Marko milks the applause with a possible goodbye wave – it’s his way you see
I’ve had Marko tagged as “Hollywood” Arnie for several months!
The late departures from the action apparently with ‘injury’ which keeps us talking about him during the next week, whilst milking the adulation as he departs; the regular talk of a move to big clubs and all the rest of it seems to be meat and drink to the striker.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m extraordinarily grateful that his goals kept us in the Premier League last season and he rightly won most of the Hammers awards going.
But I hardly feel the same way about his possible departure that I would have done had Sir Trev, Bonzo and PDC had left the club
These are legends and I’m afraid Arnie doesn’t come anywhere near them in my thinking.
He was the best of a poor bunch under David Moyes who in reality takes most of the credit for him getting the chance to earn a reported £300k a week with those Chinese greats!!!!
If he’s going then fine but it won’t be – as reported on the site elsewhere – for 35 million euros when we are seeing the likes of Callum Wilson linked with Chelsea for £75 million.
The fee offered by the unnamed Chinese club is a joke and needs to be doubled at the very least if the club are to let him go in this window.
The absolute minimum the club should consider is £45 million although I am not among those who believe Manuel Pellegrini will be looking for fortunes to replace him.
He and Mario Husillos have a world wide network of contacts and will, I’m convinced, find a very good striker tucked away in South America or elsewhere, as they did a defender in Fabian Balbuena at £4 million.
ClaretandHugh has been told with great emphasis that the decision on whether Arnautovic stays or goes is entirely down to the manager and if Pelle decides he can go then clearly he doesn’t fancy him as much as Arnie may fancy himself!
Pelle’s decision will speak volumes on what he thinks of the player and it maybe one that will come as a shock to the Austrian.
Yes, he’s been good for us at a low point in our history but we have a new hero now in Declan who is a Hammer to his backbone and others such as Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop, Zaba, Nasri are becoming new top men for us.
Then there’s the return of Manu Lanzini to look forward to so – as is always the case at times like this – we move on with appreciation and offering our Austrian friend best wishes for the rest of his life.
Not, however, at the ridiculous price being mentioned at this stage!
45mil is a joke as well ..this is ‘all going to end in tears with the club suffering due to !lack of goals when he goes and in turn all the hard work over the last few months will mean nothing ..Will the club ever stand upto players doing this ..I don’t think anyone realise how bad this will hit us …you can certainly kiss our slim euro chance good bye…let’s see if this post says I said balls in the last one and it got took down 😂😂😂
the thought that Pellegrini and Husillos might have close to 60 million (obiang –10 million) to buy new players sound very exciting ……and zatan for 6 months would be crazy..
Totally agree with you Hugh – “Legend” status among West Ham fans isn’t just about scoring, it’s about Loyalty first and foremost – we’ve been supporting for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and more years …. legends aren’t made in 18 months #COYI
Good piece hugh it takes a long time and great deeds to become a legends our last legend
Di Canio is held in ore still Nobody talks about Payat anymore and in a year fans will have forgotten about arnie
I have faith that pelly will do what is required
Like buttons for your posts would be great 🙂 Totally agree with your analysis. Plus I have been following Anrie since he played Bundesliga and I’m surprised he made it that far. Hard work can be rewarding at times, as it seems.
Hope he gets his children air pollution masks
35m + Hulk – He is 32 but still prolific and would suit the PL
Spot on HUGH legends are players who give there all for the club. I would however put Noble in that list as he is also a true hammer who loves the club
Pelle will get shot if the money is right. If they are going to pay him 400k a week they can afford upwards of £60m probably £70m.
I have mentioned on previous posts, sell him for as much as poss. We score goals without him, I think 12 or 13 without him in December. We all know how he can be game changer, however we do not need a toxic situ in the changing room. SELL and move on, we have players that will step up to the plate. As Hugh say’s, he hasn’t earn’t a legend status. Maybe over the past 10 years or so we have become a bit desperate and we feel that when a player like Arnie comes along it would be disaster to lose him, not always the case, and in Pelle I trust.to do the right thing.COYI
You just know, should he go in this window, we won’t have the necessary time to replace him. This would leave us a striker light, albeit quids in.
