Once Bitten 1000 Times Shy?

West Ham United majority share holder David Sullivan has regularly vented his spleen in public about the 'outrage' that is currently in place whereby other clubs can sneak in and 'steal' academy players that the club have spent huge amounts of time and resources training up for the possibiity of the youngster representing the first team, only for Spuds or Leeds or particularly Watford to offer 'excessive' wages to the boys parents or greedy agents.

Conor Connors and Harrison Ashby are the latest in a string of 'starlets' that the club are in danger of losing as their contracts run down, so why are the club letting what is obviously a dreadful situation occur? Eyebrows were more than raised when the club sold Grady Diangana to West Brom, with many believing the club had sold themselves short, well Grady has hardly been pulling tress up with the Baggies has he?

Most top flight clubs will have a chequered transfer history, usually influenced by an appalling bit of business which leads to a knee jerk reaction that can have far reaching consequences. Hammers knee jerk reaction which has now become more of a constant dead leg to continue within the fitness vernacular, was the case of Reece Oxford. Once lauded as a new Rio Ferdinand, Hammers panicked into offering the just turned 17 year old a £25,000 per week excluding image rights and bonuses to fend off the very real attentions of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottingham and the Manc clubs.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing particularly in football, unfortunately the money went to the kid's head and he became very unpopular within the squad do to his propensity for hanging out with his 'homies' and doing his best to impersonate that other lost cause Ravel Morrison! What should have been a piece of clever 'nuturing' business instead turned out to be a manager sacking influencer as young Reece began to believe his own and that of his agent's myth.

The club eventually 'bounced' him out at a fraction of his real value to the Bundesliga where he was 'found out' and had to drop down a league before finally returning to the top flight, a definite case of what might of been....football is full of them!

Surely though enough water has flowed under the bridge for the club to alter it's stance on the promising new crop of youngsters emerging from what was once the most famous academy in World Football. Surely it is time to put up or shut up when it comes to the youth players, how many more have to slip through the club's fingers before a line in the sand between the past and the now can be drawn?

After all, there used to be an entire hour of state paid for TV 'glorifying' the Lottery every Saturday Night...unthinkable now. Just as it is unthinkable in modern day football to turn a club's back on what is going on now just because of something that happened in the past! Get over it Three D's. - LN

Comments

Just another sorry story

In the tenure of the dildos & lady bonus,they continue to rip the soul out of our club for a few Bob but lose millions on the flip side!

Bang on 65 .

Astonishing really, they're

Astonishing really, they're happy to pay millions for players and thousands in salaries for the overseas stars who turn out to be utter shit, but won't spend a 'bit' to see whether the kids we have are gonna turn into gold. Seems that unless a kid hit the ground running at 16/17 yrs old they're looked down upon somewhat.
Clueless owners

Wonder which 5 minute wonder

Wonder which 5 minute wonder we will buy for 30 million after the world cup??

Noble

The interview of Mark on TalkSHITE summed the situation up. He talks about home grown kids playing for the team they support as a small percentage of a very small percentage. Just making the grade today is incredibly difficult mainly due to the very high standard and demands of the Premiership.

We have and will have a number of "good" potentials but... breaking into the prem with its high demands to hit the tarmac running in the majority of cases its just too big an ask.

Decan is the exception. Hard work, gritted determination, focus and consistent improvement. Moyes said in his return **** me you've improved! It looks like poor value buying players in for millions with high wages but is a lower risk than blooding a kid that could freeze on the day and cost 3 important vital points to stay in the rishest league in the world. Much better to either take a reject from Chavski or City with a point to prove or shop in the Championship and find gold like Bowen. However... no one should be at all surprised when such folk have ZERO loyalty to the club. As I have always said "you want loyalty get a dog"

I suspect I will never see a Noble equivalent ever again. A local East London (or Essex) boy that will play say over 300 games for West Ham. Most local starlets go to the Arse academy but most talent now comes from south of the Thames... unheard of when I was kid! Hurst, Moore & Peters... Never will we see the like again.

Lots of love and notes from a Big Island... Come on you Socceroos!!!!!

Noble

We have and will have a number of "good" potentials but... breaking into the prem with its high demands to hit the tarmac running in the majority of cases its just too big an ask.

Decan is the exception. Hard work, gritted determination, focus and consistent improvement. Moyes said in his return **** me you've improved! It looks like poor value buying players in for millions with high wages but is a lower risk than blooding a kid that could freeze on the day and cost 3 important vital points to stay in the richest league in the world. Much better to either take a reject from Chavski or City with a point to prove or shop in the Championship and find gold like Bowen. However... no one should be at all surprised when such folk have ZERO loyalty to the club. As I have always said "you want loyalty get a dog"

Lots of love and notes from a Big Island... Come on you Socceroos!!!!!

Well said Dartford,you have

Well said Dartford,you have summed it all up there,and you have opened up what the premier league is,i have more respect for the lower leagues.As you all know,i have had a season for as long as i can remember,but on many occasions now half way through a game,and watching such dross,im asking myself what the fuck,my principals are all too ready to surface,its a real shame....65 he knows these feelings,its awful.

Loyal Season ticket holder Essex

I totally respect you & the thousands of other loyal hammers.ill always be westham its in my blood,but my connection with the club went with the rubble of UP unfortunately

Spot on Essex!

