David Moyes has admitted he can’t do the due diligence he would like on incoming signings in the January transfer window saying he has been staying late to watch videos, make phone calls and look at 
information on Wyscout. He conceded he would rather have his own scouts and watch the players himself but time has not been on his side in this window.
The manager told reporters gathered at a Rush Green press conference yesterday: “I’ve got to say, even the boy we’re trying to sign now (Tomas Soucek), we’ve done as much as we honestly could. I’ve been here till 7 o’clock every night watching stuff, tapes, phone calls, trying to build up a picture of all the people who are getting put in. Somebody said it the other day, there might be 150 players put into me even since I’ve come here. Every agent thinks they’ve got a player you should sign and the media have got all the names. In truth, what do you normally sign? Two players, maybe a maximum of three. There’s so much you’re trying to filter. You’re trying to have a look at the players and while you might think you’ve got a really good knowledge of football, who’s to say that you know somebody in Slovakia or the French league? We just don’t know everybody. That’s the bit where it takes up the time. In truth my style would have always been to have my scouts and all the people there who’ve done it and had information. It’s been a whirlwind, this one, I’ve got to say.”
To be honest, as a manager you stand or fall by the signings you make and due diligence as a manager is 100% necessary.
Personally I’d hate to be in that position because as supporters we all have an idea of the players that we’d like, but in truth, you CAN’T have a team full of Lionel Messi’s, even if you could afford them.
If they sign a striker Antonio will end up playing RB. Great way to convince him to leave. Punish the versatile, hard workers.
Its not just about how good a player is. Its got to be about attitude and fight combined with playing quality. David Moyes isnt afforded that luxury this window. But hopefully he can get his own scouts inplace soon. Good luck Moyes
Making a panic signing doesn’t work.We have enough crap players already and don’t need anymore.It always seems to go down to the wire with an over the top transfer fee out of desperation.
Thanks for this article, Sean Whetstone. Very well put. Just based on these utterances, one can deduct that Manager Moyes has quite a job on his hands. What with all of our expensive players off the boil, and a team struggling to perform… he is now left to do an evaluation of possible signings … without scouts?
Wow, West ham we are we going, really? Is this how professional we really are? Why are there no scouts operating? Surely even before Moyes came, scouts should have been out there looking for and evaluating possible signings?
One can only hope we are gonna get this right before cut-off, and not add more to the already bunch over overpaid divas.
Then again, do we needs scouts to evaluate O.Giroud? Come on West Ham. What’s up with this massive opportunity to get Giroud in at half the cost of other flops?
Coyi. God bless West Ham !!!!
Simon, I think the board were caught out with Pelle and Husillos situation. I think they put their trust in them to identify the talent. Husillos as a DOF as such with contacts everywhere. Unfortunately we have now all seen that this trust was misplaced and we are now caught with our pants down. Hopefully they will take note of Moyes and he will guide them into getting a proper structure in place that remains regardless of who the manager is.
If he watches so much footage of each and every player, how the hell did Sanchez even get a start at the weekend?
“ I’ve been here till 7 o’clock every night watching stuff, tapes, phone calls, trying to build up a picture of all the people who are getting put in”
I think this quote from David Moyes shows a distinct lack of commitment. He only stays until 7pm?
David Sullivan always worked 24/7 on transfers 🙂
Personally I’m hoping that Moyes can just about keep us up with squad and with whatever’s additions he gets in by Friday. If we stay up, he then has the whole of the summer to shape the squad to what he wants, ship out the deadwood who are just here for the salary and start to build things to his way of working.
He is saying all the right things for me. He wants to recruit young players, isn’t interested in has beens or players no one else wants and wants a proper scouting set up. You can also bet your bottom dollar than he will be banging the drum for a state of the art upgrade to the training facilities.
People may disagree but given time Moyes May become the best manager we have seen at West Ham in the last 2-3 decades. His record at Everton and win rate at Manure speak for themselves and he has spent a lot of his recent time in Europe looking at the structures in place for attracting and nurturing young talent.
I think Moyes needs West Ham but I think West Ham, particularly the board, need him more. If we stay up, I would suggest that we will really see the true intentions of GSB with Moyes at the helm
The trouble is HammerJK we have been saying ‘next season will be different’ for a long time now. If he is buying players with limited research that you are committed to if you stay up,then even if they help you to scrape home this year you are saddled with them next year ( unless they are pure short term loans). That means that in our case there will be very little money for Moyes to start building a proper squad. So it is another season of make do. And so it goes on.
All the time we have been saying that there has been no continuity. Chopping and changing managers so regularly that there has never been an opportunity to get some actual stability or progress. Bar BFS, none of our recent management choices have had any consistency. Bilic was too inexperienced and Pelle was over the hill and his footballing style is outdated now.
I think it’s clear from what Moyes has been saying for weeks now that he gets that football has moved on and he has spent his time studying this while out of work. So we already know that he isn’t stuck in his ways and he is an older dog that is defo looking to learn new tricks
The idea of a dof should be that if the manager is replaced the recruitment structure remains.
It defeats the purpose to have a dof that is effectively hired by the manager, then you end up with the exact situation we are now in. With no dof and no scouts.
Sorry but these guys do know how to make a mess of things.