Hello everybody peeps. Stavros here, I'm a just letting you all knows, I'm a taking charge of the Spud U likes over in meze, meze land.
I'm having a big kebab off and that Levy bloke says you hammers can have all the pies init.
They is bloody cheap as chippys and will go with all your mashie potatoes.
Anyway peeps I is gonna teach that Hairy Kane how we do the Divy, Divy Dey dance and smash all the plates. Basic skills init.
Laters potaters........
There has been plenty of 'paranoia' parlance regarding the clash of playing and managerial appointments at London rivals West Ham and Tottingham, never one to miss a trick Daniel Levy the de facto dictator at White Hart lane is ALWAYS keen to try and put a spanner in the works if he can when it comes to West Ham, so news that Levy is chasing Celtic's manager and a host of players that have neem monitored by West Ham should come as no shock!
Levy still hasn't recovered from being 'robbed' over the London Stadium deal, he thought that giving the Queen a lift back from the races in his private plane would be enough to help seal the deal his way, alas he forgot that the Queen's Mother had been an ardent Hammers fan.
Besmirched by the official and open application system, Levy employed scurrilous methods to try and halt Hammers progress in taking over the London Olympic Stadium in the Queen Elizabeth Park. In fact, word is that he was INCENSED by the final outcome and swore to build a bigger and better Stadium for all to come and see and 'worship'.
Unfortunately the development project went massively over budget and co-incided with the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, thus depriving the North Londoners of vital funds JUST when they really needed them, furthermore despite building what is a magnificent Stadium, the infrastructure surrounding White Hart Lane was and still is NOT fit for purpose, getting to and from the ground is a nightmare and the area closest to the Stadium is still butt ugly on arrival and departure, even Tottingham fans refer to the area as a bit of a **** hole!
Levy has refused to play ball over any transfer since and actively looks to hijack and snipe Hammers transfer targets, well....let him have them! Levy's ability to self destruct is blatantly visible when looking at some of the players who were signed as a direct result of him wanting to beat the IRONS to the chase, long may it continue.
The reality is that Tottingham is a much wealthier club than West Ham and is bank rolled by a huge off shore investment and betting syndicate, as such they will ALWAYS, at least in the near future, be able to out spend West Ham, but that might change if and when David Sullivan and the estate of the late David Gold sell up their shares in the club.
Much better to play the long game and let Levy fiddle while his empire burns, eventually his cost efficiencies WILL catch up with him, in the meantime Hammers should just let Levy have his way instead of getting involved in any type of bidding wars....let him have cake! - Ed
West Ham have 'stalked' or pursued Spanish International Adama Traore for the best part of half a decade, however due to Wolves' overly high valuation never managed to get the deal over the line, well that's all 'aboot' to change as Jeremy Clarkson would say!
For some reason Wolves and the 27 year old have not been able to come to an agreement on a new contract and consequently his original deal ended on July the 2nd, why do clubs let 'valued' players let their contracts expire? Leicester City did the same with another Hammers target, Youri Tielemans, they turned down a bid in excess of £40 Million from the Irons and an astonishing £50 Million from perennial overspenders David Moyes' old club Everton.
Traore HAS had fitness issues, although many can be blamed on his absolutely ferocious pace! While quite a lot slower, Hammers own Mikey Antonio used to suffer terribly from Hamstring injuries due to him running full on without thinking about the damage he could cause himself. Nowadays thanks to a much better diet AND more importantly having been encourged TO BE A BIT MORE 'REALISTIC' about his attempts at reaching the ball, Antonio is capable of playing the long game throughout a season.
Traore is a speed machine that needs careful maintenance to keep functioning correctly, IF he was coached AND used properly he could be a devastating performer in East London. Traore would ideally suit Hammers current set up and if David Moyes is retained as manager would be an absolute shoe in for the team, the prospect of having to face Antonio AND Traore would fill defenders with terror, add in Hammers other rapid wingmen and you could have a potent forward line irrespective of who plays as a striker up front.
THe ex-Barcelona speedster is apparently NOT demanding silly money, however he does seek a lengthy contract WITH a buy out clause, a deal Wolves would NOT sanction although they ARE trying to put together an 'emergency' proposal to their former player having seen him call their bluff.
Of course there is NO such thing as a free transfer anymore because there are agent fees and signing on fees involved, but Traore an anything less than £100,000 per week and £5 Million in agent fees is an absolute no brainer and perhaps Hammers should be looking to move as quickly as possible for Traore.
The only fly in the ointment is that Hammers have been burned so much in the past by signing players with poor injury records that they are in danger of being unable to see the wood for the trees! It should be remembered though that Traore IS accustomed to Premier League football and is fully acclimatised to living on these drab shores.
Handled properly, Traore could be a significant signing for the Irons and at 27 has a good FIVE years ahead of him, sign him now keep him fit and then sell him on in a couple of years time while he is at his peak could be a damn good bit of business, will Hammers do it or will it be a "we tried" story with Adama Traore, hopefully the former? - Ed
It might be a case of adding two and two and getting five, however there does seem to be some legs on the stories emanating from both Roma and West Ham that there could potentially be a swap deal in the offing between both clubs involving strikers Tammy Abraham and Gianluca Scamacca.
Scamacca has endured a torrid time in England and Tammy has fallen out of favour at Roma and is also longing to return to the Premier League, having 'experienced' a full course of Italian culture during his tenure with Jose Mourinho in Rome.
