Pearls they are not! Is anybody else getting a little concerned that the balance of our ‘New Look’ West Ham United Squad has a distinctly middle aged look to it? In footballing terms, the thirty year old is most certainly in that category. Now, if we were solely looking at Fullkrug (who is 31) for example, there would be a case, as has been argued, that experience of a striker beats youth and he will be the link around which our trio of Summerville, Kudus and Bowen will operate. One, maybe. But this theme pervades throughout the whole first team.
In addition to Antonio (34) and Ings (31) we have new recruit Rodriguez (30) Vlad Coufal (31), Aaron Cresswell (34) , Emerson (30) and three Goalkeepers all of whom are in their ’30’s. Admittedly Wes Foderingham might not get a squad number but that still leaves nine out of a squad of 25 who are thirty or older with James Ward Prowse and Tomas Soucek who are 29 and a bit.
Where am I going with this? Firstly, last year we were slow and plodding in build up and had one of the oldest, smallest squads in the Premier League.
Are we just headed for the award of the biggest oldest squad?
West Ham Unveil New Back Four 2024/5
When we are continually linked with, and in some cases have signed, players in their thirties such as Mats Hummels (35) or Kieran Trippier (nearly 34) – across all media today – surely it is fair to question the stated aim of ‘pearl diving’ or the ‘red bull model’. Where are the youngsters being recruited to grow into the squad over the next year or so? Defenders need to be speedy enough to cope with the Premier League’s’ fastest and however experienced Trippier is, a major competitor of ours would not think of selling him to us unless they knew his best days were behind him. Yes, fine, Guilherme and Summerville are great signings but are they to be the exception?
Secondly, how much time over a season will these players actually be available for selection? Injury increases with age, and small knocks take longer to heal. Which in turn takes a toll on the other squad players who have to make up the slack. Didn’t we learn from our Europa League run where the same players were used endlessly until they were dead on their feet come the Frankfurt semi final?
Incidentally I am quite content to see Aaron Wan-Bissaka crossed off our ‘shortlist’, and am not lamenting a failure to sign him. Paying off another clubs ‘loyalty payment’ of £7 million as now reported is a non-starter: If a player doesn’t want to come, give up, move on find someone who does ‘buy into the project’ and don’t end up looking like DM trying -and failing – to seduce Jesse Lingard for consecutive transfer windows. BUT surely there have to be good young Championship or reserve PL players out there who would complement our squad and not come through the door in a wheelchair. And when we shout ‘come on you Irons’ it is not meant to be a request for leg braces from the bench!
Don’t Panic! Capt. Treasure!!
I like the look of that new back line, but the one sporting the Claret & Blue looks a green behind theears…
Ha ha, your article would be very funny if it wasn’t highlighting a serious issue. But I had a good laugh anyway! Well said Martin.
3 keepers over 30 isn’t a bad thing is it? They’re all Premier League keepers with experience so not sure that position should be included. Don’t ‘keepers get better with age?
I’m not worried about the age of the squad this season as i see a mix of wisdom (players in their 30’s) with experience (players in their prime). The issue, as always, will be if we have a poor season and none of our youth players step up. That means next season we’ll be in the same boat with an older squad and likely less money to play with. But isn’t it ever thus?
It is not going to be possible to reshape the squad in one transfer window and we need experienced players to balance the squad while younger players are integrated.
They are going for proven winners who will help the younger players develop.
Guilherme and Summerville won’t start ahead of Kudus and Bowen but the youthful energy and pace is needed in attack. CM and CB we need experienced players.
Precisely Bill. The runners in the team are young and that’s what matters.
We must get off to a solid start.
We desperately need another centre half
Assuming the Zouma deal goes through, we’ll get one. Hopefully one who will serve us well for many seasons
Four of those you mention will be gone next year anyway and may yet exit this window if offers come in.
You sit in the Billy Bonds stand and should remember, if you are old enough, that Billy himself played until he was 40. It depends how well a player looks after himself and whether they are naturally fit. Fullkrug looks in great shape.
AWB, if signed, is likely to miss more games through injury than some of the golden oldies, because he always has.
I’d leave the choices to Lopetegui if I were you. He knows rather more about football than you or I.
Not a real problem for me as they will help the Academy players pushing for the first team develop…and the plodding along style was down to the way we played last season….the concerns are really only picking up injuries is more likely at that age but then again West Ham players and injuries go hand in hand.
Crikey, here we go again on this site, always complaining!!
Just a headline for click bait, this site just gets worse.
Give them time to get it sorted regarding transfers and age profile, I for one am very happy with our deals so far
Stupid boy.
We are buying experience and the ability to follow the Managers style. The younger players and academy players need this example to develop and will hopefully be ready in a couple of seasons. I think it’s a well thought out strategy! COYI
We need to qualify for Europa or champions league this season,then we can put the final pieces off the jigsaw together!!! Top players won’t sign for teams who aren’t in the top European competitions end off ! Todibo and fofana are two who’ve rejected us on that basis this window? I would like us to sign wahi from lens he’s going to be a top striker or Duran from villa if possible.COYI
It is a Project. It will not be completed this transfer window or the next one. Yes there is the concept of moving to a younger more fluid team but Pearls are expensive and take time to grow. In the interim there is the small issue of remaining competitive in the PL while at the same time avoiding the minefield of financial constraints. It is likely that the working plan had been to move on Paqueta in this window and that might have funded two or three new recruits. That cannot now happen. They adjust the plan finding older players on fairly short contracts to bridge the gap for the next couple of years. Probably not what they intended to do but when they are missing seventy five million or so from the budget due to the betting allegations what would you do? After all which young pearls are you seeing that we should be bringing in that are available on a free?
