Hammers get left behind in transfer wars

Hammers get left behind as rivals strengthen

I’m completely baffled by West Ham’s lack of activity during this winter transfer window. Given the appointment of a director of football at the club, I had assumed some of the old issues had gone away.

West Ham does seem to have a tradition of waiting until the window has opened before deciding who to sign. However, with the recruitment of Tim Steidten, I had foolishly assumed that scouting would be done in October and November. This would have allowed us to make a purchase early in January and avoid scrambling around with uncertainty.

Familiar story for Hammers

Unfortunately, The Hammers have left it late again, as a result it cost us a place in the FA Cup. It’s plain for all to see that the squad is not strong enough, with our substitutes unable to bridge the gap between the first team and the bench.

Yet here we are again, paralysed with inactivity. We’re highly likely to face Sheffield United with a very similar team to that which couldn’t beat Bristol City over 180 minutes. If Chris Wilder has any sense at all, he’ll have worked out that West Ham can’t score goals. He’ll also have noted that we’re susceptible to bullying and I’d expect him to exploit both.

I don’t buy the well-worn cliché that it’s impossible to buy in January either. Lyon has just purchased Gift Orban (remember him?) from Gent for £10m. Brighton managed to fill a West Ham problem position with Valentin Barco for the same amount.

Players are available, and at a good price too. So would appear that in this transfer window, West Ham are either disinterested, incompetent, or so sure everyone will be fit for the remainder of the season that they’re not bothering