Forum | General Discussion

To describe Felipe Anderson's loan spell at Porto as a disaster is an understatement, the once flamboyant Brazilian looked a shadow of his former self while in Portugal and returned to West Ham a 'chastened' player. The player has expressed a desire to return to his former club Lazio, the club sold Anderson to the Irons for £36 Million excluding add ons, they are now looking to re-sign him for just 15% of that fee, thus making a profit of around £30 Million.

Most Hammers fans want David Moyes to give Anderson one last chance to rekindle his once superb skills, they argue that it is better to keep a player who, on a good day, can unlock other team's defences with the drop of a shoulder and a quick shimmy. It is thought that Hammers baulked at Lazio's low ball offer, and would rather keep him until his contract expires rather than handing him back to Lazio on a plate for virtually next to nothing compared with his original purchase price.

Anderson is on £85,000 per week, NOT the £105,000 per week that has been regularly misreported by the tabloids, as such it isn't a massive hit to keep him, and if he can impress Moyes with hard work and application he may well find himself back in contention.

Possibly to further that cause, Anderson 'opened his heart out' to the top football site in Brazil www.meutimao.com where he said, roughly translated, "During my time with Porto I saw my West Ham team mates on the TV, playing with energy and passion, I said to myself if only I can get another opportunity I will copy their example and run until I drop, I just didn't realise that if ALL of a team shows total commitment, the total always far outweighs the sum!"

Fine words, but can he walk the walk instead of just talking the talk? Letting him go back to Lazio would seem the last resort, because somewhere in there is a really talented footballer who has lost his way, and if anyone can help him rediscover his form it is David Moyes, assisted by his superb support team.

Give 'short shorts' a chance Moysie, you never know, he might just surprise you, after all, Anderson would have to be totally stupid to not recognise he is in the last chance saloon! - Ed

The 'Declan Rice scenario' has taken on new impetus, courtesy of an article in the Telegraph which has been amplified and regurgitated by the general media, but also backed up by the usually reliable Ex WHU employee. To those not in the know, the situation is quite simple and is a classic example of both time moving and the recalcitrancy of a once bitten twice shy board of directors.

When another youngster, Reece Oxford, was catapulted at a young age in to the spotlight, virtually every top club began to hover, consequently Oxford was awarded a pay deal that was way in excess of the norm, actually it was SIX times higher than the normal wages awarded to a youth player breaking into the first team.

Unfortunately, as has been well documented, the money and potential fame went to the lad's head, and he lost his direction, a similar thing happened to Ravel Morrison, and look where they ended up! So, mindful of past experiences, and but still having a dinosaur mindset, the hierarchy at West Ham decided that they wouldn't go through the same situation again when it came to Declan Rice's future.

Now there are those that will argue that the board's stance was understandable, in some ways it was, but Declan is a completely different kettle of fish, both in personality, but more so in his maturity and raw talent. Dec's was being paid £3,000 per match to play IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE! That 'pittance', in football terms, was increased to a 'reasonable' amount with the promise of constant reviews which was fine at the time.

However, Declan Rice's progress had been dramatic, his profile has gone from being a West Ham kid to becoming a potentially global star in a matter of a couple of seasons, the 'new' deal that he signed now seems 'paltry' especially compared to other squad members like Andriy Yarmolenko who receives TWICE Rice's wages.

It doesn't matter about the past, Yarmolenko and players like him are the past, Declan Rice and other youngsters are the future. Technically there should be no need to panic, as Declan's contract has another three years to run with an additional year's option, but the big clubs are circling like vultures and Hammers attempts at fending them off must be more focused to avoid a situation that shouldn't be allowed to develop.

The club has made two offers to Declan, both of which have been knocked back, it has been suggested that he seeks parity with the wages of the other big earners, and why not? Please don't mutter that old "should be more loyal" chestnut, the fact is that loyalty in football ceased to exist before most fans now were born.

As if to add a bit of additional jeopardy to what's been doing the rounds, we at the Org DO have a good Chelsea insider, who is as good as our original Doris the Tea Lady was before her retirement. The news emanating from the Bridge is NOT good, in fact it is dreadful. We have been reliably informed, that a Declan to Chelsea move has been authorised by none other than Roman Abramovich himself, furthermore that his club will pay whatever it takes to land the England International who began his career in West London.

We're hoping it's all drivel, but fear the worst for the first time, giving Dec a bumper new deal should be a matter of high priority and might just settle things, at least for a while. It might even be too late, but the clun must try it's hardest to hold on to it's major asset, an asset that wil only increase in value.

The Board's plan is to either stump up the cash, or bank the £100 Million or so they could receive from Abramovich, we have a feeling all will be revealed a lot sooner than later, and hope, rather forlornly, that they somehow do the right thing, which is to NOT take the filthy lucre! - Ed

West Ham United have been 'linked' with just about every striker that has a pulse during the club's 'eternal' search for striker NUMBER 50! Yes, 49, is the eye watering amount of strikers signed during the tenure of the current owners, a figure only matched by some of the eye watering payments they made to buy, what were, in most cases, 'duds'.

So striker number 50 needs to be a bit special, the problem is that there are too many buyers for, and not enough sellers of, decent strikers. Consequently clubs have to be 'creative' in their searches, sometimes thinking left field can pay off, more often than not it doesn't, so it is with some trepidation that fans will no doubt greet the news of an impending deal for a striker who is not 'main stream'.

Genk's Paul Onuachu stands a collosal 6'7" tall, he is 27 years old and has been prolific playing in Belgium, but therein could lie the issue, without wanting to disrespect Belgium football, their domestic leagues can hardly be described as being any where near the level of the Barclays Premier League.

Own Goal Nigeria claim that Hammers are in talks with the 27-year-old’s agent about potentially signing Onuachu, and there does indeed seem to be some 'legs' on this story, although it should also be noted that elsewhere there are claims that Onuachu's agent is in talks with Brighton as well.

Onuachu has just had a superb season, scoring 35 goals in 41 games (Transfermarkt), his career record of 124 goals in 263 games is pretty good as well, but the Elephant in the room is that those goals were scored in the Jupiler Pro League!

Tall strikers of 6'5" have often been criticised for standing 6'5" but jumping 5'6", however, standing at 6' 7" tall Paul Onuachu could not have that accusation made, he is the same height as 'TV' Star Peter crouch and is obviously an absolute beast in the air.

David Moyes loves to have a big number nine target man who can hold up the play, and the Nigerian ace certainly fits that bill, he is an out and out striker and NOT a converted wing player, above all the one quality he has, that Sebastien Haller didn't, is mobility.

OK you tube clips can be deceptive, but from what we have gleamed, he is like an Olympic sprinter compared with 'Le Sulk' Haller. Of course good strikers don't grow on trees, even in the Jupiler Pro League, so Hammers will have to dig deep, even for a comparative unknown. A figure of €25 Million is being mooted, which in this current economic climate seems a bit rich, but there will probably lots of takers if West Ham don't move first. - Ed