Forum | General Discussion

See, and if possible try before you buy, are the back bone of David Moyes' acquisitions mantra, no longer is the club suffering from 'Hammers Hubris', as it has moved from an amateur dramatic approach to a sleek 'Hollywood' style of attainment.

Yesterday’s Czech Republic v Scotland game was a case in point, where 'supposed' target, Spartak Moscow’s Alex Kral, had a poor game which saw him subbed well before the conclusion of the match. Another 'supposed' Hammers target Adam Hlozek came on but was barely involved.

Bayer Leverkusen star Patrik Schick did perform brilliantly, but is way out of West Ham's transfer budget restrictions, as he only signed for Leverkusen last September for nearly £25 Million on a five-year deal. Bearing in mind Hammers recent 'painful' striker from Germany experience, it is unlikely that the club would move for another forward plying their trade in the Bundesliga, because with a few exceptions they don't tend to do well in the hustle and bustle of the Barclays Premier League.

Rather amusingly, David Sullivan's 'pet' website C&H, reported that David Sullivan and David Moyes were in attendance together watching the Czechs v Scots game at WEMBLEY! Now that is pretty special isn't it? It's not just a typo error though, it is what occurs when you seek information that is tainted before it is even released.

Whether Sullivan was in Scotland or not is rather irrelevant, because it appears that David Moyes really IS in control of transfers, and long may it last! - Ed

Jesse Lingard turned up at a pub to watch the England v Crotia match in good spirits, despite having missed the cut for the final England squad. His choice of clothing was 'interesting', he chose to wear an England shirt with Rice and the number 4 on the back, Oh and a PARROT on his shoulder!

Perhaps the Parrot was some kind of subliminal message, because those bastions of thorough reporting, the Sun, have concluded that Jesse Lingard wants to STAY at Manchester United, rather than join West Ham permanently following his incredibly successful loan spell at The London Stadium.

It should be noted that the 'comments' Lingard supposedly made to 'Cafe Ole', were attributed to a conversation that Jesse had with the Manchester United manager BEFORE he went out on loan, and as such have absolutely NO substance. We have had to resort to the use of capital letters in order to highlight what a bunch of unvalidated crap the Sun spews out on a regular basis.

The other red tops aren't that much better, but it is the Sun that takes the mantle as the worst of the worst when it comes to rumour and speculation, their 'scoop' is about as up to date as a Netscape browser, and their attention to detail as accurate as Dominic Cumming's memory!

Rather than believe the Sun's message to their puppet masters, fans are more likely to seek the truth elsewhere, in fact virtually anywhere except for the Murdoch Mammaries Media platform. Lazy journalism is one thing, but complete farce is another, ask any Liverpool fan what they think of the Sun, and what they would use the paper for? Perhaps it was the Parrot that had been talking with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that the Sun was reporting about- Ed

England expects is the sort of burden players have suffered from in the past when it comes to playing the actual tournaments rather than the qualifying, but this England team is exactly that, a team. Instead of a disparate set of players in cliques from their clubs, there is a genuine feeling of team spirit, and at the centre, literally, was Declan Rice.

Rice put in a superb performance, no thrills, just the 'ugly' stuff that doesn't really get noticed, but Declan's contribution drew a special mention and high praise from ex-Hammer Rio Ferdinand, and he knows a thing or two about defending. "‘I was very impressed with the patience of this team from back to front. I thought Declan Rice in front of the back four was superb in his positions, cutting out crosses, getting in great positions to cut the lines into the strikers." Rio told BBC viewers as he summed up the match.

What was really encouraging from the Hammers captain was how calm and cool he looked, even in the 'furnace' that was Wembley this afternoon. He went about his role efficiently and with no dramas or mistakes, the only criticism that could be made was that he didn't move forward more, but the security he provided for the other players enabled them to push forward, safe in the knowledge that he would be there to pick up the pieces if necessary.

The fact that fellow 'elite' professionals, and the International team's manager Gareth Southgate, have so much faith in Declan Rice goes to show how highly regarded he is at such a young age. Bobby Moore he isn't, but he holds his head high and never seems flustered just like the great man.

The timing of David Moyes signing his new contract, just before the start of the Euro's, couldn't have come at a better time, and may have taken on even more significance due to his close relationship with Rice. Having Moyes firmly in place will help fend off the top teams who will inevitably be wanting to tempt Hammers resolve for keeping their prized asset with large offers.

Retaining Moyes and Declan Rice are two of the key elements of what could be an exciting era at the London Stadium, one thing for sure is that if Dec keeps performing at the same level throughout the tournament, his value will sky rocket from the high, to the stratospheric! - Ed