I’m probably about to make myself more unpopular in many areas than is already the case but the CandH news that manager Slaven Bilic appears to have put the block on Kelechi Iheancho is the right decision.
Slaven Bilic is the manager and if at the end of a lengthy process he had second thoughts about the deal, fair play. That’s the name of the game.
He has to decide who are the best players for the team and personally I never really fancied this deal from the start because I didn’t really believe it was fair to him.
Iheanacho had a run of games in the Premier League and scored goals for City but as someone said about someone else at our club, he needed to prove he wasn’t a one season or in the striker’s case half a season wonder!
Manchester City clearly aren’t sure about him themselves which is why they are letting him out and have made sure there’s a buy back clause attached which will allow them to take him from any club he joins from next season onwards. Cake and eat it come to mind – we are better than that!
Put yourself in Slaven Bilic’s position assuming – and there are no certainties – that the lad is successful. This time next year he could be right ‘s back to square one as the lad disappears back to the Etihad.
You can hear the moans and groans now as everybody from the chairmen to the tea lady is blamed for putting such a deal together in the first place.
Yes, I know there is an argument that says we could get our money back plus 40 or 50 pc and that this would buy us someone even better but given the number of “top” strikers who have snubbed us for other clubs it doesn’t hold up really.
It’s not always about money but top strikers wanting the top clubs so an extra £12m to £15m for let’s say one season of Iheanacho is all well and good but it doesn’t really help to any great extent in the bigger and longer term picture.
For me such a deal always smacked or short-termism and dare I say short-sightedness. We move on!
agree Hugh. I never liked the deal either. Problem is the top 3 on our short list have disappeared in one day. Lukaku goes to Man U so chelsea could keep Michy. Giroud is likely staying at Arsenal ( or to Everton from another source ), and now this. So I think plenty of our supporters will have cause to grumble a bit.
An overrated player then , Hugh . At the other end of the scale I suppose Grey is underrated
What is the average fan supposed to think ??. Is Bilic up to the job ? , that’s another question being conveniently dodged . Maybe he is and maybe he’s not , who knows at this early stage . The only certainty is that we need goal scorers and attacking midfielders .
Where are they and when can we welcome them is the burning question , not whether we should have signed X instead of Y .
Totally back Bilic’s decision, great decision but it will be only fully vindicated when we sign the striker we want. I sincerely hope its not Hernandez or Giroud.
Have to say Hugh, I agree with you. Just looked at some stats for Iheanacho and Andre Gray. Andre Gray has a better goals to game ratio for last season. If you factor in the two teams they play for, Gray’s record looks even better on the basis that I can’t imagine Burnley creating more changes per game than Man City. If Iheanacho comes good, West Ham lose a player leaving us back to square one. If Gray comes good, West Ham have a player that cost £10 million less (potentially) and hold all the trump cards if they choose to sell. Gray and Hernedez for me. In Slav, I trust.
If Bilic felt this way why didn’t he say so before? We’ve been linked with him since the season ended and it’s taken Bilic 6 weeks to say this? If it really was his decision, Sulluvan has every reason to be annoyed as it would suggest they have our a lot of effort into this. Unless the Board are trying to deflect blame into Bilic because Ihenacho has chosen Leicester over us.
Welcome to east London, Mr Troy Deeney!
Iheanacho has best goal record in Premier League history ever! scoring a goal every 96 minutes – last year was his second season in the premiership, unproven? don’t make me laugh! Our owners are pathetic!!!!!
Now there is some great logic!!!!
Bilic is the one thats being held responsible for pulling the pin on the done deal and its the owners fault who had struck said deal by all accounts.
Which remedial class were you in??
Exactly 21 goals in 46 apps over 2 years. He is more experience in the premier than Gray is. Anduch more of a finisher. City are selling bc they have 2 great strikers and are buying another. Even Pep used him ahead of Aguero before Jesus. And let us be realistic for Us that is a good striker. But Bilic is horrible at development I go as far to say he Is scared of youth.
We aren’t going to get Aguero here so there is a middle ground and Kelechi has proven over 2 years he can score and assist more than AC has and Gray. With less time at that.
Bilic is so scared to get it right he wants all experienced veterans and that will be bad in long run
You believe the party line? more fool you…. they’ve sold all the season tickets – welcome to another season of mediocrity. There’s no way Slav has changed his mind after weeks of trying – Iheanacho is off elsewhere and the owners are trying to save face at the expense of Bilic. It’s not rocket science, it bang obvious.
