Forum | General Discussion

When Marko Arnautovic signed a contract extension in January which included a £20,000 per week pay rise, he said: "The fans gave me the power, they gave me the energy, that's why I have to be here and that's why I want to stay." Et tu Brute?

While the Sulk is now just about off for his Chinese take away, medical withstanding, Hammers are quickly moving to resolve the protracted will he or won't he Maxi Gomez transfer saga. Most observers assumed the delays, apart from Gomez's participation in the Copa America, were due to the financial arrangements between Celta Vigo, West Ham and the Uruguayan's other main suitor Valencia.

It is true that Celta Vigo had accepted terms with Valencia which involved THREE players moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal, it is rumoured that the three players were scheduled for their fitness tests, but the appointments were cancelled at the eleventh hour. The offer from West Ham is of course a straight cash offer, but to be paid over an as yet undetermined period of time, probably three years.

In reality Celta Vigo will not initially benefit that much by dealing with West Ham, unless they hold out for Gomez's full release clause which is £45 Million, they would even then only receive £15 Million up front, just a tad more than they were offered by Valencia. The three player as make weights were seen to be crucial in order for Valencia to get their man, however it now transpires that Gomez himself has chosen West Ham over Valencia for one simple reason, and it's not the money!

22 Year old Gomez had sought assurances that if he came to the London Stadium he would not be playing second fiddle to Marko Arnautovic and would be in the in the starting line up, well Arnie and Danny have inadvertently helped resolve that issue leaving the route clear for Gomez to arrive with the number one status he so desires. Manuel Pelegrini will indulge the youngster so long as he is finding the back of the net, and is probably looking forward to seeing his main striker smiling instead of grimacing all of the time.

Gomez is pricey, but like his future team mates, Fornals, Rice, Diop and Anderson, is young with a phenomenal sell on value that will only increase in time. The management will recognise that a back up striker will also be required, given the exits of Any Carroll and Lucas Perez, and the potential exit of Javier Hernandez. The strategy might seem a little risky, but the only way Hammers can break in to the top six is by taking risks, after all wasn't the reason for leaving the Boleyn given as being necessary in order to take the club to that higher level? - Ed

You would think having a brand new state of the art stadium, champion's league football and a much sought after manager would be good enough for Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy, however his 'need for speed' continues to encompass his large energy wastage on trying to 'muck' things up for 'rivals' West Ham United at every opportunity.

Levy's unhealthy dislike of West Ham would appear to have been caused by his inability to win the London Stadium tenancy rights in favour of West Ham, but the bad blood runs much deeper than that. Which comes as a bit of a surprise bearing in mind how much Tottenham have fleeced the Hammers over player transfers in the last fifteen years! The deals for Jermaine Defoe and Michael Carrick being particularly galling to every one of a claret and blue persuasion, so why has Levy still got his London neighbours in the cross hair?

Quite simply Mr Levy is what we used to call a 'spoiler' at school, not content to have the newest kit, he would be the type of kid who would grab his brand new football and go home if things weren't going his way in the local kick about. The root is probably due to the numerous occasions that West Ham have dealt a terminal blow to Tottenham's aspirations, whether it be the Premier League or European competition, the "it's happened again song" must ring in his ears like a severe attack of tinnitus!

The irony being, each time Levy gets involved in a bit of skull duggery, he generates the 'energy' for Hammers players to play out of their skins, the more he does, the better they play! Levy's supposed interest in Maxi Gomez is a classic case, Spurs will be 'interested' just enough to bump the price up, at which point they will look elsewhere, and anyone who thinks this article is wide of the mark should ask themselves 'why would Gomez want to come and play third fiddle behind Kane and Song?

Spurs might be interested in the Gomez deal, but only to put a spanner in the works! - Ed

The Maxi Gomez 'will he or won't he' transfer saga seems to have been going on for an age, because that is exactly the case. Long since coveted by Manuel Pellegrini, Gomez knows he is wanted in East London, however, understandably wants to get the best offer he can, namely representing a club that can promise Champions League football.

