(Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
West Ham’s board – whilst having no intention of firing Mauel Pellegrini – remain extremely worried over one of his signings in particular.
Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg after confirming the “no sacking” decision by the board added in a tweet that unsurprisingly “there are concerns over tactics and signings.”
And the major worry among the signings is Pablo Fornals who has shown absolutely no form whatsoever since his arrival at the club for a fee of £25 million.
The manager’s mantra that the Spanish under 21 international needs time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League is wearing thin as he value continues to depreciate since has arrival at the London Stadium.
The 23 year old almost looks like a back up winger rather than an attacking midfielder whilst at the same time goalkeeper Roberto has disappointed and striker Albian Ajeti doesn’t appear anywhere near ready for life in the PL at this stage.
With eight tough fixtures in front of us everybody simply have their fingers crossed the manager can find the key to unlock the potential in Fornals in particular.
One top source told us by e mail: “There have been some disappointments and Fornals in particular cost a lot of money so all we can do is hope and pray that they come good very quickly but sacking the manager is out of the question.”
Must admit I posted a few days ago why spend 25 mil on a winger when we had Grady Diangana same sort of age already on a wage and doing the job already?and also buy another striker for 8 mil when Pellegrini could have spent 25 mil + the 8 mill on a more expensive 2nd better striker ????
We want mourinho we want mourinho
While Holland can’t even get a place on the bench.
Sigh.
The downside of having a foreign manager and backroom staff is that they will look to the foreign leagues for players rather than trusting British players.Agreed that Diangana should never have been loaned out when Fornals was such an unknown quantity at this level.My other concern is that if Holland,Kemp, and Scully cannot make the breakthrough when the 1st team is in such abysmal form then when if ever will they, or are they just not good enough in Pelles eyes.?
Remember when Dendoncker was desperate in the Xmas break to come to West Ham? He cost Wolves HALF of what we paid for Fornals and is already a top premiership player. Sanchez is a real disaster. Snoddy was far too good to be released last year to Villa, where he was outstanding. He was the only player we had who could cross accurately. Releasing Diangana for more game time seemed daft. He’s too good for that …They may be worried about Fornals but seem blind to the inadequacies of Cresswell and Zabba. There’s a flabby complacency around this club, a lack of real hunger for success. Yet the fans are so knowledgeable, as I hear at each home game. They deserve better – far better!
I think you will find that was two summers ago and Moyes didn’t want him
Fair enough Hugh thanks, but goodness – what an opportunity missed! The guy is so suited to English football. Poor Fornals must wonder what’s hit him. He doesn’t have the necessary speed at 23, How will he get any quicker? We live in hope!….
I’ve been a Pelle fan since the start John but he’s stretching it a bit 🙂
Well he got Haller and Fornals and reckons he was happy with the squad now he had to players in every position – maybe we should have looked more closely at that!
The board worry , so where were the board when we clearly needed a CDM , LB and quality striker . We spent about 25 million net if that’s all they are going to give him he can’t buy quality , can he . Besides that the players did not put in the required effort they are better then that performance and Everton & Palace performance . The manager & players need to sort it and i’msure they will
wHEREthey were was leaving it to the manager and DOF which is what happened two summers ago and was what the fans were demanding
Agreed Hugh but I’m talking about the underinvestment this summer . If your only given that amount what can you do . We do have some good players all we need is to get that team spirit back.
Fornals real position is AMC.. Not winger. That’s why he looks lost all the time. Ajeti plays with two up as does Haller yet Pelle plays Ajeti on the right wing and Haller alone. Why do we scout players then play them in wrong positions?
Why are we persevering with Yarmolenko? He was knackered during /after the Sheff U game ( I missed the Newcastle game so can’t comment) and he is too predictable with wanting to get the ball onto his left peg which every defender now surely knows !
Perhaps Ajeti should have a proper run alongside Haller who is too isolated and must be getting knacked off running around like a headless chicken to no avail
It takes COURAGE to be a great manager.. Lookat Frank Lampsrd, OMG what an amazing job he’s doing by trusting THE YOUNG PLAYERS and how they’ve rewarded him. We have a CLUELESS manager who showed all we need to know with his ridiculous team selection and zero tactics this past weekend… There’s not one team in the premier league that fear playing us home or away and that’s pathetic…
We provide the possibility for an easy 3 points for any team, MY GREAT CLUB of 60 years in such a decline led by two clueless muppets!
I think one of the issues about the signing of Fornals was where he was going to play. We are not a club who can easily spend £25 million for a bench-warming replacement for Lanzini. Substitutes are important, but unless they were expecting Lanzini to either not recover his best form, or to leave, where was Fornals fitting in the first 11? When there were obvious weaknesses elsewhere in the squad, he really was a luxury purchase. Add to that, Wilshere is knocking around on £100K a week. All this when we have a crop of talented youngsters – at no real extra cost – who are obviously busting a gut to get into MP’s thinking! Oh well, Burnley next … hope their talented 19 year old first team regular McNeil doesn’t play well again … COYI
I’m sorry this should read board worried over lack of signings in the summer,we all knew we needed a defensive midfielder a centre forward the lack of money made available to the manager is the problem here less than 25 million net spend a smaller squad than last season a few long term injuries and were very short of decent back up,yet again the chairman must take the blame just staying up is ok for them for the tv money.