Fair enough if that’s Bilic’s decision, I must say I’m not all that keen on Andre Gray – I saw him last year and he didn’t impress.
I hope Bilic knows what he’s doing, we definitely need some quality up front and, as others have already said, I can’t get it out of my mind that he was keen on Goken Tore last year!
“Manchester City clearly aren’t sure about him themselves which is why they are letting him out” ….. he’s up against Aguero and Jesus!!!!
For me, Hernandez, Giroud or Baty, they’ll all bag 20 goals a season 💯 .
Andre Gray — No wayyyyyy. So bang average and boring!!
This does a indeed feel like a lot of wasted time and effort for what and the concern is we appear to be no nearer any signing let alone the strikers we need. If it is correct that Bilic is concentrating on Hernandez and Jimenez then that is also of concern because unless we are going to blow rivals forbtheir signature out of the water with what we bid and offer there are bigger teams interested in both and where will that leave us. If we end up with Gray alone then I am sorry we are in trouble and Bilic is finished; I hope that is not the case and the owners have truly learned from last summer and looking to pay back those 52000 season ticket holders for their loyalty.
Classless to blame Bilic publicly. This has David Sullivan stamped all over it. I’ll bet Bilic never wanted Iheanacho from the start. WH need a proper Dof F in charge not someone playing pass the parcel and FM17…
nail on the head whilltell!
Everything’s ok we’ve got a priceless unique, unplayable, relegation busting poppadom on the books who is only a couple of months away from fitness 😀 Not forgetting the return of the English Iniesta who’ll be back spraying his sideways and backwards passes again and running around like a bloke who’s smoked a bag of weed 😀 No point panicking gents all is rosy in the West Ham Garden 😆
Ffs where are Bubs & Matte when you need them 😁
Probably don’t fancy posting on the all new daily moaning and depression based “Dignitas” forum Rads 😀😀
Let’s take a look at some of the strikers Bilic has brought into the club.
Gokhen Tore, Jonathan Calleri, Simone Zaza, Sofine Feghouli, Nikica Jolavic, Emmanuel Emenike, Robert Snodgrass. Do Me a favour, its time for him to GO.
While all of em ain’t great at least you can’t blame him for the Poppodom princess and old balsa back who we cant give away with a happy meal😆 No that honour goes to the fat useless sack of ****e who seems to be the messiah still to his loyal minions 😂😂
🙂 🙂 🙂
If we hang on until Nacho’s court case is settled,[ which could perhaps drag into next month ] and he then picks another club, where would that leave us?
He’s picked another club. He’s going to Leicester.
Am i missing some key elemnts here…who apart from ‘a source” has given any credence to this story..anyone from the club hierachy….or is it the normal lynch mob mentality on sites as per…
Well it’s on sky sports, BBC etc that we’ve pulled out and he’s going to Leicester so….
I read he couldnt join Leicester yet because of the court case….and he is still on holiday…yeah clearly we have pulled out but im not at home so am not up with all developments…so wanted to know was this all stemming only from ‘a source’ or official from the club…thanks though…
It’s definitely not official from what I’ve read but it does seem we have pulled out for some reason or another.
Right oh…thanks schauthing…i will read more on it when i get home…cheers…
Let’s move on……… Next. I hope it’s not Andre Gray.
They supposedly bid £20m in a mystery striker
Not sure who it is not Chicharito he is £13m but £140k not Gray tho we look in for him which not excited about.
I would like Babacar 24 plays for Foirentinia AFC 8th in series A 6’3″ scored 51 goals 15 assists in 133 games. Not to shabby yea
We are a joke – we actually find someone willing to join our illustrious club, with all our TOP 12 ambitions and we pull out – what on earth is going on – I’m sure we have a huge line of strikers just waiting to join.
Looks like Antonio up front again after the inevitable Injuries during training season.
West ham board remind me of my tight arse grandad who bought a car phone charger from swanley market saying it would work as good as the one from carphone warehouse.but it was a moody one that only worked now and again and spent most of the time in the draw. Well done gollivan yet again the show your grandad side.
Everybody on here is overlooking the simple fact that we already have on our books one world class striker, made up of Andy Carroll’s head ( unplayable on its day), one of his legs ( not the one with the dodgy knee) ,one of Sakho’s legs (not the one with the dodgy thigh) & Valencia’s feet ( unless we have already sold him). We have the technology. Keep the faith you Hammers.
What no mention of group captain Douglas badder 64 ? He could at least supply the lubricating joint oil 🙂