Very welcoming news in the last 24 hours as ‘striker’ rumours run back and forth across news and blog sites. You may have missed it amongst the West Ham news headlines shouting ‘Rodrigo Muniz‘,’ Evan Ferguson’,’Taiwo Awoniyi’, Andre Silva’ or even perennial Callum Wilson– but there was a note of sanity hidden away amongst the headlines.
For even as these names are all reported as being ‘West Ham targets’ in the January window as the Hammers race to bolster their broken and battered toothless front line – it seems there is a new, firm hand on the tiller. Instead of the August 2024 set-up with Steidten, Lopetegui and Sullivan all hell-bent on bringing their own choices into the club, there is increasing sway being placed on the head coaches’ opinion instead of just repeating past mistakes and bringing in players that – especially in the Summer- Lopetegui didn’t want or subsequently use.
Hidden away within the sub text lies the clue. Despite rumours circulating from the usual sources such as Sky’s Florian Plettenberg over Awoniyi, bild.de reporting Silva’s interest to West Ham or talkSPORT’s claims over Muniz, the most telling comment I found was the reassuring comment from a Hammers’ spokesman via hammers.news that ‘The manager is not sure about any of the choices.” Note the word ‘manager’!
Could be indecision, could be bluff and bluster, could be a smokescreen simply to hide the true target. All of which have been true in the past. But reassuringly enough, Graham Potter would appear to be at the frontline of the search rather than ‘just’ coaching the squad.
A manager in everything other than name, then. And on his first week in charge, that bodes well for the window and for the club.
We certainly need a striker, however talks of relegation are as far fetched as signing Rashford.
God every day I come on hoping we signed someone and every day just same rumors and no bids that we hear of …going to be bad i think ..if they don’t get a forward orceven 2 with the injuries,we could well get dragged in to relagation battle…we were lucky against Fulham but we can’t keep relying on other teams being worse and giving us goals ..
.come on for god sake
We are 10 points clear of the relegation zone and 9 points off of 6th. We have a very slim chance of being involved in a relegation battle, in my opinion.
I also don’t think Fulham gave us goals on Tuesday night. I think we put them under pressure with a high, energetic press that forced errors. That’s not luck, that’s an effective strategy.
I like the idea of Muniz who is the right age and would be a far better prospect than Silva who would be another journeyman centre forward that has come to the club in similar crises of our own making in the past
Now if Graham Potter has a say and can’t get Muniz I would like him to buy Callum Marshall out of his season long loan at Huddersfield (6 goals in 19) which surely would be a cheaper option that the others being discussed and give him the chance to lead the line until Bowan is fit…..give our youth a chance
Yet we had Moyes choosing players like Maguire who fortunately he didn’t get, and Phillips who unfortunately he did, and Ward-Prowse who hasn’t worked out so well. I’m sure there’s more if I put my mind to it. It’s almost like we’ve gone round full circle.
Good point but surely it’s better than having someone else choosing players for you!
And has to be better than a coach+tech director+owner free-for-all.
Yeah, I prefer a manager to a head coach. Doesn’t mean he has to take time to go out and talk to people about it. Just to say who, or what type, he wishes to get into the squad.
The likes of Steidten can do the checking out and work. Your guess is better than mine who does the negotiating and money side.
Hopefully there is no hierarchy either – rather a partnership.