Watching him against Wigan was like your old auntie seeing you
at a family do, ruffling your hair and saying: "My, how
you've grown." What happened to that skinny kid who burst
onto the scene at Nottingham Forest? He was all legs, a bit too raw
and a bit too easy to knock off the ball.He always had pace and eye
for goal, but he was too lightweight. Now he has filled out and, as
the Wigan defenders will confirm, he's strong, powerful,
direct. He scored against them for Nottingham Forest a few
weeks ago and then scored two against them for West Ham.
And all for £500,000
Again it is an example of how well Alan Pardew knows this division.Harewood's two goals against Wigan (I can't believe he actually walked off with the match ball and tried to claim a hat-trick, though...come on!) confirmed his place as the second top scorer in Division One, behind the prolific Robert Earnshaw. Southampton (who are still in the Premiership before you argue West Ham are a bigger club) were eager to sign him. But Pardew moved swiftly, talked a good game and signed the one-time lightweight who looks like a real bruiser now.
His debut home performance against Wigan is not the only reason to delight at the signing.Look at Harewood's record. He has made 131 league starts and has scored 54 goals. Or 55 if you ask him and he continues to claim that cross diverted into his own net by a Wigan defender last week!
That's a decent record. This season, he has already scored
14 goals and, with only one booking to his name has a better
disciplinary record than one or two other strikers at the club.Why
so cheap, then? Pardew had done his homework. As a homegrown player
at Forest (he had a brief loan spell at Ipswich too),
Harewood's wages would not have been a problem. He was out of
contract in the summer too and, being over 24, Forest would
have had to release him on a free.
Many players in Harewood's positions (he was in the team at
the City Ground, scoring goals and playing well despite a recent
slump in form for Forest) might have stayed, waiting for the summer
and a Bosman transfer
that would have earned him a nice few bob.Clearly, when Pardew
spoke to him, he recognised a hunger and Harewood recognised an
opportunity. His two goals against Wigan suggest the marriage could
be a very happy one. Not only is he comfortable with the
expectation (proven by his willingness to take on the famed No10
shirt previously worn by Hurst, Brooking, Di Canio), the way he
finished with a beautiful 'dink' over the goalkeeper when
through one-on-one was a sign of his confidence and quality.
Look, I know one swallow doesn't make a summer, one step
doesn't make a Travolta, one goal doesn't make a Lineker,
but it WAS a great start.Chris Sutton, an old friend of mine,
missed two absolute pearlers in his
debut for Chelsea, against Sunderland. They won 4-0 but he never
recovered from that. He has since proven himself an outstanding
performer in the Champions league at Celtic but the suspicion and
doubts caused by those misses meant he was labelled a flop at
Chelsea from the start and couldn't change that opinion,
however hard he tried.
It proves that your game is about finishing, it's important how you start. And Harewood has made a start that shows he can finish. He can also run the right channel and, with a lack of width at the club, that gives the manager options. David Connolly also has the intelligence to play deeper or wide, as well as scoring goals and with Jermain Defoe, Brian Deane and Neil Mellor also at the club, it is clear where Pardew believes this division will be won and lost. By scoring goals.
Another 15 goals this season from Harewood, could be all it
takes to replace Wigan at home with Chelsea on the fixture list
next season. And then Adrian Mutu, Hernan Crepso, Jimmy Floyd
Hasselbaink and the
rest, beware. Okay, getting carried away now. But it's amazing
how uplifting a home debut like that and a 4-0 win can be,
especially when you've been starved of a decent result for
weeks. Bring on West Brom!
------
Not sure if I am allowed to speculate in this column but Alan
Pardew has admitted he was at West Brom v Manchester United in the
Carling Cup on Wednesday. So I am not giving away any secrets
there. Kieron Richardson, who once played for West Ham as a kid
before he was lured away from the East End to Old Trafford, is to
be made available on loan. West Ham have only one winger at
the club (left winger Matthew
Etherington). I won't speculate, but you do the maths.