You are here

Home

Forum | Non-Football Related

  • Youths May Be A Vital Option!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 06/06/2024 - 14:01

    News that Dan Chesters has joined Salford from West Ham will come as a bit of a blow to those who are hoping that Hammers excellent youth players might be given a chance to step up to the plate under the club's new regime, however all is not lost as two 'mature' youth players have been offered new 'realistic' deals that may tempt them to stay at the club when it seemed that they were both off to pastures new!

    Divin Mubama and Ben Johnson have both been offered new no-nonsense deals since the arrival of Julen Lopetigui and it is hoped that they will BOTH accept the deals put on the table. Their signings would help Hammers homegrown quota and also save the club an awful lot of money in the process.

    If Lopetigui and Tim Steidten can repair the 'damage' caused by David Moyes' eclectic usage of these young players talent then it will be a win win situation for all parties concerned because it is quite frankly ludicrous to see talent nurtured and financed by the club for so many years just evaporate into the ether!

    Both players are not short of suitors, but the opportunity of a fresh start under a head coach who believes in them just sway the deals on offer. It is not as if the club doesn't desperately need to 'bump up' the number of squad players while bringing the average age of the squad down is it?

    There are several other 'gems' just champing at the bit to be given a fair crack of the whip and their promotion to the main squad could be a breath of fresh air as they mix with the senior players who have been round the block and back!

    It is only by blending experience and fresh talent that Hammers will be able to afford the total rebuild of the ageing and imbalanced squad left by David Moyes. - Ed

    Share

  • Player Search-Fruition 9 Days And Then Some!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Wed, 05/06/2024 - 12:15

    Hammers director of football has been racking up his air miles in his ceaseless quest to bring new manager Julen Lopetegui the transfer targets he has requested, the problem for Tim Steidten is that most teams don't want to play ball BEFORE the various transfer windows open.

    Clubs selling their prized assets are naturally going to hold out for top dollar in a pre-contrived game of brinkmanship until one of the parties involved blinks! Only clubs with HUGE transfer kitties can just steam in and blow the opposition out of the water, not only that but potential signings also want the lure of 'elite' competitions like the Champions League when choosing clubs, so there is a very difficult balancing act for a 'mid range' club like West Ham to negotiate.

    The club is unable to offer European competition for the first time in four years and does NOT have a massive transfer budget, it does however have a huge fan base and despite their Stadium not being fully fit for purpose, it does look impressive on first viewing.

    Fans expecting a sudden surge up the table in an all conquering swashbuckling fashion will be sadly disappointed, this coming season will be one of consolidation as the new manager and his director of football look to redress the 'criminal' imbalance of an ageing squad that needs a TOTAL overhaul and these things take time!

    The first step will be to get a few bodies through the door which, according to a news hungry media, the club have failed to do spectacularly to do! The fact hat the first of the transfer windows doesn't open for another NINE days seems to have been completely ignored, furthermore as the majority of Hammers new signings will NOT be from the domestic market fans will have to wait until the 1st of July for player arrivals!

    Patience is always in short supply among fans, but the sooner they accept the reality of the situation the sooner they will stop chasing 'click bait' nonsense dreamt up by column hungry writers! - Ed

    Share

  • Paint drying

    Bubblegirl's picture
    Submitted by Bubblegirl on Tue, 04/06/2024 - 08:52

    Forums:

    This time of year is such a drag and with my holiday still over a month away finding something to occupy yourself with can be so difficult at times.
    I was dragged kicking and screaming by my friends to the Derby at Epsom last weekend "it'll be a lovely day out to the sticks" they said its horse racing i said Zzzz but i went along on that long old journey and i'm sorry being such a city girl but how do people exist when there is next to nothing to do on that vast open space and surrounding area! so thank god for the Prosecco which helped dim the memory of Saturday lol just get me back to the city and the Euros just over a week away i think i can cope till then but only just. So for now it is back to the transfer rumour monger mill and watching the paint dry on my living room walls uggh i dislike this time of year when the football has stopped tennis no horse racing no darts no snooker no rugby mmm maybe at a push.

