Mexico international Javier Hernandez finds himself operating in the wrong era, says former West Ham striker Dean Ashton, with it no real surprise to have seen the Hammers move him on over the summer.
After two seasons at the London Stadium, the 31-year-old was offloaded to Sevilla during the last transfer window.
He did score 17 goals in 63 appearances for West Ham, but often struggled to nail down a regular starting berth.
The same was true during a previous spell in England at Manchester United, when a reputation as something of a super-sub was established.
Hernandez did prove himself as a prolific presence in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, but Ashton feels he is the wrong kind of frontman for modern managers.
He told Goal: “For him, the era he’s playing in hasn’t helped him.
“Nowadays, managers like to play a lone striker and that doesn’t suit him at all.
“I think he would have thrived 15-20 years ago when two strikers played – a big one and a little one – and fed off someone and been ideal.
“But now, players like him seem to struggle because the manager wants a lone striker that can do everything, can hold the ball up but also score goals.”
GettyHaving moved on from Hernandez, West Ham hope they have found their leading man in Sebastien Haller.
They have invested a club-record £45 million ($58m) in the 25-year-old Frenchman and seen him register four goals in 10 largely positive performances.
“He has shown so many good signs of the quality player that he is,” Ashton, who spent three years with the Hammers before being forced to hang up his boots, said.
“When the ball comes into him, his hold-up play is very good.
“He’s got himself a couple of goals. We’re just still waiting to see that glimpse of absolute quality in terms of his finishing. He hasn’t scored a goal yet when I’ve gone ‘wow’. That’s the mark of a top striker.
“Plenty to improve, but a really good signing to start with and someone who can lead the line as a physical presence.”
Dean Ashton was a pundit on EFL on Quest live from The Hawthorns on Saturday, the home of West Brom. Watch all the highlights every Saturday at 9pm. Also available via desktop and app on QuestOD.