When Tim Steidten joined West Ham as Director of Football, he had a strategy, and alluded to the Red Bull model many times. He would be targeting players between the age of 18 and 25, many of whom would be entering the last year of their contracts. The idea would be the players would be affordable, and fit into our budget.
Ironically, our former gaffer David Moyes even went on record to say he was inspired by the Red Bull model over their recent successes domestically and continentally. He visited both Salzburg and Leipzig in between his time as manager of West Ham. Yet he struggled to integrate many of the youth team, and a number of players left the club disillusioned under his reign. When asked about the U-21’s and whether playing League Two clubs gave enough experience he once said “First of all they want to make sure they are good enough for West Ham”
Fast forward to Julen Lopetegui, he has a crop of young players who will be vying for a first team place, yet there are clearly signs of discontent within the academy, most recently, with 15 year old prodigy, Kyran Thompson currently choosing between Tottenham, Arsenal and Newcastle to decide where he wants to continue his football apprenticeship. We did however manage to retain the services of 16 year old, Chinaza Nwosu following contact from Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Clear transfer strategy
With regards to senior transfers, I am surprised that West Ham have not been able to replicate the model used by Brighton. They use data to focus their scouting and have managed to recruit from across the globe, unearthing players from South America, Europe and Japan. Seeking players in underrepresented markets or considering players who may not have received much attention, does carry some risk, yet they get it more right than wrong!
Lopetegui meets academy star George Earthy
Max Hahn, on the recommendation of Steidten, joined the Hammers from Werder Bremen in January 2024, to Head up the Technical Recruitment & Analysis, and whilst it’s still early days, it was universally expected that there would be a long list of targets in a number of positions for the club to bring in during early pre-season.
It should not be forgotten that Alvarez and Kudus were successful finds by Steidten, and he was also credited for bringing Andrew Irving to the club – who did himself no harm with his performances last season in the Austrian league.
However, the transfer window so far has been disappointing, and with Moyes firmly gone, there can no longer be excuses around dithering or blockages to any player approaches. The former manager left a threadbare squad, and new recruits will need time to bed in, whilst existing players adapt to a new style of football.
The scouting and recruitment team will be judged post the transfer window closing, and it is likely that most business will be concluded on deadline day, 30th August.
It is going to get a lot busier, and remember “Don’t go to bed just yet!”
It seems as though Steidten has only been employed as a glorified firewall so that nd Brady can continue to place their people in deals. This situation has been in place since the days of Husillos with Pelligrini Newman with Moyes and now Steidten. Nothing will change until there is a complete change in ownership
A happy bunch of souls us west ham fans. listen we aint got moyes anymore so lets just sit back wait and see….
It’s still early days yet j lo still needs a chance to see what he’s got especially with the youngsters, could save a fortune
Unfortunately he is not going to get time to experiment.
The pressure is going to be on results.
Not condoning it but maybe that’s why they were given a chance by Moyes
Also should not have painted such a healthy picture regarding new signings and then not produced.
The wolves will be at Tim’s throat from the start of the season that’s where the buck stops.
All this PR that things had changed at West Ham and West Ham we’re going to do things the modern way with a Director of Football and he’s data team we’re going drive things forward and Tim would be in control is nonsense. Sullivan will never give control over to anyone. Tim can do all the leg work and he’s team can get all the data they can about the players we need but the stumbling block is Sullivan who seems to think he’s the Del Boy of football. He always seems to listen to Silkman who’s pushing players to West Ham more than it seems the people he employs. If we do try and get players in Sullivan try’s he’s Del Boy antics with too low bids. When the transfer falls apart we get the usual greedy agents, greedy players, the selling club wants to much money. We’ve already seen this so far this window. Or we end up paying the full price that the selling club wanted all along. It gets embarrassing and laughable in the end. So instead of digging out Tim and he’s team CH should start looking at the real problem with the concessions outrage, the prices for family tickets for games daylight robbery. Look no farther than Sullivan/ Brady. CH won’t because you’re frightened Sullivan will stop throwing you titbits you can call exclusive . You’re just as bad as one another.
If you are going to be critical, at least do your homework first. ‘CH Won’t’.. you say: Wrong..
CH has looked at the ‘real problems’ as you call them:
You didn’t read them.
https://www.claretandhugh.info/season-tickets-why-the-universal-anger/
https://www.claretandhugh.info/irons-fans-face-ticket-price-hike/
Respectfully
MT
I think all the fans have had enough. After moyes and the first 2 signings it looked good ..but now , especially after seeing maybe 100 players put on here over the last two 2months , from regurgitated stories from rags all over the world with no substance and with your so called close connections to the club people ha e lost confidence in this site …with respect its like copying homework from a school friend…anyone can copy rumors from papers …we would rather have quality rather than quantity….posts that actually have a real chance of happening…..why copy rumors from.a paper in France or wherever, when you have connections at the club….God i wish we had new owners…one drama after another no matter what management we have ….I refuse to read Mr Leylands posts anymore as they are just awful and not one has come true …just what’s the point…? Is it click bait….I’ve had enough already..and not exited about new season….the clubs is honestly run by absolute clowns…the flyn downs transfer to soton sums it up perfectly…how dumb can you be .. give them what they want then they mug us of with kwp ….🤣🤣🤣that’s just absolutely laughable
The plan from the board to blame others starts. C&H useful fools.
I must admit, I thought that the opening of the window would mean a flurry of activity signing players that had agreements in place and we would jump on the plane for pre season with four or five new players. I am not sure what Steidten actually does. He went to Brazil and returned with a player he never intentionally meant to sign and since then its all been in for this one, fail. In for that one, fail.
There are still strikers out there that are proven and come at a lower cost than the one he is after at the moment, and has certainly not endeared himself to the best supporters in the land by trying to sell one of our top academy players to makeweight a deal.
I know the dwarf has a lot to do with things going boss eyed, but I was led to believe Steidten had full control.
Tim a simple answer to all your problems……go after players Silkman and Salthouse deal with and then there is no problem as Sullivan as we all no is under there spell and only really likes players they deal with
While it seems like it’s been four years it is in actuality only four weeks since the window opened.
We’ve been linked with more players than we could ever follow up on has been a problem, the most tenuous link spawns a dozen stories.
If this happens and if then that happens then it might be that unfortunately is enough.
It’s not long ago Moyes would have no one signed by now and not much more of any by the end of the window. Followed by the usual “a small squad is good” line. It’s better than that and there is a lot going on. Let’s hope they know what they are doing.