Will Mido Be More Zlatan Ibrahimovich Or Tomas Brolin For West Ham?

Continuing with the third and final segment of my look at the three sensational West Ham signings from the January 2010 transfer window....Mido. This loan signing is probably the hardest for fans like myself to build an opinion on.

On his day, Hammer fans can be treated to some sublime skills, but also, as is evident in the 10 clubs that he has been at, Mido can be frustratingly lazy and disinterested on the pitch. I hope that his motivation to get a  Premier League club next year, the big, burly Egyptian forward will knuckle down and produce the magical skills that he is capable of.

After looking at numerous videos of Mido highlights, I found his playing style very similar to another ex-Ajax man, Zlatan Ibrahimovich. Then 19 years old, the Egyptian was considered an even bigger talent than the Swedish marksman. Since then, their paths have taken very contrasting  fortunes. While Ibra-cadabra's career has soared since his playing days in Ajax, Mido's playing career have been plagued by never-ending controversies and attitude issues.

Every time Mido moves to a new club, sports observers see glimpses of change in the Egyptian approach to the game. You can read them here and here and here. To be fair, he starts well at the clubs he has been in but fade eventually. The challenge for Zola will be to keep Mido sufficiently motivated.

He has played with some of the best strikers in the world, namely Ibrahimovich and Drogba. When he was 21 years old, he was regarded as one of the best young players in the world. Surely with the hardened experience of a journeyman, he has gained maturity and desire to supply the goals to propel West Ham to safety.

Question is, will he be more like Ibrahimovich for West Ham? or will he be a flop like Tomas Brolin? Is Mido seeking this chance to avenge United's fans "he's a shoe bomber" taunts?

At first glance, West Ham may look to have adopted a scattergun approach in their pursuit to boost their striking options. However, the three signings of McCarthy, Ilan and Mido reveal the genius in Zola. McCarthy and Mido had forged a lethal partnership at Celta Vigo. Ilan has played with Herita Ilunga while the Congolese played in Saint Etienne. The signings, hence are methodical. We should trust that Zola and Clarke can lead West Ham out of trouble with the added depth in attacking options.

Putting things into perspective, a great performance from Mido this weekend against Burnley will surely help chip away my reservations about this bit of business. His footballing skills are unquestioned, but will his commitment and bottle be as unrivalled? This is your chance to remind Ibrahimovich of your brilliance, Mido!

Come On You Irons!