Bringing The Hollywood: Hogan To West Ham

First of all, please let me apologise for the awful 90's wrestling pun in the title.

Here we are with another transfer simulation. West Ham seem to be at the heart of everything happening in this transfer window, and while most of the focus seems to be on Dmitri Payet's impending departure (or not), the other long-running saga is their purchase of Brentford's star striker Scott Hogan.  After returning from nearly 18 months out with a serious knee injury, Hogan has been in blistering form for the Bees, scoring 21 goals in 32 games. That form has prompted the Hammers, who have struggled for goals, to put in a bid, and it is expected that a £15million deal will be completed by the end of the window. So what are they getting for their money?

The answer is a half-decent forward. His finishing is excellent and his pace and dribbling are pretty good too. With a bit of coaching, his technique and decision making could improve too. Hogan works best as an Advanced Forward and is left-footed, a rare commodity. Is he in good form?

The answer is - not really. 3 goals and one assist in 13 games does not scream 'sign me up', but his rating is decent enough and with the stats above, he has the chance of making an impression at the Olympic Stadium. Speaking of them, how are his new team getting on?

Like in real life, West Ham are bobbling around mid-table, and are still in the position where one result going their way (or against them) could have a big impact on their league position. So does Hogan fire them up the table? Let's fast forward to June...

The answer is a most definite 'no'. The Hammers finish outside the relegation zone by just two points, winning only four of their last 17 league games. What about their new striker? Has he made an impact, despite the team's struggles?

Again, a bit fat no. Making just five appearances, and scoring just one goal, Hogan is very much a bit-part player for a struggling team. Could that indicate he's perhaps better off in the second tier? Let's see how his stats have improved.

With Premier League-level coaching, Hogan's finishing has gone up by one....and that's it. While that is a good thing, his finishing was good enough to begin with, and the other areas of his game haven't improved. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hogan shipped out in the post-season.

West Ham fans will be hoping that Hogan doesn't turn out to be a flop like this (if the transfer happens, of course!), but I suspect he may do a little better in real life. So, looking at the above, would you sign Hogan for your team?

[BatiGoal]

4 hours ago, Mollers01 said:

West Ham fans will be hoping that Hogan doesn't turn out to be a flop like this (if the transfer happens, of course!), but I suspect he may do a little better in real life. So, looking at the above, would you sign Hogan for your team?

Would I sign him? I would. He didn't do great up here but he'd be good for mid-table teams as a sub. Able to play in 4 different positions on the pitch is a great asset. I love these versatile subs.

[Mollers01]

I can't agree I'm afraid - his stats don't really lend themselves to any position other than a centre forward in my eyes, and even then he isn't particularly fantastic. Considering his scoring record, and the potential value of his transfer, I wonder if he'll get a stat boost in the next update?

[Ashez]

Cheers, now all I want is a badass NWO FMM theme, all black and white with spray paint, dang it could be awesome! 

Think you might have inspired me to do something though, had an interesting idea from this experiment. 

Article wise he didn't really do much but it was a good read. That 18 shooting stat is always appealing. 

[Mollers01]

4 minutes ago, Ashez said:

Cheers, now all I want is a badass NWO FMM theme, all black and white with spray paint, dang it could be awesome! 

Think you might have inspired me to do something though, had an interesting idea from this experiment. 

Article wise he didn't really do much but it was a good read. That 18 shooting stat is always appealing. 

Intriguing! Do tell?

[BatiGoal]

28 minutes ago, Mollers01 said:

I can't agree I'm afraid - his stats don't really lend themselves to any position other than a centre forward in my eyes, and even then he isn't particularly fantastic. Considering his scoring record, and the potential value of his transfer, I wonder if he'll get a stat boost in the next update?

For a mid-table team as a sub? Come on, mate..As a striker or an Inside Forward on the flanks: Shooting 18, Dribbling 14, Movement and Decisions 13..that's plenty for a sub. Don't look at the AI scoring record it's deceiving. AI mangers aren't half the managers we are

[Ashez]

Just to try him out. Signed him for a Champions League team for £4.9m and he has 7 goals in 8 matches. Can't knock that IMO. 

Judging on AI results is a waste of time, it's why I don't really like these simulations, but I guess I can see why people enjoy them. 

[Westham_Till_I_Die]

@Mollers01 Obviously theres a big difference in how he plays on the game and how he plays in real life.

I noticed you have the add on where you can edit in game, maybe what you could do is put his stats up to what hes like in real life and then try again?