West Ham boss David Moyes has made a brutally honest assessment of Danny Ings which begs the question why he signed him.
Danny Ings has endured a torrid time since joining West Ham from Aston Villa for £15m last year.
West Ham were struggling to score goals and flirting with relegation last season.
So Ings was brought in during the January window to help solve the problem.
The 31-year-old has barely played, though. And when he has, Ings has either failed to impress or missed chances.
Desperate Dan made the difference for desperate West Ham
The striker scored his first goal of the season in West Ham’s draw with his old club Burnley last time out. It leaves him with a record of one goal in 28 appearances this term – although only six of those have been starts.
He could have had a hat-trick during a second half cameo as the Hammers came back to draw 2-2.
His performance re-opened debate over Ings’ lack of game time.
And when it was put to David Moyes that he should try to find a way to shoehorn him and Michail Antonio into the team, the Scot was visibly agitated.
So much so the manager tried to downplay Ings’ Burnley contribution as something of a one-off.
Moyes rattled over suggestions Ings must play more
Irked Moyes says Ings simply doesn’t give West Ham enough in most games.
The Hammers boss said the fact West Ham were massively – and very rarely – dominating and creating a host of chances against Burnley suited Ings.
But he said the forward does not give West Ham enough in games where that is not the case. And – as fans will testify – the Hammers are rarely the dominant side under Moyes.
So it begs the big question – why did he sign him in the first place?
“I think we’ve always planned for Danny to have a big role to play,” Moyes said of Ings, as per the club’s website.
“Danny knows he’s come into a game which suited (him). We were the team on top, lots of penalty box entries and opportunities and who had the tidy finishes and who could finish well. Well everybody knows Danny Ings is great at that part of the game.
Begs the question why sign Ings in the first place?
“There’s been other games where we’ve not had as much of the ball and not had as much around the box where I don’t quite see Danny giving us quite as much as we require there.
“But he done a great job coming on, it’s what we hoped that he’d score goals coming on or when he starts. But they’re probably his first goals for a while. I’m pleased for him and he was probably unlucky not to get more than the one that he got.”
It seems any hopes Ings might have had of forcing his way into the side on a regular basis look bleak off the back of that assessment.
West Ham surrender the lion’s share of possession to most teams, most weeks. And they play a more counter attacking style where action in and around the penalty area is at a premium.
It’s almost always been thus under Moyes. So you have to ask yourself why sign him in the first place.