Been there and got that tee shirt when its all going pear shaped at the BoM I ask the same question.. what an I doing here! I still have my ticket and it gets handed around the family. I will probably renew just in case one day Essex we will shine in the sun...Ever the optimist!

Spot on Essex!

Brilliant post Dartford

You are absolutely spot on mate,have fun down under!!

Cheers 65

been here a week and loving it! 26 degrees today and a red letter day at that... I bought my first car outside of UK!

Nice 1 mate!

26 degrees! Lovely,think of us freezing our nuts off in blighty!!;) Essex up on a roof & me working on a house with no heating on!!

Essex /65

Thinking of you both! Hottest day today... 30 degrees! Not long back from a swim in the bay, water temp is 20 degrees! Found out that we have a Hammer is the apartment block next door, family originally from Luton but still Hammers!!

Lovely Dartford,you have

Lovely Dartford,you have cheered me up no end lol,enjoy it mate.

Spot

on mate have fun

All the best Dartford,respect

All the best Dartford,respect to you mate,and always 65.

good post dartford

agree with it just seems I've been lucky to have supported west ham with loyal players like brooking and noble and have to say thanks to Declan for being straight with us about his future with west ham saying he wants to play in the champion league which is understandable and lets be honest we all know that's not going to happen with us this season or next we will get a good deal for him and maybe buy a good striker .all the best dartford down under and a merry Christmas and happy new year in Australia to you and yours

Cheers Eltham!

Merry Christmas to you and yours back home my friend.

Agree about Declan, I dont blame the lad, he is having a good WC and I hope it gets even better for him! Hes playing the holding defensive role really well. I get the point about Champions League, just hope its not with a London club, my wish would be Bayern Munich, he would certainly add a lot to them but maybe the money wanted by the unholy trinity would be a bit rich even for them!

Agree Elt

I don't think we can knock Rice when he goes,he's been upfront that he wants to win trophies & has given his all,so good luck to him I say

I agree mate,bloody shame

I agree mate,bloody shame though,we will never see the likes of him again to put a West Ham shirt on,he was a Chelsea fan as a boy but he has given his all as a Hammer,English aswell,must hope we get a youngster like Nobes to come through the ranks,or it will be just foreigners....The West Ham Way hey,where did that go.

It went down Green st with

It went down Green st with uppers mate .

The West Ham way...

.. Its embarrassing now buddy. We are a foreign legion but that said... arnt they all? The top 6 have a few home grown but the rest look VERY similar to us in terms of journeymen :o(

It’s a shame but it’s

It’s a shame but it’s impossible for any new blood to come through these days. Football has become instant. The moment a mistake is made it’s all over social media. Before the final whistle has blown there’s joke about it. There’s no patience anymore no one is allowed time to settle in. They have to hit the ground running or they’re a flop. Johnson is our current classic example. Unfortunately the modern fan has changed with expectations linked to owners and the media. Case in point Moyes last season hero this season zero, doesn’t matter how high you climb you’re just a few slips from the bottom. We’ve actually got a good crop of youngsters. But if he plays them in the FA cup say, then he’s not taking it seriously, if he plays them in the Prem then he’s desperate. The league cup well you know the rest. Terry Venables after Euro 96 wanted to go for an under 23s squad to win a World Cup 6 years down the line. The FA wanted him out. Germany did it 10 years later and had success. If managers could come out and say “listen give us 3 years we’ll blood these kids and get a youthful home grown side for the next 8 years” would you sign up for that? Or would you be baying for blood after 4 losses in row?

I agree Betty,thats why i

I agree Betty,thats why i have said in previous posts,that Moyes should stay a while longer.

Yea it’s a shame mate. Italy

Yea it’s a shame mate. Italy rugby made a decision a few years back to only play u23s watch them in the next World Cup or the following one get to a semi final and push out one of the so called top 5/6

Excellent post SB

I with you all the way and also hence my reluctance to show Moyes the door. The crop of youngsters are good, I think its the 18's that are sitting top of their table?

The point you make about Johnson is spot on. Im not sure he's good enough for the prem but each opportunity he gets he improves IMO.

Correct about long term planning with Italy at Rugby... watch that space!

Cheers DB hope Oz is treating

Cheers DB hope Oz is treating you well?

Its great BS

off for a swim in the bay in a min... appy daz!

Its great BS

off for a swim in the bay in a min... appy daz!

Good lad get some sun in

Good lad get some sun in those bones. Pleased for you mate

Cheers BS

Looks like another lovely day in paradise!
Only issue with another summer.... Hay fever!

Rice is yet to score in the

Rice is yet to score in the World Cup. But Paqueta scored a great composed goal for Brazil and was also responsible for an assist in Richarlison's cracker of a goal. Hopefully Paqueta and Scammaca along with Bowen and Antonio will start to form a more concise partnership. Wonder whether Moyes was watching both Rice and Paqueta's real quality performances and will try to switch his team around to embrace these skills. Definitely a lone striker up front does not check those boxes!!

Again die times things take

Again these things take time. Even in this World Cup teams are getting used to each other. This “hit the ground running” thing must’ve killed loads of careers over the years. We might have had a Messi on our hands but it’s impossible to give him time

Pacman!

His performance,was it because he was playing with better players & within a better system? He's undoubtedly a talent but has yet to perform at Westham so far,Scam is being stifled as well,is that down to Moyes? I still believe that Moyes will be gone in January & I believe poch would come (now is the time before hes snapped up)& get the best out these players