Forum | Non-Football Related

New West Ham boss, Slaven Billic, will undoubtedly want to have his 'general' on the field, obviously it will not be Kevin Nolan, but who? Firstly who ever it is will need to be able to speak a bit of french and spanish as well as english and geordie! The arrival of Dimitri Payet and Pedro Obiang is a clear illustration of where the club is going, a more 'continental' balance while still retaining a UK identity, the question is who is best suited to what could be a rather difficult role? There will be plenty of large ego's to contend with, none larger than many million pound signing Dimitri Payet, one player who seems a perfect fit is not actually officially a Hammer, Alex Song. Should the deal cheekily being arranged to get him on a free transfer from FC Barcelona succeed, then Song could be awarded the arm band. Rumour has it that Song was promised the Captaincy as a carrot to lure him to the club for his loan spell, and that he was less than pleased to see 'Nobby Nolan' deny him it, this was a possible reason for his spectacular dip in form during a season he started so brilliantly.
Mark Noble is a Hammer through and through, he has recently signed a five year deal and would make a superb vice captain, but his lack of pace and slightly limited playing style might make him a less attractive proposition to Slaven Billic, Noble would be a fans' favourite, but he may not even make the first team on a continually regular basis this season, particularly if the current midfield recruitment campaign continues at it's current pace.
This leaves Winston Reid, another player secured on a long term deal, he ticks all the boxes and would present a stylish and mature captain figure, Reid has been round the block enough to know what's what and is used to pressure, also he is a player who will not suffer fools gladly, no matter how big their bank account is!
It is unlikely that a new captain will be a player without some previous connection to the club, but this is West Ham United, so you never know. One thing for sure, it is an exciting time to be a Hammer, a time made even more enjoyable by the constant griping of others who think 'good ol' west 'am' shouldn't be moving in to a Stadium that could help them break the monopoly of the Premier League's top dogs! -Ed

Although we have been deprived of the services of 'Doris The Tea Lady' since her retirement, we have, ironically touched base with a 'West Ham United Insider', known to us via an old media connection, and not in the Vicki Butler Henderson sense! Anyway, word has reached us that West Ham United are about to bid for Michu from Swansea.
Michu is seen as a bit of a Di Canio, he arrived in the Barclays Premier and was an instant success, he went from being a £2 Million player to a £25 Million player in his first season, but since then, following various contractual complications and a distinct falling out with Huw Jenkins and the Swindon hierarchy and an unsuccessful loan spell at Rafa Benitez's Napoli, Michu's value has plummeted.
With Swindon willing to accept as little as £4 Million for the spanish striker , it appears that the Obiang/ Adrian connection might well sway the player's choice towards a move to the East End, he definitely seems worth a punt , and David Sullivan has always liked a 'bit of a gamble'. The parallels between Michu and DiCanio are obvious, OK Michu did not make a referee fall over like a 'somme victim' with a little tap , but somehow, like Di Canio, Michu has managed to make himself a persona non grata with the sheep farmers! It is to be hoped that Hammers can benefit from, what from the outside looking in, seems like a ludicrous' cut your nose off to spite your face' situation.
If Michu could be successfully rehabilitated by Slaven Billic, a coach known for his man management skills, then Hammers could be set to reap a massive reward, this could really be a clever bit of business, and one that Hammers new head of player recruitment Tony Henry has been working on 'relentlessly' behind the scenes. - Ed