So there is a sense of deja vu this morning with England falling short at the final hurdle. Same as three years ago but of course, to everyone else in the Euro tournament, finishing as runners up to Spain would be a pretty good accomplishment. Three Lions supporters had just hoped for more. World Cup then, two years time. Nailed on!
In the meantime, Hammers fans could, and should, dust off their upset and ‘reset’ back into optimism mode. The first friendly is today. It’s being streamed live for free this afternoon via the club ‘You Tube’ channel, link at whufc.com . I’m looking forward to seeing new signings -hopefully- Guilherme and Kilman have an outing – (You’d hope so with a combined value of £60 million plus) and also some of the lesser known squad members deputising for our Internationals:
Will we see Maxwell Cornet? Andy Irving? ( Will we recognise him?) That alone could be like having two new signings.
The emergence into ‘squad’ players of some of the West Ham Academy youths is something also to be very optimistic about: George Earthy‘s emergence in dramatic fashion last season hopefully gets him into the senior squad with a realistic chance of match time. Exciting!
Fingers crossed that Lopetegui’s stated aim to run his eye over everyone afresh includes other Academy starlets in the making such as Kaelan Casey , Junior Robinson and Callum Marshall who must feel more positive about their own futures than under the previous regime. The pre-season friendlies will give us an inkling as to the Head Coach’s thoughts as to who gets game time.
Rumoured transfers are now mind-numbing in variety and frequency: ( Too many, admittedly, but nobody, including C and H, wants to miss the first radar ‘blip’ of real incoming players) but I’m certain there is money available for – finally – our Antonio upgrade whether Colombian, Argentinian, Moroccan, English or whatever. Progress will be rapid now the Internationals are over so further cause for optimism abounds – maybe the feint and counter feint of shadow boxing between clubs, agents and press will finish and we will actually get bodies through the door before pre season ends.
Ditto the Downes/ Southampton / KWP saga – either way now , it should get resolved pretty quickly as the pre- seasons start. I’m in the ‘Keep Downes, buy Wan- Bissaka, bin Southampton’ camp but then that is partially based on me not wanting to write about it any more!
And call me a dreamer but perhaps there could be an end to the Paqueta saga on the horizon. Just remember the F.A. are not the worlds sharpest corporation and ‘evidence’ could easily be somewhat scant. We just need closure either way.
So, embrace the start of pre-season today knowing that there will be something else for us all to focus on come 5pm. Apart from anything else I’m looking forward to seeing that damn’ fine vintage kit being worn for the first time. Trouble is it’ll only make me want to go and buy ANOTHER new shirt. Which will make 11.(Not including my Stephen Bywater Replica ‘Jobserve’ Goalkeeper Shirt which is classed as my sons… so – 12 and counting. How do I get that past my wife without her noticing? I did promise no more. COYI!
No mention of Gideon Kodua“ i hope this kid gets a look in this season
Finishing runner up is good accomplishment ..are you fking joking…..
Of course people always remember second place .🤣🤣🤣…jesus christ the luck we have had with the draw in the last 3 tournaments a decent manager would have won one of them.at least……accomplishment …what have we accomplished…played shit all tournament..got through on luck and pens ….1 half against dutch of all the football was acceptable …that was it ….absolutely awful…….yay we got to finals and lost both ..let’s get the bunting out…..all them attacking players and ive never see anyone pass the ball backwards so much ….the stupid posing pricks don’t know how privileged they are to play for there country…maybe show them picture of Terry butcher with claret all.over him and gazza in tears kissing his shirt ..you could see what it ment to him ……we were shite ..and Southgate was awful with his tactics ……Jesus christ unbelievable ….go back and stick these tossers in there club shirts and then they are world beaters …….let’s have it right we have.accomplished fk all
We lost because of Southgate playing moyesball our current drop of youngsters are as good as anybodyd. All poor passing and no movement and he selected the wrong players and tactics I would have managed England to win the tournament. For starters kane looked tired and in need of a rest he was very laboured in every game. My lineup to have won the tournament would have been, pickford, walker, Stones, Shaw, geuhi, Palmer, mainoo, saka on the left bowen on the right, rice and Watkins, toney, Bellingham, kane and the rest on the bench. Egos and tired players are no good to be in from the kick off.
He did ok, didn’t he.
I’ve just read on the West Ham Way that a deal has been agreed for Downs at £18 million.
No real mention of the KWP part. But who knows probably more rumours
There’s good reason why Downes was sent out to a Championship club on loan last season (and as a result had a successful time at that level)…. There doesn’t seem to be a flurry of top six clubs after him, or others who are our top half contemporaries, e.g. Aston Villa and Newcastle. I’m sure I watched all seven of his Prem starts for West Ham, in which they lost them all. Downes was given many more two, five or ten minute run outs off the bench when Moyes decided it was safe for him to do so, and a few starts against the pub sides in the Conference League group stage matches, with the safety net of having Lanzini beside him to mop up after he made a mistake. To say I’m underwhelmed by the 25 year old Downes is a massive understatement and to bring him back into our squad would be to the detriment to the progress of Earthy and his former youth team mates who are six or seven years younger. Bottom line is that Downes never was or will ever be good enough for West Ham and where Tim and Julen want to take them.
My cousin is a (deluded) Ipswich Town fan, but that’s another story. Anyway, he tells me that two ex-Town players he claims to know well are saying that Downes is going back to Portman Road. If that means the swap deal involving him and Walker-Peters is off, then so be it. If West Ham sign Wan Bissaka instead, then I’ll be dead happy with both transfer deals.