Trevor Sinclair questions David Moyes’ decision to sign Jesse Lingard from Manchester United amid striker struggles

Trevor Sinclair has questioned the logic behind Jesse Lingard’s move to West Ham from Manchester United.

The England international moved to the London Stadium in the January transfer window after a tough two-and-half-year spell at Old Trafford.

Lingard was electric in the run-up to the World Cup in Russia in 2018, starring for the Red Devils before featuring heavily for Gareth Southgate’s young Three Lions side.

However, injuries and inconsistency have resulted in the 28-year-old losing his place under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and former boss Moyes has sought to revive his career.

Although Lingard’s impact was instant with two goals against Aston Villa on his debut, Sinclair questioned why the Scot decided to bring him to the Hammers with their depleted forward line potentially hampering their good start to the season.

Defeat to United in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday night exposed the lack of options at Moyes’ disposal, with an injury to Michail Antonio forcing Andriy Yarmolenko into an uncomfortable striking role and 18-year-old Mipo Odubeko substituted after coming off the bench.

Sinclair believes the lack of a genuine senior striker could have been avoided in the January transfer window and questioned why a midfielder was signed instead.

He told Jim White on talkSPORT: “You’ve made your bed, for me, and I go back to the striking options. As we already know, there is history in this.

“Michail Antonio; he struggles to play every game, especially with the fixture pile-up we have got now and he wasn’t able to make the squad for the night.

“When he isn’t playing, then who plays? It’s one of the most difficult positions to learn and master on the pitch.

“It’s alright saying I am a forward, but actually playing that No.9 role when you have to hold the ball up, bring other players into play, you’ve got to know when to stretch the opposition at times to give yourself a chance to get out.

“If the ball is bouncing off you and you are giving possession away, you just don’t have a foothold in the game.”

Lingard was ineligible for the game at Old Trafford in the midweek, but has never played as a centre-forward in his career.

Although Moyes insists his new signing can play as a false nine, Sinclair feels as though Lingard was not a ‘nceessary’ signing.

“Talking about Jesse Lingard, I’m not so sure,” he added. “I know David Moyes has worked with him before.

“He is a good player, or he has been in the past. But you look at his record; 2017/18 – 33 games and eight goals in the Premier League.

“In 18/19 he had 27 and four, then you go to 19/20 and he only played 22 games and scored one goal.

“So, for me, I don’t think he is necessary.”