  • Report-Guilherme-When Is A £25 Million Offer Not?

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Fri, 31/05/2024 - 15:35

    West Ham have apparently tabled a £25million bid for Palmeiras's teenage Brazilian forward Luis Guilherme, the highly rated 18-year-old winger has been in talks regarding a move to east London this summer with Tim Steidten pulling the strings.

    Now there might also be a bit of leg pulling going on as well, although highly promising, Luis Guilherme has played 43 top flight games and has scored ONE goal and provided FOUR assists! Not exactly the type of numbers that would attract what is a relatively massive offer are they?

    However, if you read between the lines regarding the youngster who has represented Brasil at ALL youth levels you will see that there is a lot more to the proposed deal than meets the eye. Firstly the payment structure DOESN'T have to comply with FA and UEFA rules meaning if required the fee could be paid over a huge amount of time, secondly the tranche ration of the payments can be adjusted by performance results AND more importantly to tie in with the now infamous 'player amortisation' ruling which has been so exploited by Chelsea.

    Essentially the player can be signed for a relatively small amount of money upfront which would increase over the years, IF the player's value goes up then the amortisation is equalised, if however his value drops then the loss can be claimed by the buying club against THEIR FFP, confused? You betcha!

    I a nutshell Hammers can take a punt on Luis Guilherme and if it works it will be seen as a masterstroke, if it fails it will NOT be a financial disaster. Expect South American expert Tim Vickery to release a statement confirming the anomalies of the deal once it has been completed if at all.

    After all which looks best? Hammers sign £25 Million Brazilian starlet or Hammers put down £2.5 Million deposit on promising youngster? Smoke and mirrors season HAS begun! - Ed

    Share

  • June 14th Still A Way Off!

    Submitted by Louis Nixon on Fri, 31/05/2024 - 06:59

    As the media 'thunder wagon' of rumours gets up to full pelt it is worth remembering that contracted players cannot be signed before June the 14th, for International players the window doesn't open until July the 1st!

    So all the names of potential arrivals are currently mere conjecture, given Hammers need almost a total squad rebuild the names mentioned are a plenty. One issue that has to be addressed is the 'home grown' issue. To that purpose Tim Steidten is looking to sign peripheral players like Wes Fotheringham for low wages to tick the required boxes, which seems rather prudent.

    Buying old and resigning old players like the Sheffield keeper and Aaron Cresswell might seem like a backward step but they will help fill the quota at minimum cost, whereas young English and GB players attract a massive premium.

    One suspects there is going to be quite a lot of smoke and mirrors involved in the REAL Steidten player targeting, but unlike previous transfer windows the signs are that he intends to get Hammers business done quickly in order to provide his head coach with the tools of the trade well ahead of the beginning of the season, that in itself is worth between three and ten extra points per season.

    As things stand the potential Paqueta windfall has all but evaporated, but if the player gets his head down and plays to his undoubted abilities the club will surely benefit and NOT have to find a like for like replacement.

    If there is a bidding war for Aguerd then those funds can go straight into the transfer kitty, bolstering it by as much as £40 Million. That is not to say that Steidten hasn't got to be frugal in his purchases, but he built the Dortmund team on a shoestring and there is no reason he can't do it at West Ham!

    Of course fans WILL be disappointed when 'big names' join other clubs, but it is about time that players were purchased for the good of the team and NOT just to appease disgruntled fans, it is the only way for the club to progress efficiently and effectively. -LN

    Share

  • Bruno signing Stalled

    mcbikeman's picture
    Submitted by mcbikeman on Thu, 30/05/2024 - 08:43

    Forums:

    Contract issues and the player has refused to sign whats offered...here we go a low ball offer by Prem standards accepted so no doubt the poison dwarf and his offsider martini woman brady have offered a lowball contract and player has said no...got to laugh really and if this deals not done how will that make the club look to Jlo then if this is one of the targets he wanted.....ahh well lets strap in for a wonderful summer of smoke mirrors and the usual bollox we expect.