There would be some form of financial adjustment if a deal is done due to Roma's £40 Million plus valuation of the ex-Chelsea striker, but the deal would value Scamacca at £35 Million so the difference in valuations would not be a deal breaker in the slightest.
Would it be good for West Ham? There are those who say that Hammers have 'taken the pain' with the Scamacca transfer due to his injuries and should now reap the benefit of a fully fit and reinvigorated Scamacca, whereas others feel the Italian is NOT suited to the remorseless pace of the Premier League.
Abrahams could slot straight into a West Ham team IF he is given enough game time, Scamacca could walk in to the Roma team and be welcomed with open arms. A lot depends on who is going to be in charge of what at BOTH clubs, as each are in the process of assessing how to move forward.
Having already been severely 'mauled' by the Sebastien Haller transfer, West Ham will be keen to avoid a repeat and may well see a swap deal as the best way to recoup any potential loss. It makes business sense but fans will feel the only reason Scamacca really wants to return to Italy is because of David Moyes' reluctance to alter his 'fixed', some say totally stubborn, approach to how he sets his team up!
Big Mikey Antonio is well on the wrong side of thirty and will obviously need replacing at some point in the future so the club MUST avoid a situation where they are totally reliant on the big fellows hamstrings 'holding out' through the entire season although his fitness levels have improved dramatically die to a dietary reset and a different playing style.
Exchange deals are loved by the bean counters at clubs, especially when they factor in 'player ammortisation' which is their smoke and mirrors way of manipulating end of year accounts. Unfortunaterly Hammers lack the resources to be able to keep Scamacca AND bring another top striker to the club, there is also the fact that 'top' strikers want to be 'top dog'.
A difficult conundrum to solve but things could work out well, but then again there is no guarantee that Tammy Abraham wants to come to West Ham and may feel that he should be playing for a 'bigger club'. Only time will tell, but the striker situation HAS to be resolved well before the start of next season, irrespective of who is in charge of the club!- Ed
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
Leicester: Iversen, Castagne, Faes, Evans ©, Thomas, Tielemans, Soumaré, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes, Maddison, Iheanacho Subs: Smithies (GK), Souttar, Praet, Mendy, Pereira, Amartey, Tetê, Daka, Vardy
West Ham: Fabiański, Coufal, Kehrer, Aguerd, Cresswell, Downes, Rice ©, Paquetá, Fornals, Benrahma, Antonio Subs: Areola (GK), Emerson, Zouma, Ogbonna, Lanzini, Souček, Cornet, Bowen, Ings
The suns shining its a bank holiday and the beach is calling Yay so before i leave my hotel just wanted to put this thought out there about our wonderful club.
Win the Conference cup enjoy the open top bus ride and annoy the hell out of Spud/Chelski/Gooner fans hammers fans turn out in there thousands cheering the lads and one in particular our captain Rice the scene may put doubts in his mind about leaving(hopefully)and then front up chelski and say £55million for Mason Mount(Decs best pal)that would in my mind certainly make Rice think you know 5 games in the champs league with the gooners get knocked out whats the point follow that up with Barnes from Leicester and that blonde bombshell Gyokeres from Coventry job done on big money transfers then start looking for freebies to pad the squad if Moyes still with us.
Heat may of gone to my head i admit but a girl can dream:-) right off to the beach whose applying the sunscreen to my back and legs? Burkie jeez never around when you need him:-)xx
Having been initially underwhelmed by the season's transfer activity, West Ham United's board ironically now want incumbent manager David Moyes to 'buy british', their opinion especially that of 27% stakeholder Daniel Kretinsky, is that buying from abroad is more economical but the bedding in process for a raft of incoming non british players is too lengthy and that the club don't want to experience another relegation fight!
With this in mind it comes as no surprise to hear that West Ham United are planning to move for Leicester's Harvey Barnes after having decided in principle to retain manager David Moyes for the final year of his contract. The former Everton and Manchester boss is set to be backed in the transfer market this summer and a move for Barnes could be made at the same time as a deal for Fulham’s Portuguese international Joao Palhinha and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.
Picking the bones from relegated clubs is what 'successful' top flight clubs do, so there is NO reason Hammers shouldn't do the same. All three of the above would be welcome additions to a squad that will be bereft of a number of key players, the most glaring being Declan Rice! The brutal truth is that Hammers' summer signings did NOT live up to expectations for numerous reasons, ONLY Lucas Pacqueta, Thilo Kherer and Emerson have actually shone, the rest have either been injured or hardly used.
Buying from Europe has proved to be a non plus for the club, especially when it comes to strikers! So the perceived wisdom of the Board is that it is better to try and buy British players who can slot straight into the squad as opposed to those from other Leagues who take time to get used to the incredible physicality of the Premier League.
Barnes, Palhinha and Ward-Prowse will not be cheap, but they are 'ready made' for the Prem, there is always a 'brit' premium for home grown players, but it is there for a salient reason. Clubs don't want to be paying out huge sums in wages while players find their feet, if they can hit the ground running then the additional cost makes sense.
Of course as we have previously mentioned, Hammers eventual transfer policy will be dictated on the 7th of June in Prague at the "Con Cup' final against Fiorentina, win and the club NEEDS PREPARATION for a European campaign, a loss means a season of consolidation. A huge amount hangs on the eventual result at the Fortuna Stadium, but planning has to go ahead assuming both case scenarios.
Barnes, Palhinha and Ward-Prowse are decent targets that West Ham stand a realistic chance of acquiring, a lot depends on the 7th though. - Ed
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