“Is David Sullivan still running transfers?” Is becoming an often-used complaint this summer from long suffering West Ham United supporters.
Without recounting the circumstances that have created the sorry state of the squad with five days left in the transfer window, few would have imagined, when they renewed their season tickets in their thousands after Kretinsky’s statement, that the club would be in this oh-too familiar situation.
Josh Brownhill being the case in point. A mediocre Premier League player, Brownhill at 30 years old represents everything West Ham’s departed Chairman stood for – a cheap, stop-gap transfer, irrespective of quality. Forget the fact that there’s zero sell on value. He’s cheap. And adequate. And available. He’ll do.
Should’ve kept Freddie Potts: Josh Brownhill at 30 is hardly an eye-catching, ambitious transfer that fans expected back in June
Reported by teamtalk.com as being the Hammers latest ‘target’:
“Josh Brownhill targeted for shock England return as Hull City, West Ham and more circle“
Shocking indeed. Shockingly average. Simply because he’d fill a space in the squad, another former Premier League warhorse gets added to Koppen’s shopping list. Much like Callum Wilson before him, last season.
Short term fixes for long term problems. How familiar.
Having sold the family silver, West Ham looking to re-invest in old pewter rather than in future gems is a sign of a club with zero ambition. Fernandes, Summerville, Diouf – all young, all bought in with huge growth trajectory. Massive profits.
But as West Ham’s transfer income from a huge summer sell – off, over £180 million – disappears into the abyss whilst the club spend peanuts on Solomon, Piroe and Veltman: With the sole exception of Arne Engels, the Hammers have brought in, and continue to be linked with players with no potential for future profit.
This is not what supporters were promised by Kretinsky in June. ‘West Ham don’t need to sell players’: This seems more like the grim, sharp-end reality of relegation and financial mismanagement stretching back over the years.
Links with Brownhill, Reiss Nelson and Everton’s Michael Keane produce zero enthusiasm and zero excitement for the campaign ahead, despite almost 200 million in player sales. If anything, there’s a weary sense of deja vu: Is David Sullivan still running transfers?
These can’t be our significantly upgraded Koppen suggestions.
Moyes was linked to Brownhill 3 years ago wasn’t good enough then and not now.
Need to move on and quick.
Apparently we’ve moved into data based transfer need to prove it.
Totally agree. Sullivan’s grubby little fingerprints have been all over this Summer’s transfer activity. This club will never move forward until he sells up which he’s clearly not prepared to do. SoS to Amanda Staveley!
The DK-VG agreement should have resulted in a £90-100m loan to help plug some of the seemingly massice holes in the accounts – but not fund transfers as against the regulations. The AS bid seems to have demolished that agreement and the possibility of a cash injection. As such it does not surprise me to find us in a holding pattern until the ownership is resolved, and using all the cash we can raise including the likes of Potts to keep ourselves afloat. Extremely unfortunate but huge sums of money are up for grabs and the transfer window is one of the casualties of the scramble for ownership of West Ham.
Thank goodness someone is able to offer an holistic and intelligent view on the current state of play. Well done Julian.
Being the apparent professional journalist here Martin, I would have expected you to have produced something with a little more depth and context than that published. In the words of my old teacher, must do better!
I dont eant to see Brownhill, Nelson at our club. Would rather we had kept Potts.
Msybr Keane is a stop gap upgrade on Kilman, but they need to change the model for sure!
100% with you here and if Sulivan is still interfering with transfers he needs to be hold yo keep his nose out!
Looks like hes got his fingerprints all over it dosnt it Martin All these players mentioned now were brought up over the last few years So yes something not right here We have been totally let down by our club yes the fans club Not the passing through owners
Selling JWP for £1m and being link with Brownhill suggests Sullivan is having a major say in our transfer business.
Why doesn’t someone at the club explain what the hell is going on.
This isn’t what was promised when renewing my season ticket and the squad gets smaller and older by the day.