Forum | General Discussion

Talk about kicking someone when they are down, Big Mikey Antonio has done himself absolutely no favours by his recent comments regarding fellow Hammers striker Gianluca Scamacca. Now it is incredibly easy to get quoted out of context, but English is Big Mick's primary language and he has been round the block long enough to know what is what!

Gianluca Scamacca arrived in a blaze of glory in the summer and it was obvious it upset Antonio as he could see his rein as 'top boy' coming to an end, having already 'seen off' Sebastien Haller (what a failure he has turned out to be, NOT!), Scamacca obviously needed sorting out didn't he?

Well actually the answer is a big fat NO, Mikey should have done the opposite and tried to nurture and encourage the new arrival who being so much younger could have done with a bit of extra support, but instead he was given the cold shoulder by someone who should have become a brother in arms, not a snake in the grass!

Sorry Mikey, we all adore you but try engaging your brain before your mouth for the overall good of the club, the tasteless comments you made about a fellow player were pernicious and completely unnecessary. How would you have felt if you were on the receiving end? You may have meant no harm 'telling it how it is', but sometimes it is BEST to shut up shop! - Ed

The season has barely finished for most clubs and transfer wheeling dealing is already extensively underway, West Ham of course are one of Europe's 'elite' teams who still have a trophy to play for. It may be the much derided Conference Cup but ask Jose Mourinho how highly he values the 'useless cup'?

Sourpusses Roma are in the final of the Europa League Cup this season. They gained access to the Europa League NOT as a result of their League placing but because they won the 'Con Cup' last season! So it might be belittled by others, but then again they are not in the final are they?

There is a fifty fifty chance that Hammers can actually win something for the first time in over 50 YEARS! So things aren't looking too bad, however 'sensible' transfer activity is an absolute must if the club is to progress, that includes lucrative player sales and canny player recruitment with the funds generated.

We are of course referring to the Declan Rice transfer, word has it that Thomas Tuchel is extremely keen on bringing Decs to Bayern Munich in Germany and so are we! Seeing Rice running out on the pitch for the Gooners would be heart breaking, annoying if it was for Man Utd and only just about tolerable if it was for City, far more preferable for Hammers fans would be Decs playing abroad and who knows maybe return to the club after 3 or 5 years, he would still be in his prime then and would be welcomed back with open arms by ALL fans.

Other less high profile activity is already in place with contract extensions and contract 'run downs' kicking in to place within the next few weeks. It is important that the club use the Rice money wisely. One player alone cannot replace the Hammers mercurial captain, it will take two players who can be cherry picked for each game to fill the inevitable gulf that will be left, but it can be done.

The Rice situation kind of sorts itself out due to the incredible demand for his services, for some other players the situation looks more bleak and a lot less certain. First we should examine who has been allowed to run down their contracts without seeking or being offered a new contract or a contract extension.

Oldies first! Aaron Cresswell HAS been offered and accepted a further one year deal which makes perfect sense, he is definitely NOT the player he once was, but he can still do a job against SELECTED opposition and is a good presence in the dressing room, he is also on low wages by Premier League standards and as such a one year deal suits all parties.

Lukasz Fabianski is another to be offered a one year deal, although it has been made clear to the 37 year old Pole that he will be playing as the number two keeper in a role reversal with Alphonse Areola who has bided his time and performed immaculately in the club's European exploits, again a deal which makes perfect sense. The club hAS three up and coming keepers on it's books but they all need another season before the could become proper number two keepers, so Fabbo's extra year will give them that extra bit of time they need to bed in before he retires.

Next up of the old boys is the Og, Angelo Ogbonna might be a yard or so slower and does have the odd playing ricket in his game, but come on what a stoic performer he has been and still is for the club. David Sullivan, not generally known for his generosity, insisted on giving the Og a further one year's contract at the beginning of the season NOT knowing if the Italian was ever going to recover fro his SACL injury, an injury that used to mean career over for much younger players, rumour has it he HAS been offered a new contract but is yet to confirm his acceptance because he has to run it past his 'trouble and strife' first, wise man indeed!

Finally we reach Vlad the impaler Coufal, he has returned back to his combative and rigorous best since his op and definitely warranted the TWO year extension he has received, a true warrior that the club needs, let him do the dirty stuff while the crowd swoons over Pacman's skills, chalk and cheese.

Tomy Soucek's contract can automatically be triggered by the club so there is no danger of him choosing to leave, UNLESS a huge offer from Europe comes in for him. He is admittedly a shadow of the buccaneering player he was when he first arrived at the club, BUT once Declan Rice has moved on to pastures new Big Tom will probably be given more freedom to surge forwards and utilise his incredible heading ability, let's face it he is relatively useless with the ball at his feet and his passing leaves a lot to be desired, but as a battering ram at corners and in advanced plays there are few better in the Premier League.

In the next article we will look at the 'troublesome' transfers and there are PLENTY to discuss! - ED

There has been a lot of talk relating to West Ham United's potential transfer activity ever since it became blatantly obvious that club captain Declan Rice would be moving on to pursue his Champions League dreams. There has been SO MUCH noise surrounding Rice's potential transfer and destination that the main topic seems to have escaped attention.

Of course the Rice story is massive and he is essentially irreplaceable, but the team HAS to move forward so their is no point in crying over the spilled milk, things have to continue no matter what. Despite splashing the cash in a big way at the beginning of the season, the board has seen little by way of return, with injuries to the new signings playing havoc with David Moyes' plans.

First Aguerd, then Cornet, then Scamacca and then Pacqueta ALL picked up injuries that ranged from fairly serious to incredibly serious! Cornet has hardly had a kick ALL season and Scamacca had only a meagre few games before eventually going under the surgeon's knife.

So 'going again' in the transfer market will NOT be as easy as some fans think, not because there might be intransigence when it comes to further spending by the owners, but because the FFP restrictions that have so often been ignored or avoided by clubs are starting to get implemented right across Europe.

FIFA have confirmed the transfer window in England will open on June the 14th, teams will be able to agree terms with players and clubs over possible signings, but they won't be official until the start of July. Any international deals will not go through until the start of July, meaning only domestic deals can be officially completed. These dates allow clubs like West Ham, who are still in European competitions the breathing space to play their final games before the window opens.

If and it is an enormous if, Hammers win the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final which is due to be played at the Fortuna Arena in Prague on June the 7th, then the club would be back in Europe for a third season running. Apart from the Kudos and financial gain, recruiting new players would be that bit easier. Additional recruits would most definitely be needed if the club is to 'endure' another gruelling play on Thursday and Sunday schedule that is requisite for European competition.

So the outcome of the final in Prague WILL DICTATE Hammers transfer activity to a massive degree, win it and the club is in Europe, lose it and the club won't be in Europe. In a way it is a double edged sword, but Europe holds sway with players and fans alike, European games under the lights once acquired is a taste to savour and one that fans would prefer to retain...it is called progress!

The 2023/24 season kicks off on Saturday August the 12th, so clubs will have just over two weeks between the first game of the season and the transfer deadline, which is Friday September the 1st at 11pm. There will be plenty of ins and outs at West Ham, some welcome, some not.

There is the slight matter of the club's most important game in over fifty years to play, in a venue decided upon by fools who have not a care in the World about the possible consequences of trying to fit fans from both clubs into a tiny Stadium IN PRAGUE that only has a capacity of LESS THAN A THIRD OF West Ham's own ground! Chaos will be the best outcome but we fear a lot worse, hopefully the cheap beer will be so plentiful it will stop people from wanting to fight.

We live in hope!-LN