Winston Reid!
In that one name you discover an awful lot about the way the Hammers have been run over several years.
It seems impossible to believe now but back in 2017 the New Zealander was handed a SIX YEAR CONTRACT by the club reported to be worth £60,000 per week which takes him through to 2023 when he reaches – in footballing terms – the ripe old age of 34.
Since that fateful day when he put pen to paper, he has spent a total of 530 days on the missing list with calf and groin strains and an absolutely appalling knee injury.
Ok, things have changed a bit since – hopefully, or as a result – with players being offered deals and options attached usually in the club’s favour.
Reid is now at Kansas City where we understand 80 per cent of his wages are being paid by the Irons, but over the length of his deal, he will have cost us around £15 million in wages without playing a game unless there is an unlikely miracle recovery.
Let me make it 100 per cent clear – this IS NOT WINSTON’S FAULT and there is no blame attached to him at all.
But the folly of handing out such lengthy contracts is incredibly dangerous and can be very costly.
Why it ever happened is beyond us.
I remember when he got this , I don’t know one person Who could believe the club had done it at the time. He had already had loads of injuries and missed loads of games.
When people say where has all the money gone, well there’s another great example .
Brady, does the contracts, shame Sugar can’t fire her.
Let’s get him back at the end of the MLS season in December. If he is under contract to us and is fit he will be a useful squad member to have at our disposal
Exactly. Come back and play with the big boys.
I think they have done similar with Lanzini giving him a three year extension just over a year ago ,despite not fully recovering from his serious injury and Pellegrini paying £24m on a direct replacement(Formals) Just like the Diangana sale and Moyes obvious dismay – David Sullivan does what he wants and takes the credit/ apportion blame on hindsight.