Adama Traoré | Signed

[stubbo-admin]

West Ham United is pleased to confirm the signing of Spain international winger Adama Traoré.

The 30-year-old joins the Hammers from Fulham for an undisclosed fee, reuniting him with Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo, who he worked under previously at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Strong, quick and able to create and score goals, Adama is a proven Premier League performer who will add experience and quality to Nuno’s attacking firepower.



Born in Barcelona, Adama came through Barça’s famed Academy before moving to the Premier League with Aston Villa in 2015. Since then, he has amassed 262 Premier League appearances, 14 goals and 25 assists for Villa, Middlesbrough, Wolves and Fulham.

“I’m so happy to be here, so happy to help the team the maximum I can and show my quality,” said Adama, who will wear the No17 shirt.

“I've been seeing West Ham for a long time. It's a massive club, a massive fanbase. I've been watching since I was young, when I watched a film about West Ham. I know about the fans and how much passion they have.

“My mentality is always to do better. It's always to improve as a player, to help the team as much as I can and I always say, if I'm the same person as yesterday, it's one day lost.

“I love the challenges. I think, of course, we have to go game by game. And this is what we're going to do, trying to do our best. I think everything comes from belief. And I believe we're going to achieve what we're looking for.”

Adama spent three of his best seasons with Nuno between 2018-21, twice helping Wolves finish seventh in the Premier League and reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. The Hammers’ Head Coach is relishing the opportunity to link up with the winger again.

“We are very happy to welcome Adama to the Club,” said Nuno. “He is someone I obviously know well from our time together at Wolves, and I am looking forward to working with him again.

“Adama is someone who knows the Premier League very well, and his unique qualities as a player will help us between now and the end of the season.

“He will give us a different option in attacking areas. He is also very motivated to fight for us and ready to bring energy, commitment and determination to our challenge.”

Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Adama and his family to East London, and wish him every success for his career in Claret and Blue.

[BoleynGone]

He had a decent 30 minutes after a poor opening 15 minutes,not tracking back (as the the commentator kept mentioning ) strolling around not pressing. A couple of good runs but as we have seen countless times awful final product.

[Takashi Miike]

who, Disasi/Mav? correct

[Mad Ferret]

Absolutely outstanding tonight.

[El Scorchio]

Using a basically (in today's market) free, backup/bit part player to try and bash the manager is a bit fucking weak. If he'd shoehorned him into the side ahead of anyone better, then sure, but as it stands, it's fucking weak.

[Dick Shaftsbury]

all I’ve seen of Adama’s strengths is rag dolling a Spanish midget. 

That was good though.

[scott_d]

Adama has the ability to make Pablo look like prime Tevez, amazing that Nuno fails to see. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses but all I’ve seen of Adama’s strengths is rag dolling a Spanish midget. 

His strength is his strength.

[GBHammer63]

Adama has the ability to make Pablo look like prime Tevez, amazing that Nuno fails to see. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses but all I’ve seen of Adama’s strengths is rag dolling a Spanish midget. 

[BoleynGone]

my carer ?
Have you not looked at the league table with 12 games to go.
Have you not seen the mistakes Nuno has made all season,repeated many times. ?
We've only improved since Paco came in.
I'm a bit happier that we have won a few games but the same problems exist.
Lack of players available as Nuno refuse to use attacking options.
He didn't need to go 5 at the back against Burton but he couldn't resist.
It's going to take a lot to change.
He brought in an injured player and now what's happened , he's injured again.
Lost a game he should have got a least a point and his other love in player helped get our best defender sent off.
The u21's were down to 10 men and brought on another attacker at 1-1.
Brilliant, BRAVE AND PROACTIVE thinking.
When have we seen anything like that from Nuno.
I'm just saying if Nuno had given minutes to attacking youth players we'll be in a better situation but if you refuse to see that,that's your choice.
Bournemouth will be going for it as Europe awaits,they'll be brave,  a harder game than against Man Utd who were there for the taking but we didn't seize and Nuno couldn't see it.
It's why we are where we are.
 

[fraser]

Fraser
You retard.
What can you not comprehend ? By not playing any attacking youth players Nuno has the situation we see now. Quite obvious. It's called being proactive. Nuno thinks playing and having 80% defensive players in the squad will win you games. It won't when we need to win 6 out of 12

Didn't we just win 3 out of 5 so that's more than 1 every 2 is it not?

