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Gale reckons an Arnautovic takeaway was best bet

Former Hammers hero Tony Gale has added his voice to those who believe Marko Arnautovich should have been allowed to walk rather than be granted a new West Ham deal.

And that verdict falls in line with the results of a ClaretandHugh poll asking whether the Hammers were correct to offer him another year on his present agreement or not.

Sixty per cent, like Gale, believe he should have been allowed to move on rather than stay at the club under what appears to have been duress for a deal.

It recalls his last days at Stoke where he was offered and accepted a new contract before leaving for the Hammers – there’s previous.

The Austrian is set to head up the Irons’ attacking efforts at Molienux tonight and it may be an advantage that we are away as he makes his comeback with not all fans happy at the activities of the last few weeks.

Gale told Love Sport Radio.: “Undoubtedly West Ham are a better team when Arnautovic plays, if he wants to play,” Gale told Ian Stone’s Comedy Breakfast (weekdays 6.30am-10.30am) on

“But I’d have got rid of him. It kind of brought apathy into the camp before a game like the one against Wimbledon.

“It’ll be interesting now to see what kind of reception he gets off the fans because they know that was a money-instigated move.

“People will be asking him now: ‘What sort of money do you want?’

“Would he rather win the FA Cup or Carabao Cup and maybe have an outside chance of getting into the Europa League, or does he want to go to China, where you can probably go when you’re about 32, and pick up a few more quid?

“I think there was a bit of greediness involved there.”

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

12 comments on “Gale reckons an Arnautovic takeaway was best bet

  1. So basically Gale, is saying we should of buckled and accepted a way lower amount for Arnautovic then we value him at. Basically done the same thing we did with Payet.

    I think the manger and the board deserve credit to how they have handled this, if Arnautovic is now motivated until the end of the season, and scores us lots of goals them brilliant.

    Then in the summer he can be sold, for what we value him at, and have the money to buy a decent replacement of his quality.

    It’s easy to criticize, but you have to look at the facts first to see the bigger picture.

    Our number one target is not available until the summer.
    His buy out clause, is more than 31 million offer which was on the table.

    Now if Arnautovic is motivated, and perform well until the end of the season, if anything he could be worth more money, and we will be in a better position all around. We will be able to sell him for a decent amount and have the money to get our number one target, not panic buy a replacement because we cannot get Pellegrini’s first choice replacement.

    Not to mention, the example it sets for other clubs who want to buy our players, they will know that we will sell on the cheep if we get pressured.

    So as I say It’s easy to criticize for the sake of it, but think first.

    • Completely agree with you! It’s like politics in here; easy to be opposing, all you need to do is point fingers and not have any (viable) solutions for whatever problem.

      1. Accept a bid below valuation?*
      2. Who would replace him?
      3. And the one no one asks: If you were happy in your current job, but was offered a similar job in a less known yet emerging company for a whole lot more money – would you take it? Would you host leaving drinks, waving those close goodbye?

      Football is fresher than lettuce and no one remembers (the good) longer than their finger tips, the good is taunted as legends. Was Arny not a mercenary when we got him? Are you surprised?

      Football is emotional. Football SHOULD be emotional, but the level of money involved I’m surprised so few people think about it rationally.

      I’m glad Pelle does!

      *Lately, Dimi Payey situation has been portrayed, here and other places, as a “he needed to go back for personal reasons,” yet no one states those reasons?

  2. Nobody knows how he will perform for the rest of the season. But we know for sure he could not have contributed anything if we had l him go! I doubt that we would have got a replacement at this stage. And that would have left us with a group of strikers who on present form would not strike fear into any defence. OK we are out of all the cups so what is there to play for? Well there are the supporters, who have had two seasons of utter tripe. Well, more like 5 with 2015/16 in the middle. So a run in of something like 25 points would leave me a happy Hammer in May.

  3. While I agree with Tony 100% I voted yes because it has been evident for some time that the rest of our strikers couldn’t find the back of the net if you provided them with binoculars, a compass and a map so keeping Arnauotvic is the best of a bad deal.

  4. Considering the rubbish we’ve got as back-up for Arnie, surely we would need to sign an adequate replacement. Tony Gale was always one of my favorite players, but he doesn’t say who he would have signed.

  5. Couldn’t agree more … should have got rid of him and let the team settle down . The saga surrounding the Austrian definitely effected the team against Wimbledon … Apathy a good word for it ., didn’t need to make new contract and should have let him rot . Always said his recent influence on the dressing room is something we don’t need . If he scores tonight it will just be another goal for West Ham United , , not for him though . I want to see West Ham have a positive result without the Austrian getting any sort of acclaim whatsoever .
    ****Him .

  6. I am going to try and be balanced here , we couldn’t let him go for peanuts and it is difficult to replace him this time of year . If we sell in the summer and get the going price we have money to reinvest . If Arnie gives his all he is a real asset and getting on his back I guess would not help his performances. We have to accept the situation and help the team push on , the only way we can do that is to support the lads including Arnie. I don’t think what he done is right but we need to let it go now for the sake of our team. I really hope we can get Gomez , that would be an awesome signing let’s hope we can at least get that done . Give your all tonight lads 110% , you can win together . COYI ⚒

  7. Anyone know any good streams to watch the game tonight ? I agree we shouldn’t have sold him for peanuts, I am not so sure about the new contract unless it has a buyout clause of £50m plus included.

  8. The very fact that we’re out of the Cups is the reason we don’t need this disloyal, sulking money-grabber anymore; even with the squad we’ve got, we should be good enough for mid-table(forget Europe, that dream’s well and truly over, and to be quite honest, we haven’t the quality of players to compete there, anyway). Get Rid; I hate think what his attitude, and now the ‘award’ of an improved contract has done to the team’s moral???

  9. I don’t blame Arnie 1 little bit. Can anyone on here really say they wouldn’t have been tempted by the kind of money he was offered? That said I dont believe he should have been given a new contract. The 2 Daves should have said you can go in the summer and not before. If you don’t want to play then fine, play in the reserves or sit in the stands.

  10. What does sitting him in the stands achieve? We pay him to do nothing for the rest of the season? By not playing him we watch his selling price plummet. We also suffer because we don’t have another decent forward. So that’s 3 downsides for us, what do we gain from such a crazy decision? I just can’t see any upside for the club or the fans.

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