The news from earlier today broken on Claret and Hugh that Niclas Fullkrug is neither fit nor settled in the UK hides a greater malaise at West Ham ‘United’. The source quoted by Sean Whetstone, in effect, points the finger firmly at Tim Steidten for the Fullkrug signing, stating that :”He [Fullkrug] really hasn’t settled in UK. Tim said he was a real pro and a grafter before he signed.”
And:”Let’s see what happens in next few weeks”.
£27 million spent on a 31 year old. 61 minutes on the pitch. I can only imagine the conversations now going on in Hammers’ boardroom.
But it is not this one isolated example. The Luis Guilherme signing at over £25.5 million for an eighteen year old has had similar results for West Ham so far – absolutely zero. Eleven minutes as a substitute.
A total of £52.5 million spent for an unproductive 76 minutes of play which works out at £690,000 per minute played. Per minute. Just let that sink in for a minute. (A very expensive minute). Almost half the transfer budget ‘splurged’ ( being polite here) up against the wall.
Only at West Ham. In any other line of work, heads would roll for such irresponsible profligacy. Clubs with the financial clout of Manchester City, Newcastle United or ‘old-days’ Chelsea might be able to afford that kind of excess. But in these days of PSR no club can just go and shake the magic money tree (also known as the rich owner’s pockets) until another couple of hundred million falls out for more players.
Of course, it is easy in hindsight: Spending big money does not insure players against injury.
But buying high-risk ‘extremes’ – youth with zero track record, or over-thirties with several hundred days on the sick list – for such enormous sums should surely be questioned by us as fans and by the club’s owners.
Trouble is, it was one of the owners, I think, who installed Steidten to ‘oversee’ the transfers and avoid repeats of the Moyes’ era waste on players like Scamacca, Benrahma and Vlasič who all lost the club tens of millions. How’s that working out then?
Respect, Respect, Respect. at it again ! how can you say Guilherme is a flop, he was not responsible for the fee lashed out on him, and he is not responsible for 11 minutes action , which you would say costs the supporters approx 2+ million per minute to watch him . NO the 2 cases are separate issues with their own stories. which would be interesting to get to the bottom of , so try to do something worthwhile , or put your claws back in.
Well summerised Alan . CIRCUS is exactly the right word for Sullivan’s running of the club . A disgrace to the club and its thousands of loyal support. Porn sells itself and the total lack of business accumen needed is glaringly obvious in the way transfers are conducted . Steidten is a disaster . Please let it be that the Arses offer him the job !! The club needs a good clean out from the Board downwards . Lets hope that the club survives the current apocalypse and Sullivan moves on or out as his greed and or age take hold . COYI.
Martin once again tells us how it is , it’s not difficult many a football club with less money than West Ham have bought duds , I’m
Afraid it’s part and parcel of football. If your a very top club the likes of Man City , Arsenal , Liverpool , you have the pick of players that want to join the club because they are successful , West Ham probably fit in the 2nd to 3rd choice options for many players. What that means is transfers are often gambles , expensive gambles.
To negate such gambling losses due diligence needs to be strictly adhered to. When you buy a used car you might like the look of that car but you do back ground checks on it , you then ask certain websites for reviews of a certain car and model , after extensive research you either stump up the cash or walk away. It’s this due diligence on players that is woefully missing. To be fair to Moyes ( I’m no Moyes fan let that be said ) he was tight as a ducks arse and spent money like it was his own that’s why Sullivan liked him so much . There were times when we needed to gamble on a few bodies and you could argue that’s why we are in the mess we are in. The recruitment this summer was extensive but due diligence seem to go out the window if you also factor in Sullivan’s play book of dealing only with Salthouse clients you have a recipe for disaster
If Sean / Gonzo & Martin keep up the propaganda and act as Sully’s agents of doom – Tim is history!
All supposed West Ham fans who side with Sully & Brady.
Hope you’re all proud of poisonous behaviour 🤦♂️
Fulkrug and Guillherme were mistakes for a team needing a total overhaul with limited funds , however Steidten’s picks must be approved by Sullivan and clearly Lopetegui had demands and influence . The usual Hammers s;;t show . LOSEpetegui could have been given a world class squad but his childishly simplistic tactics would still only have brought failure . That is the primary recruitment mistake .
Sounds like the knives are out for Timmy!
Only from the pro Sully squad on C&H!
Fullkrug was injured on international duty after passing a medical. Guilherme is a young player who at least I didn’t think would be an immediate first team regular, he was always bought as a potential which he still is. We do have problems but I do not see these two things as being among them.
But that doesn’t fit C&H’s remit of protecting Sullivan does it?
Well said Jay
Let’s be honest if steidten had his way we’d of had Duran. Unfortunately with sullivan wanting to have his picks as well as loppy insisting on certain players, steidten as the director of football hasn’t been able to build the squad in the way that he wanted. Calling guilherme a flop is a stretch as well he’s 18 and not been given a chance at all however both times he’s come he’s immediately won us free kicks carrying the ball forward definitely didn’t look like a flop. Also you have to give credit to Tim for beating Juventus to Todibo a loan with the permanent at the end of the season is good business.
Suggesting that heads would role anywhere else deflecting the blame away from Sullivan who has created this scenario makes no sense, it only hurts the club and takes the blame away from him.
The sole purpose of C&H is to deflect the blame from Sully! They are shameless in their brazen efforts to act in Sully’s best interests.
This site is run by sully, just embarrasing..
I welcomed Steidten as a valuable asset who could revolutionise our transfer strategy and efficacy.
I never bought into the ‘pearl diver’ moniker. Most young players who are good enough to make it across all Europe’s top leagues are known to the scouting networks by the time they are 14. There are very few surprises. That is also true of the worldwide market.
That said, I am truly disappointed with his performance so far. With the exception of Kudus, which was a no brainier, his acquisitions have been average at best. In his position he has to take responsibility for ALL of our transfers. We can’t have this incongruent position where we start to listen to rumours of this one was a Steidten pick, this one a Lopot pick, this one a Sullivan pick. The buck stops at Steidten. That’s his job. Own it.
Well put!
They are not rumours though are they. Many reputable sources have backed it up such as Exwhuemployee, even Whetstone credit summerville signing to sullivan.
Loppy wanted Kilman, Soler, Rodriguez. He also has shown interest in awb before however awb is also on the books of Salthouse one of sullivan favoured agents.
So no the buck doesn’t stop with Steidten as he doesn’t have the final say on transfers. It stops with Sullivan for creating this stupid set up in the first place.
How can he take responsibility for all transfers if he did not oversee or select all of them?
I am fairly certain Kilman and Soler would have been Lop picks given he’s worked with them previously. And you only have to look at who AWB’s agent is to see how he was brought in.
It would be nice if Steidten had full control, but ultimately Sullivan is the one that signs off. He still sticks his nose in and thinks he knows best. Hence why we’ve got the manager we’ve got currently. unemployed with PL experience and recommended by his favourite agent.
Steidten is not without criticism of course. Fullkrug is simply an awful bit of business, even without the injury.
But ultimately the one who signs off on everything is where the buck stops for me. We were run like a circus long before Steidten came along. And we will continue to be when he soon departs.