Time to 'step up and deliver' in transfer window
We are into the final week of the January transfer window and, as ever, West Ham are leaving it late to complete the business that simply needs to be done.Graham Potter has done well to navigate the past couple of weeks with barely any attacking players and a makeshift defence. The performance against Aston Villa on Sunday evening was evidence of that. Not only were West Ham the better side for much of the 90 minutes against a Champions League team, it was done with players playing out of position.Lucas Paqueta was immense playing as a striker at Villa Park and was rightly named player of the match. He held the ball up well and made some dangerous runs into the box. But he is not a striker and we cannot expect him to be a striker for much longer.It is not sustainable. Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are close to a return to action, but they will only fix half the problem.Over the next seven days, it is not only a striker that needs to be signed - we are also desperately short in defence.Max Kilman was the only centre-back in the starting XI against Villa. Konstantinos Mavropanos was suspended and already has question marks over his ability while Jean-Clair Todibo does not have a timeline on his return from injury.We managed against Villa but Kilman is going to need help from a trusted centre-back who can be a capable and long-term partner for him.The club needs to step up this week and deliver the help Potter, Kilman and Paqueta so clearly need. If the right players are brought in and returning players can remain fit, Potter will have the tools available to him to really start making an impact at West Ham.Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external
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