Do the board have the minerals to let him know he’s signed a contract, for £x amount per year, and he WILL honour it, on the proviso he’ll be allowed to leave at seasons end.
If he doesn’t like it, fine, stick him on the bench, or don’t select him at all.
No win or appearance bonus. We do after all still hold his registration.
I would normally say just get rid of the moody ****, but am getting sick of these extraordinarily overpaid players taking the p***!
So long as they don;t think Calum Wilson will replace Arnie….
I’m fed up with these big egos disrupting our season half way through. I’ve had enough of it. When we gave into Payets demands mid season we set a precedent really. They say you should never give into terrorists or blackmailers. Give one of them an inch and in the future others will be back for a mile or more. I suppose it’s impossible to put a clause in a contract that a player doesn’t leave mid season in the January window if we need them till the end of the season. But maybe what we could get in the future before we sign these super egos is some kind of gentleman’s agreement that they will honour our club by not wanting out mid season thus disrupting our season, in return for which, if they really want out that much we will arrange to let them go at the end of the season. In this instance though, with Arnie it’s too late. I say get him out as soon as possible. Fir at least 50 million bare minimum. Or possibly a player cash swap deal for Hulk and or Oscar from the Chinese club. Both are Brazilian and would link up well with Anderson.
Spot on post my son nobody will worry about another greedy player and agent once his gone to a Chinese league nobody cares about and never will. It’s a graveyard for all but the old finishing their careers good luck to them but winning medals really the brother is as stupid as his greed for even mentioning that. Just should say we want mega cash now in a crap league which means nothing to all fans of football and never will.
Hulk and Oscar moved to China in their prime
Why is everyone so fast throwing him under the bus? Arnie has still not spoken, he has worked hard and given his all for us when he plays (Inc Saturday ). You fans have this notion of “he owes us” and that he turns out of nowhere; quite similar to yourselves!? Or have you mentioned he is a selfish diva who don’t care for West ham all season? I suggest we wait and see how this plays out, maybe he leaves, maybe he stays until summer, maybe he stays longer. All you guys know is his brother had been in the media again (yes, ****e agents), and for some wicked reason he might fancy becoming a multi-millionaire, setting up his future after a fairly short career (footballers in general). Regardless of what happens I will thanks Arnie for putting a shift in, getting goals, increasing the workrate of those around
Never legend material in a million years . So i won’t go there . In fact I wouldn’t put him in the Premiership top six . If he was as good as some say he is then surely a top Premiership club would have tried for him . Yes he scored some vital goals for us but , then again so did other payers . We have scored goals without him and will continue to do so . His body language is all wrong for a player wanting to stay ,,,,, let him go for £50m and to hell with it .
We don’t need players that sulk and could infect the dressing room with negativity .
I think we can trust Pelligrini to do the right thing in the interest of West Ham . If we don’t find the right replacement this month we most certainly will in the summer . Our chances of
Europe have more or less evaporated anyway . Arnautovic should do the honorable thing and come clean one way or the other .
COYHAMMERS,,, life goes on .
I’ve said it a few times now. Since Anderson has come to form and people are praising him rather than Arnie, the Austrians head has dropped. He HATES that he’s not the main man anymore. That said, he has served the club well. We all knew we were buying a mercenary when we got him let’s not kid ourselves.
I think some people who are defending him miss the point of most criticisms. If he wants to move for vastly improved money,OK. Don’t give us the winning things argument.
If he really wants to go, why not do it the right way. Namely at the end of the season instead of putting us, the team he professes to love, in the impossible position of finding a suitable replacement in January. If it’s only his brother mouthing off to get him a pay rise surely Arnie should issue his own statement to let the club and his loyal fans know exactly what is happening. There are ways to get what he wants without kicking West Ham and its fans in the teeth.
Good point Mooro, I wonder if it might be an option, you can sign a preagreement at £50m but you leave at the end of the season.