WITH the newly promoted sides – Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley – making a far better fist of picking up points than last season’s lame ducks, the Premier League relegation question is likely to go down to the wire in May with far more competition than in 2024/5: Early indications suggest six or seven clubs including West Ham United are likely to be slugging it out near the bottom.
Which means the January transfer window will be crucial to each and every one of those sides who are at risk of the dreaded drop.
Most, we hear, are scouting and planning for buying in January already: West Ham, by contrast, have just fired their head of recruitment, Kyle Macaulay, having only appointed him in February at the cost of over a million in compensation.
With no Technical Director – no Tim Steidten-like figure, the club are rudderless right now when they should be planning, scouting and preparing bids. These need preparation if they are to succeed in the face of big competition from other sides near the foot of the league.
No leader for player recruitment spells ‘trouble ahead’
It is tough enough trying to schmooze players to come to Stratford without the added ‘situations vacant’ sign hanging over the door of the recruitment department.
Well we recall the cock up of the Ezechiel Banzuzi negotiations of last winter when Karren Brady took charge.. with predictable, disastrous consequences.
What are the club doing to appoint a new head of recruitment? Not a lot, as far as we can ascertain. ‘Woefully underprepared‘, then, is the likely status come the window opening in January – which is just ten weeks away.
The absence of a ‘big hitter’ to lead recruitment in January could well be the final nail in the West Ham Premier League coffin. If the club surprises us all and announce a new head of recruitment – not just an upgrade for a backroom ‘stats’ man – then I’ll be the first to congratulate them. But I’m not holding my breath.
Whatever Tim Steidten is doing now, I’ll bet he looks back at West Ham’s predicament and laughs.
Yes but this is what Sulivan is like, hopeless and unorganised. We may get lucky and stay up, but that won’t be because of something Sulivan has done.
I thought Sullivan had taken complete control of transfer strategy with he’s little helper Brady and he’s preferred agents Salthouse etc. Nuno preferred agent apparently is Mendes. What could possibly go wrong. Watch this space.
Why do I feel physically sick every time I hear Karen Brady’s name in the same sentence involving making football decisions
Players come for money, pay the wages and they will come, no matter who picks up the phone.
With respect, Dave, I think we have had enough of players coming just for the money. For example Rodriguez, Aguerd, Ings, etc. We need young and ambitious players, not players who are looking for big money on a long contract.