Difficult, indeed, to recruit new signings a winter window when West Ham United remain stuck in eighteenth position, despite the rallying win last weekend in north London. The gloss was taken off that stellar performance by Nottingham Forest and Leeds both picking up points.
So the focus shifts ahead and West Ham have to go again on Saturday, this time against the Premier League’s surprise high flyers Sunderland.
Meanwhile the search for a defender continues with loan options now looking the more likely. The uninspiring choice of Coventry City’s championship defender Bobby Thomas is still, apparently, heading West Ham’s wish list but the depths to which the club might have to stoop is illustrated by the re-emergence of Tyrone Mings or Axel Disasi as names under consideration once again.
Mings was linked with the Hammers during Graham Potter’s tenure – wasn’t everyone – but his injury history with persistent knee issues remaining after reconstructive surgery would surely rule out a permanent deal.
Mings- familiar name to West Ham fans
However, as a short term ‘fix’ to boost the Irons defensive record, could he be just the missing element required in a back line urgently in need of marshalling and leadership – if he’s fit enough?
Can’t fault him as a leader: You’d certainly pick Mings over Disasi or present loanee Brighton centre back Igor Julio who seems to have disappeared without trace.
In the meantime, Hammers fans will scan the headlines hoping – probably in vain – for a decent quality permanent signing. The perils of trying to do business from 18th spot in a January window. Said it before and will say it again, should have bought Cresswell in the summer.
Let’s hope we can aim higher, I still don’t understand why we are not using Igor, he looked competent in the few minutes that he’s played and anyyones better than Killman. Does he have a clause that we have to buy him if he plays so many games, don’t understand unless like JWP, he’s upset Nuno.
All players have errors in them as they are human and not robots.
Finding most reliable and available is penultimate question.
Which is best U21 (long term strategy) or experienced aged 30+?
We’re not signing for the future but next 6 months to get out of relegation.
Is Cresswell available at right price depends which article you read.
Nyakossi (Swiss U21 captain) is latest name but also listed as work in progress.
Whoever is signed as c/bk needs to be ‘statement’ player whose been scouted not one out of the hat.
On that basis it would be nice to get Cresswell and Hackney but maybe this is flying high.
Can anyone confirm if Cresswell has actually said no to joining us? I really want to know if it’s him (fair enough) or we just won’t pay enough! Can you put the question forward Martin?
Apart from journeymen or young kids who are fringe players at their current clubs, who is there who would sign for us in our current predicament?
No point keeping saying we should’ve signed Cresswell in the summer. That ship has sailed. We should’ve done a host of things vastly differently in the last 3 years but the focus has to be on the here and now.
And therein lays the problem. The here and now looks bleak. All I can see is us scrambling around in the bargain basement for defensive solutions that we so crucially need.
Even at his best Mings has an error in him, much like an injury prone version of Dinos. Let’s hope this rumour is just that