The fall out from Tim Steidten’s leaving of West Ham United is likely to be very public and very nasty. Both he and Julen Lopetegui- who was fired a month ahead of the former director of football- had their flag wavers in the media and we can expect plenty of mud slinging between the two.
The exhaustive report complied by Roshane Thomas and Guillermo Rai paints a depressing picture of mistakes errors and what might have been’s at West Ham, writing that Steidten’s biggest mistake was the decision to sign Niclas Fullkrug in the wake of the loss of a deal for Jhon Duran: Steidten ignored the 31 year old’s injury record and pressed on as we all know, spending £27 million. According to the article in the The Athletic ‘Inside Tim Steidten’s West Ham exit”, the authors claim:
“Sources close to Steidten say he has admitted buying Fullkrug was a mistake. He was concerned about his injury record and aware of the risk. But he felt West Ham had no other options given their need for a striker. Those sources say Steidten admits he was too naive in making things happen”. However you see it, this was an error of judgement of massive proportions. I remember my ‘Dad’s army’ tongue in cheek article at the time. Doesn’t seem funny now.
Digging deeper, there an even more ludicrous assertion made in the article:
“Another transfer he [Steidten] has since questioned is the decision to allow Nayef Aguerd to go to Real Sociedad on a season-long loan. A source close to Steidten claimed he wanted to keep the Moroccan defender, but Lopetegui did not. A source close to Lopetegui disagreed with this version of events though, saying he had also been keen for the player to stay.”
Like James Ward Prowse, Nayef Aguerd cost West Ham £30 million but was booted out on loan
They both cannot be right. Dispatched on deadline day, leaving West Ham critically short of a centre back, Nayef Aguerd’s loan without recall option to Real Sociedad is one of the landmark failings of – all of the former Hammers’ leadership. Surely someone would have realised how short this left West Ham for the season with no back up centre-back? This was, after all, the fourth most expensive player West Ham had ever signed that was just being shown the door without thought of replacement.
Aguerd has now gone on to achieve great things at Sociedad. At least he wasn’t sold. Getting him back and in the right mindset to continue his West Ham career might be tricky seeing how ‘final’ his public goodbye’s were to West Ham as he headed off to Spain.
The ludicrous situation where both the head coach and the director of football deny wanting him to leave is more proof -as if it were needed- of the chaotic Lopetegui – Steidten tug of war that their appointment created. The relief that it is now ended is instant – but the repercussions could rumble on for many months to come: West Ham took the field last week with only one fit centre back, with one injured and one suspended. Head shakingly-bad decision making and planning to which neither Steidten or Lopetegui are prepared to admit.
One word
Sullivan
Had nothing to do with loaning out Aguerd, and I’m not sure why you would think he did, based on the article.
But I get it, Moyes is gone so the whiners need a new easy target.
Even if the reports of the second bid of £57 million for Duran were true. it is obvious he would not have joined us. Even if he had joined when the original bid was made he would not have stayed long especially under Lopetegui.
Reports following his £64.5 million move to Al-Nassr state he will be earning a staggering £16.7 million a year which is £1.4 million a month and around £322,000 a week! In 1 day he will earn £46,000 or £1,900 per hour. That is double the UK’s minimum ANNUAL wage. That is more than double West Ham’s highest earner and would have shattered our squad’s wage structure.
His transfer took place after he signed a new 6 year deal in October 2024 which was set to keep him at Villa until 2030. Sorry but any suggestions that he would have joined us and stayed if we had upped our bid are just wishful thinking..
I’m sorry but I have to draw attention to one glaring fact without being a Steidten apologist, what was the worst piece of recruitment in the summer and who was SOLELY responsible for it, even though everybody else including Steidten was against it. I’ll leave that one with you.
The buck-passing suggests that either or both were not being entirely honest last summer?
Either way, Lopetegui was a bad recruit, on his direction Steidten made some costly moves and was unable to bring in some players who may have proved to be missed opportunities (Duran).
It’s disappointing to see Steidten leave, he has a big future, Lopetegui, not so much?
Aguerd did not want to play for Moyes or Lopetegui. If a decent manager had replaced Moyes he might have wanted to stay.
As Lopetegui came in and bought Kilman who plays in Aguerd’s position it was a signal to Aguerd that his number of starts would be limited and for the sake of his career he had to seek greener pastures. Time has proven his decision to be a good one.
Just picking up on the Aguerd situation, previous reports have indicated that he is aware of the impact GP has had and may be more open to a return at the end of his loan, as he is is contracted until 2027. It’s interesting that Real Sociedad did not insist on an option or obligation to buy, as it was believed they didn’t want to hinder the development of 23 year old Jon Pacheco and 18 year old Jon Martin. However Estadio Deportivo reported this may actually cause a problem for them as Aguerd has performed so well his stock has risen. So West Ham could have an advantage if Real wish to make the loan permanent but find other clubs are interested. Real Madrid were said to be preparing a bid after he earned rave reviews for his performance against Barcelona.
As you said on 28th January Martin, Potter may decide to bring him back and give us our fourth centre back at zero cost, and he is over the injury which dogged his first season under Moyes. This certainly doesn’t excuse the ridiculous decision to allow him to leave on loan on transfer deadline day with no back up, but this is the fault of all of the former leadership.
What the Athletic article doesn’t say is: who wanted to hire Lopetegui? Sure Steidten made some nice comments but I think all of us on here that’s 100% a Sullivan move. Of the Grant / Pelligrini ilk. Loppo may or may not have wanted Aguerd to leave but we know he wanted Soler, which the move was designed to facilitate. We’ll find out if Aguerd would have stayed otherwise if he comes back, I guess.
I can’t see beyond Füllkrug as the only black mark in Steidten’s column. He’ll go on to greater and greater things without a chairman playing football manager.
If we’d have paid a bit more we’d have had Duran not Fullkrug. That was Sullivans appalling decision nobody elses. At that point Steidten has to get someone who was not his choice.
As for Aguerd it was quite plain that he didn’t want to play for the club, neither Lopetegui or Steidten can do anything about that.
Whenever the matter of Fullkrug arises the wonderful decision of not paying a bit more for Duran arises too. A staggeringly appalling and phenomenally expensive decision given Durans performance since then and what he sold for. Beggars any belief.
Sadly even if Duran had signed for us he wouldn’t have stayed long. He only signed a 6 year contract at Villa 3 months ago and is now happily getting £16.7 million a year salary with his new club.