Forum | General Discussion

Although pre-season games don't always give a true picture of how a team will be prepared to start the new season, one glaringly obvious fact has emerged, namely Hammers are woefully short of defensive midfielder, a situation made more pronounced by the imminent departure of Pedro Obiang from the London Stadium. Declan Rice is the number one choice, but with Obiang gone the only recognised first team player is Carlos Sanchez who's woeful performances have been truly lamentable.

If Sanchez is Declan's only back up the club is in serious trouble, however the club have a young, fit, ready made replacement in the form of Reece Oxford. Irrespective of what has gone on in the past regarding attitude, surely Oxford is a better proposition than Sanchez, just examine the facts. If only Oxford were able to lose his 'Ravel Morrison' billy big bollocks affliction he could be a wonderful back up to Rice but also fill in as a centre back because there must be serious doubts as to whether Winston Reid will ever be able to play more than a 'bit part' in the squad.

Football is littered with examples of players being thrust in to a team because of injuries or in West Ham United's case when the club have run out of money, recent talk of Oxford leaving has quietened down and he is playing with the Under 23's, so who knows? Perhaps Pelle is willing to give Oxford another shot and perhaps Oxford might just be starting to grow up. - Ed

Reports emanating from across the pond are suggesting New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long has been offered to West Ham this summer, with the 26-year-old available for a bargain £4 Million. Long has been in fine form for the Red Bulls, making 83 league appearances across three campaigns with the Major League Soccer side. He also won the 2018 MLS Defender of the Year award.

Long is attracting plenty of attention with both Fiorentina and Lyon also interested in bringing him to Europe before the window closes, however the player would prefer testing himself in the Barclays Premier League. Long's release clause is extremely low by European standards but Hammers paid the same amount to trigger the release clause for Fabian Balbuena who turned out to be one of the bargains of the year not just for West Ham but for any club!

Balbuena went on to form a brilliant partnership alongside Issa Diop until it was interrupted by injury, Long arguably has the potential to be as shrewd a signing if the Irons do decide to meet his asking price. Manuel Pellegrini needs back up in central defence as Winston Reid cannot be relied upon to rekindle the form he had shown before a series of injuries that have kept him out of the side for nearly two seasons.

Either Angelo Ogbonna, Pedro Obiang or both are due to leave the club, so it is essential that another player is brought in, Pellegrini will not risk only having Reid as back up. Long fits the bill, he's relatively young and more importantly NOT injury prone, he would be a decent acquisition that won't break the bank. - Ed

Newcastle: Dubravka, Sterry, Schar, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie, Colback, Hayden, Shelvey, Muto, Sorensen. Subs: Darlow, Woodman, Manquillo, Fernández, Lazaar, Bailey, Watts, Ki, S. Longstaff, M. Longstaff, Murphy, Aarons, Allan.
West Ham:: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Cullen, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Anderson, Hernandez. Subs: Martin, Roberto, Fredericks, Johnson, Obiang, Sanchez, Wilshere, Snodgrass, Noble, Diangana, Antonio.

Manuel Pellegrini along with his Director of Football Mario Husillos have put their stamp on the way West Ham recruit players, and the Irons look to be moving in the right direction with some brilliant acquisitions, so why on Earth would they bring in Gary Medel as a Pedro Obiang replacement, as claimed could happen by ExWHUemployee on The West Ham Way podcast? Would it be another superb deal? We think not!

The news of Obiang’s potential departure will come as no shock as he has been hankering after a return to Spain. The Spanish-born midfielder has been used as a back up player by Pellegrini over the last 12 months, and if Jack Wilshere manages to stay relatively injury free this season, it would knock him further down the pecking order. Ex claims that 27 year old Obiang will be allowed to leave the club this summer, as Sassuolo are believed to have lodged a bid of around £10 Million for his services, but what will terrify Hammers fans is the news that Gary Medel, the former Cardiff City and Inter Milan midfielder, could replace him.

Medel is competent enough as a back up for West Ham’s midfield, but he is four years older than Obiang at 31 years of age, and his recent display against Argentina in Chile’s Copa America campaign surely proved that he is a loose cannon who would be a total liability in the new VAR era of the Barclays Premier League. It is true that statistics show Medel to be a better option, but there are lies and damn lies lurking around in stato sites.

Medel has played in the English top flight for one season with Cardiff, but the only quality we can possibly see that he has that Manuel Pellegrini could possibly want, is that he is Chilean! If Manuel is short of Chilean company, he can get in touch with the Chilean ambassador, who he has met on several occasions and ask to speak to the ambassador's son who just turns out to be a mad Hammers fan after going to the same academy as Leo Chambers, which coincidentally was also attended by Chelsea's Tammy Abrahams.

Gary Medel, thanks but no thanks! - Ed