For a short while it looked like things were on the up for West Ham.

They had arrested a slump of five games without a win as they earned back-to-back victories over Sunderland and Crystal Palace and escaped to relegation.

Key players like Aaron Cresswell and Andre Ayew were returning from injury and it looked as though the Hammers were preparing to rise up the table and go some way to replicating last year’s incredible seventh-placed finish.

Unfortunately last week saw a flat performance at Goodison Park as Everton ran out 2-0 winners, leaving Slaven Bilic’s side in 17th, just one spot above the relegation zone.

It wasn’t like the calamitous performances Hammers fans here in the Transfer Tavern have had to suffer through in September, but there was still a definite lack of cutting edge in their play that needs to be sorted out fast.

Here are  TWO German players our landlord here in the Transfer Tavern thinks that Bilic should look to sign in January…

FLORIAN NIEDERLECHNER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubWHkP1qpVM

A fact that has been evident for weeks now is that Simone Zaza is not the right man for the Hammers front line, and it was no more obvious than on Sunday.

Even the most optimistic of Hammers fans can no longer defend a man whose touch seems to let him down before he even finds his way into the box.

Florian Niederlechner is currently enjoying a great season on loan at Freiburg having scored eight goals in 14 games.

He is strong enough to hold up the play but also a willing runner and should be on the Hammers shopping list before he returns to Mainz.

DOMINIQUE HEINTZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtj7LGqZF9g

FC Koln are currently enjoying an astonishingly good season.

They are above the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Leverkusen and Wolfsburg in fourth place.

It is in no short part down to a solid defence that has only conceded six goals in nine league games.

Central to that is Dominique Heintz who has proven to be a cool head despite only being 23-years-old.

With Winston Reid one of the men caught napping on Sunday, it could well pay dividends to have a reliable man like Heintz slotting in to the Hammers defence to improve concentration.