A mountain out of a molehill. Something out of nothing. Sorry, Martin.
Cresswell 34, is only cover until June, Antonio also 34, might even be gone by deadline day, even then his contract is up at the end of the season. Ings 32, will leave before Antonio.
The ages 30 and 31 are hardly geriatric. The players we have of those ages are current internationals – Rodriguez, Coufal, Fullkrug, and young Emerson who just turned 30 last week.
Goalkeepers always mature well past 30….the fast we have three is hardly sensational. This will most likely be Fabianski’s last season anyway.
West Ham won’t be signing Hummels or Trippier….but I’d take 33 year old Van Dijk today on a two year deal, if he’d come. He’s class. Van Dijk can even have the no. 4 shirt now that Zouma is packing his bags!
Over the previous couple of seasons we have been crying out for Moyes to give some of the under 21 squad a chance in the first team, and having watched the likes of Scarles and Potts I for one feel they are good enough make take that step up.
So just maybe Lopetegui and Steidten are going to give the fans what they have been asking for.
It has been well documented that we are looking to replace the likes of Coufal, Soucek, Ings and Antonio with younger players, and Cresswell was only given a one year contract extension as cover for Emerson who is 29 years old.
Before we start bemoaning the job our management team are doing, let’s give them at least two summer transfer windows to sort out the mess they took over from.
Red bull strategy, you mean Saga strategy.
Not moaning but ease up on the 30+players. I know their brilliant but we want a few of our old boys out before anymore roll in.
Yes am rebranding Steidten “The mutton miner”
Get some players under 24 into the team please Tim
Negative and blue at it again
A pearl could be any age couldn’t it? The difficult thing is finding them. I think a signing should be judged individually on its own merits. A lot of players have their best years as a player in their thirties, especially late bloomers who get better and better with age and knowledge and experience of the game. Defenders are especially better with age and experience if you ask me.
If David Moyes had been buying these geriatric players he would have been slaughtered for it.
Remember the criticism of moyes when he bought craig Dawson and look how that turned out compared to the younger centre half’s we bought don’t always judge a book by its cover
Ronaldo. Modric. Messi.
These players are more the exception than the norm.
Just like Mo Salah and Kyle Walker (Man City) run forever and hardly get injured.
Can understand worry of aged signings as it contradicts all that was predicted about reducing age of squad.
It appears 5 could be going: Aguerd/Zoom(a)/Ings/Soucek/Cornet.
Still a number of signings being muted with some high possibilities.
R/bk (& c/bk)_21_Arnau Martinez. C/bk_24_Clair Jean Todibas. L/bk (& l/mid, l/wing)_27_Cela Henrique
Mid field_23_Matt O’Reilly. Striker_Elyl Wahl_21 or John Duran_20.
Hopefully these will take preference over any oldies that may be considered and bring average age down.
Here we go again, what is it with this website, are you trying to be the mouthpiece for unrest while being as devisive as possible – as it certainly appears so. If your not moaning about this or that, then it’s something else, like who is to blame for these transfers 3 or 4 years ago – who gives a sh*t, let it go! I’d imagine that the team would perform better if we got behind them and supported them rather than you trying to cast dispersions while trying to wind up any readers than are gullible enough to listen to you. Firstly, your opinion only matters to one person – you. I’m quite sure you like to watch from the stands and love to shout your opinions and advice for all to hear. I’m sure you think you know more about the beautiful game than you actually do. If that was the case maybe you should be some sort of consultant relating to transfers and tactics, rather than writing for an opinionated website whose writers are regularly contradicting themselves. Regarding our transfer window and policy, the reality is, with a limited budget, new PSR guidelines and a lot of transfers to try and get sorted, there were never going to be enough players of consequence to fill the squad in an ideal way. Also, I’m not sure how you seem to think you have the inside track on the transfer strategy, is it written in stone somewhere that J-Lo and Tim said they are only going for players of a certain age? And even if it is written in stone, I’d say it’s still their decision if they want to change it or consider other options that become available. One thing I do know is that it’s definitely nothing to do with you! I’m quite positive that any player that is available and is considered of value, decent and of use to us will be considered. I’m sure you also understand that just because someone has been linked to West Ham it doesn’t actually mean there is genuine interest in the player, it could be rumours being put out there by their club or agent. But if you do know that, then you obviously seem to have selective memory when its suits just so you can post something about it anyway. You guys really do like to make things over simplistic in the way you go about assessing situations when it suits you. But then that kind of limited assessment makes it easier to slander and moan about circumstances. And finally, I’m quite sure Tim and J-Lo’s opinion is the one that matters, and with their vast experience, will know what is available and what they consider they need. They may even be putting false rumours out there to cover the targets they are after. Or maybe they should listen to your advice considering your vast coaching experience while sat in the stand. I just love how you say you like to respectfully disagree and then write a whole article spouting the kind of sh*t this place is getting too well known for! Sorry Martin, but you were a breath of fresh air when you very first started posting, now it seems the powers that be at C&H have sent you on the same training course they have all been on and infected your once enjoyable writing with their own negative slant and click bait style! 😂🤣
Well, at least there wasn’t any foul language. Hope you feel better for that.’The mouthpiece for unrest’ – you made me laugh this morning.