David Gold has declared publicly what ClaretandHugh has been telling it’s followers for several weeks this summer – ignore speculation on any West Ham signing apart from front men!
The media has been full of rumours that any number of midfielders will be on their way to the club – including bookies’ favourite Jack Wilshere.
But Gold made the position crystal clear on TalkSPORT saying: “We are interested in all good players but we have to face the facts here – we have got good midfielders.
“We have got a good defence, we have got good midfielders, we have got good wingers. We need strikers and that is the key to everything for this season so we are focused first and foremost on bringing in two strikers.”
We have regularly confirmed that Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are also on out wanted list and Gold admiitted they were precisely the type of players Slaven Bilic wants to bring in.
He said: “It’s clear to most fans that we are desperate for centre-forwards. Andy Carroll is injury-prone as we know, we have had an injury problem with [Diafra] Sakho and we have just got to bring in centre-forwards. We have got to find the money.
“Without strikers, you struggle in the Premier League. You struggle in any division because strikers are your key players.
“You have to spend your money wisely but it must be on strikers, particularly strikers that have had experience with Premier League football – the very best we can afford.
“We were actually flirting for some time with relegation because we couldn’t score goals. That is why we have got to bring in players with Premier League experience and that is what we are working on now.”
Good defence!
We shipped two goals a game. it doesn’t matter how good your forwards are if you have to score 3 or 4 goals to get some points.
All this nonsense means one of two things:
1. Every striker we go after will see their price go up because every now knows we’re desperate; or
2. It’s a smokescreen meaning we’re going after midfielders, defenders etc.
If, as this place keeps telling us, we are just after strikers then its a really idiotic way of doing business telling the world what we’re after. I sometimes wonder how these guys made the money they did!
Good strikers keep the ball up the other end and give your defence time to re-organise. Good strikers press the ball and force mistakes. Good strikers can put you in front and take the pressure off the whole team.I remember two seasons ago ,I didnt worry about going a goal, even two goals down. I was confident we would equalise. That was when we had good strikers who stayed fit. If your under pressure for most of the game,of course your going to concede. It’s the law of averages Good strikers keep the ball up the other end for significant periods of the game and stop their opponents from commiting so many players forward. It can only help..
easy RSRP say the wrong thing on here & the sharks will get you lol also I don’t trust the board never have never will money talks & there’s don’t im hoping to be proved wrong alot think there the messiah’s I think there the messliars
The world and his dog already knew we were after strikers before this comment. He’s hardly given away state secrets.
Some of you really do take this football malarky way way too seriously or you take yourselves too seriously im not sure which tbh.
More disappointing conclusions about the chances for youth during his next nterview. Liverpool, Southampton, and Everton manage so why not us. Previous references to the Nottingham Forest debacle when we played half a youth team out of position are not a basis to say players are not ready. The Gold comment about the 80 cup team is also inaccurate. West Ham were a second division team but still contained four internationals not one as he stated – Pearson, Lampard, Brooking and Parkes. Within a couple of years Martin, Stewart and Devonshire would also be capped. There were six academy graduates in the 12 – Brush, Martin, Pike, Allen, Lampard, Brooking – with another missing out through injury – Holland.
The win as a first division club five years earlier included Day, McDowell, Lampard, Lock, Holland and Brooking – again 6.
The opposing team in 1980 was Arsenal who apart from David Rice were all internationals. The main difference between today and then is the complete absence of players from outside the U.K. and
Ireland in 1975 and 1980.
I still think that despite this there is space for graduates to come through rather than wait until 22 or 23 – five years beyond Paul Allen. Give them a chance.
Problem is Johnny in regard to the youngsters there is so much more at stake these days. Back before we had bottom feeding scum agents and mercenary players if the team got relegated it was bad but not financial ruin. These days if a team gets relegated with the size of the wage bills ect if you dont get straight back up you are in serious trouble even with the baloon payment. I like the Ozzie rules system with a wage cap for the whole team, it evens things out some what and would make space for the youth to come through.
Best to say nothing ! David . You have alerted everyone to our needs . Price keeps rising because you can’t keep your gob shut .
Might just as well tell everyone we are playing down the left wing next week .
These are either very considered tactics or stupid ones … we are waiting , and waiting , and waiting . We were also told that TV money would secure us some very good signings .
So , the question is , basically , what’s going on .?? It seems West Ham are all at sea .
We are waiting for a pleasant surprise , will there be one ?? .
Agree with Rads, it is common knowledge Kevin that we need a striker or two because our current options are unreliable, we will have to pay whatever we have to pay to get them but with transfer prices as they are it will probably be an inflated fee compared to previous years.
So wee nedd strikers,tell us something we didnt already know.
Kev the whole world knows we want strikers he has hardly alerted anyone to our needs 😂
Or even “we need” 😀
Yeh ok , everyone but , it’s really frustrating when you think about it . Just how old exactly must you be to play Football according to West Ham ??.
Point taken that it’s no secret . But if you keep highlighting the fact it just grows into a situation where everybody becomes overpriced .
I still think not giving the younger players a chance is a huge mistake .
On here and the other site {where they’ve been going into meltdown} we read, day after day, unqualified ikfa posters pontificating on all matters West Ham. A man totally in the know states what everybody in football knows and gets slaughtered for it. He owns the club, but has no right to discuss it? Are some people so far up their own arrises that they think they are more entitled than the owner is to talk about West Ham? Grow up for Gods sake.
No he doesnt moooro because the fans who cant stop pontificating have deemed it to be wrong of him.But they live on blogs all day so they are obviously a tad deranged to start with.They must get the dt shakes if their internet provider crashes lol
Why haven’t we signed anyone yet?
Everton are spending tons, we missed out on that kid they signed, Defore has signed on down at the retirement home in Bournemouth. All these players the media keep telling me we should sign & the club do nothing…… Now the old crack head has only gone and tolď everyone that we only want strikers… aaaaahhhhh…….!!!!
Hehehe 😉
I dont like what is going on at Everton.This Moshiri connection with Usmanov at Arsenal stinks to high heaven imho..
Yeah I’m really pi$$ed off that the club didn’t pay out £8m for a kid who can’t even get a work permit for at least a year.
Do i detect a hint of sarcasm in your post essexiron.Are the drama queens getting to you lol
Mmmmmm….. maybe a little lol
This youngsters conversation really gets my hackles up.Who cared about the youngsters two seasons ago when we were pushing for Europe! Then we have a demanding season and the cry is for the youngsters to be given a shot.The same youngsters who were totally dismissed during the 15/16 season by the vast majority of fans.