West Ham are not limiting themselves to conventional searches for Championship players this summer in the search for reinforcements to replace the five departees and strengthen ahead of the season opener. Other likely departures – Aaron Wan Bissaka, Jean Clair Todibo and Edson Alvares – suggest the Hammers could need half a dozen arrivals to cope with the arduous demands of the Championship timetable.
Whilst links this morning come from closer to home – Arne Engels from Celtic appears to be the latest target, with reports of continued negotiations taking place, the Hammers have been scouring the leagues from most of Europe in an effort to offer up players for Nuno’s consideration.
West Ham’s starting XI on 18th August will bear little resemblance to the premier League side: But where are the new signings to replace the departed?
Remembering Nils Koppen’s history – West Ham’s Director of Player Recruitment last worked at Danish club FC Copenhagen – it might not be surprising to hear that the Irons are considering the Scandinavian market for additions.
Our transfer source – close to several key West Ham players – told us last night that the Irons had:
‘Looked at a couple of players – one a really good left winger – from the Norwegian Leagues: The club rejected a player who was offered to them from the second tier .”
August arrive tomorrow: Sadly it won’t bring an influx of new talent but we remain hopeful that all the ‘reported’ activity will pay dividends before the 2nd September window closure. frustratingly, it wouldn’t be the first time that the squad gets strengthened after the season has kicked off and present shortcomings are graphically exhibited.
Must admit I agree with both comments made so far, The good start could be done using the U21s in midfield. Potts & Earthy have successful Championship experience, Kante, Magassa & Orford (I would include Fearon) are capable enough.
If not good enough then the academy is not doing its job, or the manager is not. As individuals they need time to develop, but play them all together and they automatically play a high tempo game of give and go, keeping possession and progressing forwards quickly – NES’ team against Rangers progressed forwards very slowly.
Not saying an experienced playmaker, or box-to-box midfielder would not be welcome, but until club does, take this approach.
Game against Rangers was an opportunity to play quick football based around U21 players in midfield (Ajala, Marshall, Lamadrid, Pablo, Taty, Bowen up front).
The team played slow, stodgy unproductive football. I get the impression NES is not a free-thinking manager who can adopt a new approach, but prefers players to strictly hold their positions removing fluidity from the game and it becomes very predictable, which todays teams can easily counter, which Rangers did, even if otherwise they were bad themselves. Preseason is what it is and also a perfect time to test an approach and then tweak it – learn from it. Hope NES surprises everyone, but his wish for PL level players, if true, means U21s are just stop gaps and he is not necessarily changing his style of football when the club ethos through the academy, is very different to his.
Forgot Cornet. Apparently prefers left-side of the pitch as a WB or winger. If he can remain fit, I’m sure he could do a job.
Add players when recruited, but make them fit into the U21 style of play, which frankly is the more modern approach to football anyhow. Quick give-and-go, make the ball do the work to which you incorporate flair individuals to make that difference/breakthrough.
We’d also be building towards a future which includes some really talented academy players, while remaining competitive in the meantime. If a manager cannot get a winning formula out of this set of individuals, I’m missing something or the manager is missing something up top.
I’ll stop repeating myself after this comment and just wish the team good luck!
Lets hope that what we’ve got is good enough to get off to a good start as we will need to be consistently good.
Using the rangers game as an example we definitely aren’t good enough and Nuno’s football has become even more boring bordering on potter esq