Can't your carer get you to  behave or get your medication changed it seems to be confusing you 

[BoleynGone]

Fraser
You retard.
What can you not comprehend ? By not playing any attacking youth players Nuno has the situation we see now. Quite obvious. It's called being proactive. Nuno thinks playing and having 80% defensive players in the squad will win you games. It won't when we need to win 6 out of 12

[fraser]

I'm not sure what we should do other than leaving everything else as it is as others have said, don't weaken other positions to try and not weaken another 

[Manuel]

Yea Soucek looks like a fish out of water higher up and ironically probably makes him less of a goal threat, as he's better at arriving into those positions, rather than already being there.

I'm not sure if Nuno 'trusts' Magassa to start him and in such a vital game, so still won't be shocked if he goes with a back five/three. Obviously he will also be factoring into any decision on how B'mouth play. 

[stubbo-admin]

I wouldn't move Soucek from either his DM or CM role which are his preferred and better positions. I like the combination of him and Fernandes working in tandem centrally. As Gank says, keep the front two between Taty and Wilson with the Forwards working around them as it works well as it is. Can always move Fernandes in to the 10 role and bring Magassa on alongside Soucek in the middle when we do sub 1 of them. Traore and Lamadrid to come off the bench if needed.

IMO if there is one player we can't move it's Fernandes.  He's driving almost everything the team is doing right now.  Restricting him in anyway is worst of ideas is my view.

I said exactly that about Fernandes earlier, so agree on tbat point, we'd be changing the role of a player who has arguably been the form central midfielder in the Prem recently. 

Can't agree on Soucek being the one to do the hassling higher up though, we tried that with him earlier in the season and he is just too slow, even slower than Pablo.

I genuinely think Magassa would be the best bet for what that role is. and it keeps the rest of the team exactly the same, a team that has been playing really well.

I don't disagree with this BTW.  I also think our midfield has rotated a lot....sometimes it's Soucek dropping deep, sometimes Fernandes....last game same thing but with Potts also part of it.  So they're not really fixed positions but overall composition.  I expect Magassa to replace Potts post-Man Utd, the call to be one of Disasi or Todibo, and then everything else as you were.

[Eerie Decent]

IMO we just move Soucek up into the Pablo role of slow paced hassler and aerial competer...plus he's playing well and a goal threat too.

Bring Magassa in alongside Fernandes.

I wouldn't move Soucek from either his DM or CM role which are his preferred and better positions. I like the combination of him and Fernandes working in tandem centrally. As Gank says, keep the front two between Taty and Wilson with the Forwards working around them as it works well as it is. Can always move Fernandes in to the 10 role and bring Magassa on alongside Soucek in the middle when we do sub 1 of them. Traore and Lamadrid to come off the bench if needed.

IMO if there is one player we can't move it's Fernandes.  He's driving almost everything the team is doing right now.  Restricting him in anyway is worst of ideas is my view.

I said exactly that about Fernandes earlier, so agree on tbat point, we'd be changing the role of a player who has arguably been the form central midfielder in the Prem recently. 

Can't agree on Soucek being the one to do the hassling higher up though, we tried that with him earlier in the season and he is just too slow, even slower than Pablo.

I genuinely think Magassa would be the best bet for what that role is. and it keeps the rest of the team exactly the same, a team that has been playing really well.

[Massive Attack]

IMO we just move Soucek up into the Pablo role of slow paced hassler and aerial competer...plus he's playing well and a goal threat too.

Bring Magassa in alongside Fernandes.

I wouldn't move Soucek from either his DM or CM role which are his preferred and better positions. I like the combination of him and Fernandes working in tandem centrally. As Gank says, keep the front two between Taty and Wilson with the Forwards working around them as it works well as it is. Can always move Fernandes in to the 10 role and bring Magassa on alongside Soucek in the middle when we do sub 1 of them. Traore and Lamadrid to come off the bench if needed.

IMO if there is one player we can't move it's Fernandes.  He's driving almost everything the team is doing right now.  Restricting him in anyway is worst of ideas is my view.

Agreed, let him fly about the pitch as he pleases giving him that free reign. 

[stubbo-admin]

IMO we just move Soucek up into the Pablo role of slow paced hassler and aerial competer...plus he's playing well and a goal threat too.

Bring Magassa in alongside Fernandes.

I wouldn't move Soucek from either his DM or CM role which are his preferred and better positions. I like the combination of him and Fernandes working in tandem centrally. As Gank says, keep the front two between Taty and Wilson with the Forwards working around them as it works well as it is. Can always move Fernandes in to the 10 role and bring Magassa on alongside Soucek in the middle when we do sub 1 of them. Traore and Lamadrid to come off the bench if needed.

IMO if there is one player we can't move it's Fernandes.  He's driving almost everything the team is doing right now.  Restricting him in anyway is worst of ideas is my view.

