hosts produce precious little in attack, and go in a goal down at the break when Alphonse Areola spilled Antoine Semenyo’s shot into the Brazilian striker’s path.
After half-time, the Irons showed admirable spirit to come from behind to lead courtesy of unstoppable headers from inspirational substitute Füllkrug and captain Jarrod Bowen.
However, just when it looked like his side had the lead, the momentum and were on their way to victory, a quickly taken free-kick was headed square by Dean Huijsen and Evanilson stole in unmarked to equalise.
And so it was that Potter felt his team had worked hard for a point, but they could well have taken all three…
It was a game that went back and forward and changed.
I thought the start of the game, we were OK without being brilliant against a tough opponent that you're always on a bit of an edge against because they've got such physicality and speed on the transition.
We weren't brilliant first half and I think the second half of the first half tailed away from us too much. They were probably better than us there and then obviously to concede, you're filled with a disappointed feeling.
And then second half, after the substitutions, we scored and then it was a fully committed, fully focused performance.
I was delighted for Füllkrug because I think he had a real impact. You can see what he brings to the team.
And obviously I was happy for Jarrod as well to score, and at 2-1 you hope that you're going to stay there, but a soft free-kick, I think it was, and then we haven't defended the action very well and then it's a point, like I said.
I think it's a hard-earned point that's probably fair over the course of the game.
Sometimes in the Premier League, it's not easy to go from the goalkeeper through the team to attack and create stuff and I think Niclas gives us that out ball.
He gives us a focal point. He gives us a chance to get second balls. He gives us a chance to attack quicker, a bit more vertically.
We're just managing him back to full fitness and we have to be patient with him.
They were both really good headers and like I said, I’m pleased for both of them in different ways because Jarrod's been working really, really hard so he'll be the better for a goal.
Probably the last two or three goals we've conceded have been a bit cheap from our perspective, so that's something we have to obviously keep going at.
We scored two but we've conceded two and chances are we've probably conceded a few more than we'd like.
But that's also something I keep speaking about before – it's the balance you have to strike between defence and attack in this league against opponents that have always got players that can hurt you.
I completely understand where the supporters are coming from.
I understand where the crowd are at because we haven't done well enough at home. We haven't won enough and played well enough, so you can understand there's a frustration there.
This is normal and we accept that and we have to take that responsibility. But I think if they can see something, the crowd get behind us and then, like I said, it's a fantastic atmosphere and really pushes the team.
Our young players have to learn from every experience.
I thought Luis Guilherme, when he came on, had a fantastic impact. I think he's getting more and more suited to the role and what he can bring to the team.
It's not a straight line. That's the reality of when you're playing young players, but we have to help them and we have to support them and do our best to make sure that they're ready every day to be the best version of themselves.
We go to Liverpool next and they're the best team in the league, so we have to do everything right, for sure.
But I think we've proven that we can be competitive. We should feel that we can be competitive in any game. And again, it's about that balance between defence and attack, making sure we're OK.
We'll have a good week's training, a good week to prepare and then we go again.