  • Please Let It Be True!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 28/05/2024 - 16:49

    Rumour has it among the 'click bait' elite and other media platforms that newly promoted Southampton are keen to reunite themselves with their ex-player Danny Ings. 31 year Old Ings enjoyed an incredibly fruitful time while he was at St Marys before moving to Aston Villa and a move would seem to suit all parties.

    There is however one massive elephant in the room and that is Ings' astronomic wages, he is currently on £130,000 per week which will be far too rich for the Saints, so the player would have to take a massive salary cut in order for the deal to go through and for West Ham to receive even a fraction of what they paid Villa for the ex-England International.

    Ings endured a torrid time at Stratford with a measly four goals scored in all his Premier League appearances, he was SO unsuited to 'Moyesball' that when he did play he looked like a very unfit fish out of water!

    If and it is a big if, Ings can be moved on his wages could be used to pay TWO DECENT signings, so it is to be hoped that this one has some legs on it. Any deal brokered is however, probably going to have the caveat of Flynn Downes being involved, as the Saints are keen on making the midfielder's loan deal a permanent arrangement.

    Downes would be a useful home grown player to add to the Hammers depleted squad, but he may be the sacrifice required in order to move Ings on! - Ed

    Share

  • 'Schnell Steidten'!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 28/05/2024 - 09:24

    'Super Tim Steidten' is about as much of a polar opposite to 'Dithering David Moyes' when it comes to their approach regarding player purchases. Moyes earned his dithering Dave moniker as a result of his over excessive due diligence, whereas Steidten is quick of the mark and wants deals done yesterday!

    That is not to say Steidten doesn't thoroughly research prospective new players, it is just that he is far more preo-active about the way he does his business. It should be remembered that Tim Steidten is a director of football and NOT a coach, so his sole responsibility is to bring players in ans move players out, not withstanding his role as a selecter of managerial short lists!

    The task ahead of Steidten to provide Julen Lopetegui with players they both agree on is truly herculean, but if anyone is up for it then surely the 'Pearl Diver' is, as his work at Leverkusen bears testimony.

    The signing of Flamengo's Fabricio Bruno is all but rubber stamped, those of Vitoria Guimaraes attacker Jota Silva and Seville's El Nesryi are not far behind either. That would be three down with another TEN to go, so good luck 'Schnell Steidten', you are going to need every ounce of it at your disposal! -Ed

    Share

  • Cornet

    Bubblegirl's picture
    Submitted by Bubblegirl on Sat, 25/05/2024 - 09:08

    Forums:

    A player who got injured took himself off to France to get it sorted instead of the club doing that and as a consequence Moyes chose not to use him except for five/six minutes here or there so insufficient time to make an impact except in the Sheffield United game but do we keep him? if he even wants to stay.
    For me i say yes because we have a problem on the left side where hello he fits better than Fornals Kudus Paquetta JWP ever did and that was a manager trying to fill round holes with square pegs so i do indeed hope we keep him and not waste huge wages on Zaha but see if we have a Lad coming through the Academy who plays wide on the Left and who could benefit from beng around the first team squad and help in what has been for a while a troublesome position for us.

  • Young Mr Earthy

    Bubblegirl's picture
    Submitted by Bubblegirl on Sat, 25/05/2024 - 08:42

    Forums:

    So during my lunchbreak yesterday i watched JLo's first day at West Ham video and all the usual stuff you'd expect to see but the one part that made me smile was when you saw Noble shouting George come here what you doing here as they were showing Jlo the training facilities and the young man replied training on your day off? Noble said surprisingly yeah on my own.
    Now that is a marvelous attitude to have and to see and if not all sort of fixed to happen yes a tad cynical i know then this young man will go far indeed so well done George and i hope to see you playing in the first team next season.

Pages

Next Fixture(s)

Subscribe to Forum | Non-Football Related