Often in the comments section of this website, someone writes something so simple yet so accurate that it hits the nail squarely on the head.
And today, that honour goes to John Ayris, who succinctly wrote:
“The cost of not spending in January is likely to be enormous.”
He’s not bloody wrong, that’s for sure.
John’s post was a reply to my earlier Claret & Hugh blog suggesting West Ham fans have little appetite to hear which players the club can’t afford. This website knows better than most how club sources plead poverty before almost every transfer window. From a negotiation perspective, I get it — nobody wants to reveal how much money they’ve got.
But after years of hearing about FFP, PSR, high wages, and “sell before we buy,” the appetite among West Ham fans for those excuses is gone.
David Sullivan must back Nuno Espirito Santo, not make excuses
The Price of Standing Still Could Be Disastrous
As John correctly pointed out, the cost of David Sullivan and Daniel Křetínský not investing in January would be enormous.
West Ham appear to be in a straight shootout with Leeds United for one relegation place if the table continues along current form. Leeds have more vibrancy, more energy — on the pitch and off it — and unless West Ham improve drastically in this window, we’ll go down.
And if that happens, Sullivan’s supposed £900m valuation of the club will be in tatters. The rest of the Championship will be licking their lips at the idea of playing at a half-empty London Stadium.
Furthermore, the already unpopular Sullivan will not be welcome at all given the promises made when leaving Upton Park — promises that now look emptier with every week the club sinks deeper into trouble.
I can’t claim to know the exact January budget, but I suspect Nuno Espírito Santo will need at least three first-team players and possibly £70 million-plus.
Because if West Ham don’t survive, the old excuses — “We tried,” “PSR stopped us,” “there was no value in the market” — will carry absolutely no weight with supporters.
We aren’t in PSR trouble we can spend relatively freely as widely reported by finance experts.
Never mind the cost of standing still in January, we need to get moving as a team on the pitch in December or we will be stranded like Wolves in January.
Off the pitch Sullivan should get Kretinsky to pull his finger out and do some deals to get players in the moment the window opens, every club that has anything about it does that and Sullivan is incapable of doing anything before the last few days of the window.
I dont want relegation
.but i can’t help smiling at the total humiliation that it will heap on the barrow boy and lady muck. Everyone in football will have confirmed that the barrow boy is a football incompetent. And lady muck a business entrepreneur?? Oh my aching sides.
Be carefull what you wish for.? Well not one of us 60000 mugs who swallowed their BS 10 years ago wished for these 2 illiterate lying buffoons.
Very good post by FiskyBoy – we need to clear the decks and get a board in who know how to run a Premier League football club. Sullivan, Brady and the rest of the Leeches posing as our board have dragged this club down far enough with their Petticoat Lane approach.
The fans deserve a club to compete with the best teams in the country and it’s about time we had the people in place at the top to give us a chance of achieving, this.
Absolutely right Gonzo. Do you think it is possible that the owners remain oblivious to what is so apparent to the rest of us? Worryingly, I am not convinced that they will act in the best interests of West Ham United. Also, when I watch Leeds, Fulham, Forest and even Burnley and Wolves, I think “they did not play badly, just a little unlucky at critical moments”, but sadly when I watch our team, the look so disjointed it is almost chaotic. Maybe I just hope for more from them.
The more the board goes into the mire I am starting to think that David Gold was the sensible one putting the brakes on Sullivan
Over £100m in lost revenue first season after relegation including receipt of parachute payments. Becomes worse if not promoted at first attempt.
1st year parachute payments are 55% of premier league equal share TV payments, 2nd year 45%, 3rd year 20%, 4th year zero.
Plus overnight reduction in valuation of the club 20-40%
Commercial deals reduce in value, player asset values decrease, it goes on and on.
Relegation would be a financial disaster with disaster not being strong enough a word.
Leeds werent better than Chelsea last night…However they showed fight and deternination…Something West Ham are sadly lacking.
Maybe this what we need? We can’t continue as a pie and mash/market stool? We need proper investment on/off the pitch and some sort of strategy instead of this constant winging it (suck it and see) approach. I will be gutted playing in the championship but maybe then we will get rid of these parasites and get a proper owner/consortium that can run a club properly? Sad times unfortunately. I reckon if we get 1 point from our next 4 games it will be a miracle… ⚒️⚒️⚒️⚒️