West Ham: Mido's gesture shouldn't get lost in the crowd

West Ham's late moves in the transfer market did not include some badly needed defensive midfield cover or even a full-back (have the Hammers had a full-back since Dicks took up golf?) but they did get three cheap forwards. The three players came coated with distinctly different flavours of desperation.

Benni McCarthy is a good player who probably needs a change of scenery and with his experience and ability is no real gamble at about £3m. With regular games he could well bag 5 or 6 crucial goals in the run-in to keep West Ham in the division.

What the thinking behind the signing of Brazilian free-agent Ilan is I'm not sure; in all probability he is on a pay-as-you-play deal and so will cost very little when his three substitute appearances are costed at the end of the season.

Finally the nomadic Mido arrived on a reported £1000 per week - which is the kind of wages that top Blue Square Premier League can earn - but rarely four leagues higher. Mido is still only 26 but has had time to play in most of Europe's top leagues, Spain (Celta Vigo), Holland (Ajax), Italy (Roma), France (Marseille) and England (Tottenham, Middlesbrough, Wigan and now West Ham). That he hasn't stuck with any of these many teams explains why he has recently been playing in Cairo for El Zamalek - and also possibly why he is willing to play for little more than expenses (for a footballer that is).

After eight clubs in Europe this is probably Mido's last real chance in a top league. And one thing that is in West Ham's favour is that the standard Mido signing usually generates a few goals before his seemingly inevitable falling out with the coaching staff and subsequent demand to leave.

If Mido can chip in with three or four goals and give Carlton Cole a breather in the last 20 minutes of a few matches then moving for the Egyptian will not be considered a gamble.

One article that I read played a few liberties with positions and experience to suggest that West Ham now had 10 strikers - Mido, llan and McCarthy plus Carlton Cole, Allesandro Diamanti, Frank Nouble, Guillermo Franco, Savio Nsereko, Zavon Hines and Freddie Sears. But once you strip out the kids and the injuries and accept that the Hammers may need the odd wide player it looks like a new forward line of McCarthy and Cole will be formed and Mido could well be the first reserve - probably as an impact sub when Cole tires.

If you add up the forwards it might look as though Mido won't get a game, but the man is clearly hungry (you only have to look at the pictures) and also probably knows that this may well be his last chance. I wouldn't back against him bagging three or four goals - especially given his prodigious heading ability and helping West Ham steer clear of trouble on the way.

Some cynics would then suggest that he would subsequently sign a contract, punch a ball-boy, fall-out with the manager and retire before Christmas - but I won't.

*Have West Ham signed the right players and will they score the goals that will get the Hammers safe? Let us know!