It's been a while since we've had a proper quality striker at Hull and I think that is what makes Óscar Estupiñán so exciting. Twelve goals already this season sees him responsible for over third of his teams total goals and at the forefront of the race for this years Championship golden boot.
It's no surprise that because of his exploits this season, the Colombian talisman is now linked with a January transfer to a whole host of premiership clubs. Premier League strugglers, Everton, Southampton and Nottingham Forest have all shown interested in the one time international; a testament to the quality of the Summer transfer strategy for a free transfer to be linked with moves to the top division a mere six months after joining.
Oscar Estupinan making his national team debut for Colombia against Saudi Arabia in a friendly last June (NTV Spor)
For the record, I don't think Oscar has any appetite to leave Hull, even for a spell in the promise land of premiership football. The Colombian looks as if he has managed to settle in nicely to life in East Yorkshire and has cemented himself as the leading attacking option for side with big ambitions and an ever improving record.
Furthering my scepticism of a potential transfer is the lowly prices being touted by the usual mix of twitter speculators and local journalists, suggesting that a figure of around £3 million would be enough to draw Oscar away from Humberside. Perhaps if this figure was quadrupled, there'd be reason for concern; but as it stands I feel that our star player is going nowhere fast.
Notwithstanding the occasional brilliance of Frazer Campbell's second spell with the Tigers or the cult like figure that was Tom Eaves, It has been quite some time since a true number nine has set East Yorkshire alight. This makes Estupiñán's arrival and success feel all the more important to a Hull side that has lacked a truly great striker over the last few seasons.
Oscar Estupinan had a strong start to his Hull career, scoring 7 goals in his first 6 games (Twitter - Hull City)
In recent memory, Hull's wingers have hoarded the attacking plaudits, with the Tiger's top scorers across the last six seasons all coming from the wide areas of the pitch. Whilst the brilliance of Jarrod Bowen and Keane Lewis-Potter are not to be overlooked, there is something special about having a striker that you can rely on to score week in week out, a true focal point of an attack.
For those wondering, the last Hull City striker to clinch the top scorer award was Abel Hernandez back in the 2015/16 promotion campaign. The Uruguayan's twenty goal display that year saw vital strikes in 1-0 wins over Fulham and Nottingham Forest earn the Tigers a place in the playoffs and ultimately, a ticket to the Premier League.
Whilst Hernandez offered blistering pace and the ability to get dribble around defenders, Oscar does not. The Colombian provides height and power and scores most of his goals from within the opponents six yard box, a far cry from the style and finesse of his predecessor. Regardless, the influence that both of these players had on their respective sides are near identical.
After a slow start in his first two league appearances, Oscar finally found his stride in the remarkable 2-1 win against promotion favourites Norwich. Estupiñán scored both goals for the home side that day and while neither were glamorous, the three points is all the same regardless of how the ball goes in the net. Somehow managing to one up this performance was the Colombian's contributions in the subsequent tie against Coventry. Once again poaching all his goals from within a few yards of the goal line, Oscar notched up his first Hull hat trick having played just six games, an undeniably brilliant performance.
Oscar Estupinan finding the net during Hull's 3-2 win over Coventry (Hull Live)
A goalscoring dry spell and a three match suspension saw some condemning Oscar's early season form as purely a purple patch. With the 26 year old yet to make an impact under new boss, Liam Rosenior, a missed penalty on his return against Sunderland would've surely seen some members of the Hull faithful start to turn their back on their top scorer. Thankfully, a resurgence over the Christmas period has seen him back at the forefront of the Tiger's surge up the table and made him a target for sides in English football's top division.
Four goals in four games has seen Estupiñán take up the mantel as the man leading Hull's charge well beyond the Championship drop zone. These goals haven't been any consolations either; Finding the back of the net late into ties against Blackpool and Huddersfield to snatch crucial 1-1 draws for the Tigers. On top of this, Oscar's strike in the 1-0 away win at Birmingham means that five of Hull's eight post-Christmas points can be directly attributed to the Colombian. Take these points away, and Hull find themselves in 21st place, just one above the relegation places.
Just incase Oscar's importance hadn't yet been justified, if you minus Estupiñán's goals from across the entire season, Hull would be without 13 points, leaving them firmly rock bottom of the Championship. Obviously the argument is that without Oscar, another striker may have scored these goals and the points would be the same but irrespective of this, you cannot say he is not a vital part of Rosenior's attacking arsenal.
One of Oscar's greatest assets is his effectiveness in front of goal. Estupiñán is the kind of player who can be relatively quiet, having very little impact but then always deliver when he has the opportunity. He's not the striker who takes pot shots from the edge of the box or snatches at an opportunity when a pass is the better option, he's an out and out poacher and doesn't try to be anything else.
This is best shown when Oscar is compared to the other names at the top of the Championship scoring charts. On average, Estupiñán scores with a quarter of his shots, essentially meaning that for every four shots he takes, one will be a goal. This figure is the third highest in the entire league and the highest amongst players with more than ten goals. Coventry's Viktor Gyökeres (who is currently level on goals with Estupiñán) takes seven shots for each goal he scores, showing just how clinical the Hull talisman is. Just as an added bonus, the only Premier League striker more clinical than Oscar is arguably the in the world at the moment, Erling Haaland. The Norwegian takes 3.6 shots for each goal he scores, not bad company for a man who didn't cost a penny.
Erling Haaland has scored 21 Premier League goals this season, 6 more than anyone else (Sky Sports)
Friday's game against Championship high flyers, Sheffield United presents both Estupiñán and Hull with a chance to prove themselves against a side near destined for promotion this campaign. The team that have conceded the least goals this season find themselves against one the leagues most prolific strikers, in a Yorkshire derby certain to entertain. The fixture sees Oscar up against Iliman Ndiaye, the leagues fifth top scorer but the clear leader when both goals and assists are considered. The Senegalese international, proves a formidable opponent for Hull and Oscar will surely be looking to get the better of his South Yorkshire counterpart. A sold out away section and unbeaten away from home since October, the game is the perfect opportunity for Rosenior's Tigers to cut their teeth against a strong side and prove that their recent success is no fluke.
As for Oscar, I highly doubt he is going anywhere. Rosenior has used multiple press conferences to shut down these rumours and confine such news to the realms of twitter speculation. The 26 year old is clearly apart of Acun Ilıcalı's lofty ambitions for Hull and I feel that barring an outlandish offer, the Colombian will be wearing black and amber for the foreseeable future.
Comments