Niclas Fullkrug shares 2-word message after axe in wake of furious West Ham outburst
West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug has taken to social media to look ahead to his side’s clash with Tottenham amid the recent discussion around his position.
The forward only made the move to the London Stadium last summer, joining on a permanent deal from Borussia Dortmund.
Fullkrug was blighted by injury during the first months of his West Ham career, limiting his opportunities for game time during the early stages of the season.
However, he has forced his way into the side since returning to fitness, which has since created some talking points of its own.
Niclas Fullkrug dropped after Southampton outburst
This has been a hugely disappointing season for the Hammers, who are currently 17th in the Premier League table, albeit they are safe from relegation.
Even so, after their 1-1 draw at home to bottom side Southampton last month, Fullkrug offered a damning assessment of the performances of his West Ham teammates.
The striker then dropped to the bench for his side’s clash with Brighton the following weekend, although manager Graham Potter insisted that move had nothing to do with his outburst.
Indeed, he did come off the bench at half time in that game as West Ham were dramatically beaten 3-2 at Brighton.
| West Ham last five games | Result |
| Wolves (A) | Lost 1-0 |
| Bournemouth (H) | Drew 2-2 |
| Liverpool (A) | Lost 2-1 |
| Southampton (H) | Drew 1-1 |
| Brighton (A) | Lost 3-2 |
With the Irons back in the action against London rivals Tottenham on Sunday (4 May), it appears Fullkrug is keen to go back to focusing on football matters.
Taking to his Instagram story ahead of that game, the West Ham striker posted a series of pictures from the training ground, along with a caption that simply read: “Derby week on”.
West Ham need their striker to perform
Football Insider Verdict
With Michael Antonio still out and Brighton loanee Even Ferguson struggling for game time under Potter, the Hammers are lacking any genuine competition for Fullkrug at centre-forward.
As a result, West Ham do need the German to step up with some big contributions in the coming weeks if they are to at least end the season positively and take some momentum into the new campaign.
In fairness, Fullkrug has shown some signs of promise since returning from his injury issues, while not many fans criticised him for what he said in that rant after the draw with Southampton.
There may therefore still be some hope that the 32-year-old can have a useful part to play for West Ham in the final weeks of this season and beyond.