[Massive Attack]

IMO we just move Soucek up into the Pablo role of slow paced hassler and aerial competer...plus he's playing well and a goal threat too.

Bring Magassa in alongside Fernandes.

I wouldn't move Soucek from either his DM or CM role which are his preferred and better positions. I like the combination of him and Fernandes working in tandem centrally. As Gank says, keep the front two between Taty and Wilson with the Forwards working around them as it works well as it is. Can always move Fernandes in to the 10 role and bring Magassa on alongside Soucek in the middle when we do sub 1 of them. Traore and Lamadrid to come off the bench if needed.

[stubbo-admin]

IMO we just move Soucek up into the Pablo role of slow paced hassler and aerial competer...plus he's playing well and a goal threat too.

Bring Magassa in alongside Fernandes.

[Gank]

If we're going to play an old fashioned 9 up top with a 10 behind him, this doesn't matter at all. Just play Wilson as the 9 and Taty as the 10, and we have plenty of versatile players who can do a job in either of those in the case of injury or fatigue. This is one of the reasons Traore was a useful addition, he could do the 9 or 10 himself or start right so that Bowen can do it. One thing is for sure, if we're going to set up with those two roles you don't really want Soucek clogging the buildup play behind the 10 role when you can pick from Fernandes, Potts, Magassa, Kante and possibly Lamadrid instead.

Guilherme played this weekend, I still think we should have kept him and still bought Traore.

[threesixty]

No, I often point out that Soucek works very hard for the Team, not just the goals he contributes as well. Same goes for Wilson, he does more than some give him credit for, as well as the goals he also helps contribute towards. 

Regards to Pablo he also works hard and like that aspect of his game, however it is a concern he doesn't contribute to any goals. If he can add them on a regular basis being that he is a Striker afterall, then I'll be alot happier with the dough we spent on him. 0 goals isn't going to cut it. We also didn't miss him in the last 2 League games he didn't play much of a part in which was my point.

 

 

I dont think we play and out front 2 with Pablo. He generally plays behind Tatty. I don’t think his instructions are to go for goal himself. He missed 1 sitter from what I remember, but I dont think I’ve seen him have many shots at all. Which indicates he’s not putting himself in positions to have shots. Now that is probably by design I guess.

Tatty and Pablo cannot pick up the same position otherwise it doesnt work. I remember when it was revealed that Soucek was told to drop back and allow Rice to go forward more and have shots. That season Souceks number dropped massively and everyone thought he was shit. But it as an explicit instruction.

So we just dont know what Pablo is being told to do really. And anyone coming from the Portuguese league is going to have a hard time trying to adapt. Gyokeres is like 27/28 and has a phenomenal record in Portugal but he still struggled to get on the score sheet here with the best team in country.

[Massive Attack]

No, I often point out that Soucek works very hard for the Team, not just the goals he contributes as well. Same goes for Wilson, he does more than some give him credit for, as well as the goals he also helps contribute towards. 

Regards to Pablo he also works hard and like that aspect of his game, however it is a concern he doesn't contribute to any goals. If he can add them on a regular basis being that he is a Striker afterall, then I'll be alot happier with the dough we spent on him. 0 goals isn't going to cut it. We also didn't miss him in the last 2 League games he didn't play much of a part in which was my point.

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

I didn't say he doesn't have any impact. I said he doesn't have as big an impact. That is quite a different thing.

In any case, you began this whole discussion by asking "What makes Pablo so good, who cannot score or assist?" but you don't seem to want to hear the answer. Fact is that you seem to judge a player solely on stats like goals and assists, which is why you always praise the likes of Soucek or Wilson over others who might score less but make the team perform better as a unit.

[Massive Attack]

Okay, perhaps not completely ignored. You did say that you "don't think we'll miss him greatly rightly now when we have a goalscoring Striker to instantly replace him in his absence". So you clearly prize one attribute over the other, regardless of how it effects the team as a whole.

Unlike yourself, I don't believe Wilson doesn't have an impact on the Team collectively. He brings others in to play, he fights to win us fouls, earn us corners and isn't only about scoring them. 

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

Okay, perhaps not completely ignored. You did say that you "don't think we'll miss him greatly rightly now when we have a goalscoring Striker to instantly replace him in his absence". So you clearly prize one attribute over the other, regardless of how it effects the team as a whole.

[Massive Attack]

It's a bit daft to ignore what a player does bring to the team just because he doesn't score. 

No one has, Jean. Everyone has been in agreement he works hard for the Team which hasn't ever been ignored.