Of course Hammers interest is long standing, but it was Marko Arnautovic, probably more like his brother, who elevated the level of interest by handing in a transfer request during the January transfer window. That 'want away' was dealt with by an improved wages offer and the signing of a contract extension, for most players that would have been enough, but not Arnie, or Arnie's brother!

Just when the club were in advanced planning for the next season the Duo have been 'at it' again, fortunately this time they do not have the club over a barrel as they had been able to do previously, their combined efforts have only served to accelerate the big sulks exit.

The scenario for Pellegrini and his head of recruitment Mario Husillos to deal with is rather complex, with Andy Carroll thankfully off the pay roll, Robert Pirez 'bounced' and Chicharito destined for a move, Hammers will be woefully short up front with NO recognised out and out senior strikers on the books. Obviously the benefit for El Pel and the Huse is that they can start with a blank canvas, but who will be the ones to join up the dots?

While Gomez is still the top target, Hammers inability to offer European football for the coming season is the stumbling block and do the club really need another 'toxic' striker? With the answer being a resounding no surely West Ham United's other targets will represent better value, but more importantly both of the other strikers who have been lined up as alternatives actually may want to come to the club!

Neither Moussa Marega nor Soloman Rondon are as 'high end' signings as Maxi Gomez, but their desire to succeed in the 'best league in the world' is palpable whereas Gomez's doesn't seem to be the same, he would prefer to remain in Spain playing in the Champions League, probably for Valencia at the end of the day. Hammers could purchase Rondon and Marega combined for the money it would cost to bring in Gomez, especially if Celta Vigo manage to hold out for the player's £43 Million release clause.

Funding the wages for both players shouldn't be an issue, as Carroll and Arnautovic were on a combined total in excess of £200,000 per week, an additional £140,000 per week will also be available once Javier Hernandez has been sold, the sooner the better according to most fans.

West Ham fans have the prospect of watching a team of 'happy' players instead of the snarling variety they have grown used to in recent years, do the club really need toxic players? The answer is No, the future is bright, the future is 'happy'. - Ed

Snodgrass Redeemed
When he arrived from Hull City during the January transfer window of 2017, Robert Snodgrass had the unenviable task of trying to replace Dimitri Payet, something that was beyond his and virtually any other player's scope at the time, consequently 'Snoddy' suffered. Clearly overweight from living in hotels and short of a yard or two of pace, the Scotsman became a bit of a 'marmite' character and was sent out on loan the next season to Aston Villa.

Snodgrass was well liked at Aston Villa where he helped the Villains to the play off finals, only for them to be beaten by Fulham. There was much talk of Snoddy going back to Villa, but newly appointed Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini wanted to run his eye over the 31 year old, and he liked what he saw, he quickly made the winger focus on his fitness, which to be fair was necessary, once that was achieved Snoddgrass went on to play over 30 games for the Chilean.

There was some scepticism regarding whether Robert Snodgrass was mobile enough to be retained for the oncoming season, however what he lacks in pace and grace he makes up for with his steely determination, essentially he will run himself in to the ground for the team, a vital characteristic for at least one or two players which is a part of every successful team. Well the decision has been made. and Snoddy has been given a one year extension to his contract that will keep him at the London Stadium until 2022, really it's a bit of a 'no brainer', Snodgrass is on £50,000 per week which in the current climate is peanuts for what is a good player!

Snodgrass may lack the elegance of many 'foreign imports', but he does have a sweet left foot and an ability to get in the opposition's faces, a quality sadly lacking from certain players in the squad that was in place when the new manager took over, hopefully Manuel Pellegrini and Mario Husillos have clearly decided who's in and who's out, Snoddy deserves to be retained for those qualities already outlined.

Some fans will be disappointed with the level of the player being retained, but should ask themselves who? and how much would it cost to replace him? They might do better focusing on some of the other players still currently at the club! - Ed