Forum | Non-Football Related

Now there is generally no smoke without fire coming towards the start of the new season when it comes to club's transfer dealings, the 'big boys' have already snaffled most of the good stuff up, leaving the scraps for all the near do wells to fight over!

It has become abundantly clear that Hammers stalwart Mikey Antonio wants out of the club for several reasons, a lucrative deal to join the 'big money, small on civil rights league' failed to materialise and the players general demeanour is one of someone who wants to try pastures new for what WILL be his last fully professional contract as a player.

No one can begrudge Mikey a move if he so wishes, he has been an incredibly loyal servant to the club where he has played virtually EVERY position except goal keeper since his move from forest nine years ago. He is the club's top Premier League goal scorer and has 'bullied' defenders AND attackers all over the park during his tenure.

Having 'seen off' Sebastien Haller AND apparently Gianluca Scamacca, Mikey could possibly have retained his 'top dog' striker status at the club, but he is no fool and can see the writing onthe wall with regards to future appearances. Well it seems there might be a solution to Mikey's dilemma in the form of Sean Dyche and Everton's desire to move Demarai Gray on from their club.

The Toffees are looking to get up to £10 Million for Gray who they signed form Bayer Leverkusen for a fee believed to be as little as £1.5 Million, so they are chancing it a bit. Forest and Fulham are sniffing around and 'cash strapped' Everton will be hoping for a mini bidding war for the winger, however a straight swap deal with Antonio might see a deal done.

Most fans will think the club should get Gray AND a cash settlement in return for Antonio's signature, but Big Mikey is 33 years old, whereas Gray is 27 years old so in many ways a straight swap is a no brainer. It would be a pity to see such a great servant leave the club, especially to one of the club's 'relegation rivals' but time waits for no man and one gets the feeling that 'Tim Ze German' has one or two names in his little black book just champing at the bit for an opportunity to don the claret and blue.

This one has legs on it! - Ed

Whether it is fate, ultimately good timing or just skin of the teeth good luck, Hammers transfer plans can finally get going as David Moyes and Rob Newman's 'last throw of the dice' transfers have finally gone aground! Casting wider and more desperate pitches for ageing or soon to be ageing overpriced UK based players was never going to work, in fact the naivety of trying to do business with clubs who are only too keenly aware that you are cash flush beggars belief!

West Ham fought off a host of top clubs from around the world to 'net' Tim Steidten, known as the 'pearl diver'. His data driven no nonsense unemotional approach to signing players has reaped dividends where ever he as been. Unfortunately his arrival put a certain Dinosaur's nose out of joint,(do dinosaurs have noses?) and his arrival was met with a greeting akin to that received by Sebastien Haller and Gianlica Scamacca, Dino's way or the highway!

Having watched some of his prime targets join other clubs for relative peanuts or for no fee at, all it would be unsurprising to see Tim 'Ze Germa' want to walk, but we believe he is made of sterner stuff and was willing to let 'Moysie' and Rob 'Webb' cock things up so royally that his time would come and now it has!

Being turned down not once, but twice by Harry Maguire is living testimony as to how askew the present manager's thinking is. Maguire doesn't even have the ability to walk straight into the team, he may have had a few years ago but NOT now! The same applies to Ward-Prowse, good player on his day but yet another Moyes potential sycophant, exactly the sort of player the club DOES NOT need.

The fact is despite being 61 next year and having managed well over 1,000 top flight games, David Moyes is afraid, most of his top coaches have fled the sinking ship...there is a reason why, David Moyes REFUSES to change his ways. The club won its first major trophy in over 50 years IN SPITE of Moyes NOT because of him! What is more Moyes knows it!

The club should have pulled the trigger earlier this summer and appointed any one of a bunch of 'progressive' managers who were and probably still are available, instead the club WILL freefall towards the bottom of the table, yet again only this time it may not be so lucky, especially with Moyes at the helm.

Tim Steidten may not be a knight in shining armour, but he is not a Dinosaur in a cave! - LN

Well having set our sights on an enjoyable and informative friendly in France yesterday, what we saw was the complete opposite, a nightmare inducing Deja Vu of Hammers at their worst last season! Slow, ponderous and predictable are words that spring to mind.

Rennes were really up for it and it showed, Hammers on the other hand looked as if they had just turned up expecting a 'goose green' training session! It may seem politically incorrect to mention it, but the only transfer activity on show was Danny Ings 'hair transfer'.

'Ingy' looked as if he could be everyone's favourite Uncle who was tossed a shirt and told he was playing up front because the main striker had got caught in the Channel Tunnel traffic jam of the day! It may seem ageist, but his appearance is hardly inspiring to others and some of his team mates must be thinking that they are about to start playing 'walking' football.

The friendly against what is one of France's brighter sides exposed the frailty of the Hammers squad to the core, a most unedifying sight considering how soon the season starts. Potential targets looking to join West Ham would most definitely NOT have been impressed with what they saw!

David Moyes can talk until the Pterodactyls come home about quality as opposed to quantity, but the 'quality' on show proved there is a distinct need for more 'quantity'! The powers that be at the Irons HAVE to take control and tell 'Moysie' that he HAS to accept Tim Ze German's player recommendations!

Moyes will be gone by this time next year and it is absolutely imperative that the board do NOT allow the 'mature' Scot to ruin the club before he goes for good! Because that is exactly what the Dinosaurus is doing....destroying the club's future.

Moyes might not even last until past the new year if he continues his stubborn and recalcitrant attitude, Dino's way or the highway? Surely Sully, The Wicked Witch and the Cretin in the Sky MUST see what is going on, are they oblivious to reality?

Moyes has huffed and bluffed his way through his current contract and achievements that have been made are mostly despite him, not because of him! Moyes IS making progress though, he has gone from being a Dinosaur, to a 'Dog in a manger'. -Ed

Harry Maguire is a good defender who only seems to perform at his best while representing England. He is an extremely highly paid 30 year old who has just been stripped of the captain's armband and been deemed surplus to requirements by Eric Ten Hag.

Maguire is the exact antithesis of a Tim Steidten signing, over priced, over paid and overestimated in many peoples eyes. He is however a complete David Moyes 'aparition', a grizzled Premier League performer who 'knows the game'. Unfortunately Moyes is hell bent on 'blowing the Declan Rice money on rejects and over priced has beens of which Maguire certainly fits the bill.

Not just content with wanting to give his ex-employers a sizeable chunk of change back to cover his compensation 'sack' payment via a deal for Maguire, but he also wants the currently injured Scott McTominay to come and join him in a London Scotfest!

The price quoted for McTominay is completely OFF the scale, as is the price cheekily quoted for Maguire who was about to be pair off by Manchester United unless some 'mug team' were stupid enough to actually buy him and take on his outrageous wages of in excess of £300,000 per week!

Hammers have dodged a bullet due to the ridiculous valuations put on BOTH players, but watch out for the ricochet as Moyes descends into a bout of 'Lingarditus"...it is as if he has something to prove to the Manchester club, or a ghost in his cupboard! - LN