By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham United have enjoyed a fair degree of understanding from supporters since the ownership model changed following David Sullivan’s resignation as chairman. Fans have been reasonably supportive whilst the sales of Mateus Fernandes to rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Crysencio Summerville to the Saudi Pro League went through. I’d even go as far as to say there has been a relaxed feeling amongst many supporters, despite the fact the season is now less than two weeks away.
Even though we all understand that not too much should be read into pre-season friendlies, there comes a point where, realistically, our attention turns towards what is going to be an incredibly important campaign. No doubt the Hammers faithful are grateful that Jarrod Bowen has committed his future to the club, and we all hope others will follow suit.
The Squad Still Looks Short
Looking at the starting line-up Nuno Espírito Santo chose against Rangers at Ibrox, it’s quite clear that West Ham are a few fries short of a happy meal. Not in Premier League terms, of course. Once again, there is an understanding amongst many supporters that we have been relegated and, as such, can’t expect top-class players. The problem is that West Ham are short of a balanced team, and that is something which is crucial at any level of football.
Realistically, the starting XI in Glasgow contained only six established first-team players as I see it. Mads Hermansen, Kyle Walker-Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen and Taty Castellanos. There are simply too many others who are not ready for the beginning of the Championship campaign.
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Hermansen |
| RB | Walker-Peters |
| CB | Kilman |
| CB | Mavropanos |
| LB | Scarles |
| LM | Ward-Prowse |
| CM | Mohamadou Kanté |
| CM | Lamadrid |
| RM | Bowen (C) |
| CF | Pablo |
| CF | Taty Castellanos |
Without sounding like a scratched record, Espírito Santo’s team are concerningly slow. I don’t just blame him, of course. There has been a reluctance over the last few years to buy genuinely quick players, and I’m not just talking about outright pace either. Too many of the team pass slowly, don’t turn quickly enough and generally lack agility.
Diouf will come back into the West Ham team
Time To Act
I’m not basing those opinions purely on a friendly. That would be foolish. I certainly didn’t need to watch yesterday’s game to discover that Max Kilman, Ollie Scarles and Pablo are going to struggle for mobility in the hustle and bustle of the Championship.
Surely even the most optimistic supporter would concede there is now a pressing need for signings. No doubt Tomas Souček will work his way back into the team, but he’s not even training at present. El Hadji Malick Diouf will become the regular left-back, but that still leaves a centre-back, a central midfielder, a left winger and a striker as immediate priorities.
No doubt if David Sullivan were still at the club, we’d already be hearing that famous old line of, “We tried.”
I’m sure West Ham’s owners are trying too, but they’ll need to step things up this week. Because if we start the season ponderously and look off the pace, patience and understanding will turn into frustration very quickly.