By CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings
Like most West Ham supporters I’m hoping to see at least a couple more additions to the first team squad before the transfer window closes on 1st September – still more than four weeks away.
No doubt the endless speculation and plethora of reported interest in a wide variety of players will continue right up to the witching hour of 11pm on closure day. Then – and only then – can we make a definitive judgement on what business David Moyes, aided by Rob Newman, has done this summer.
Someone on here recently suggested only the ‘dregs’ were left in the market for us to pore over. Then we bought Gianluca Scamacca which blew that idea straight out of the water.
There is still business to be done, decent business in fact, but doing it with all its complexities of transfer fees, add-ons, bonuses, sell-ons, player wages – not to mention agent’s fees – getting a deal completed and over the line is a lot easier said than done.
We have of course already secured the services of exciting newcomers Nayef Aguerd, Scamacca and Flynn Downes – as well as tying up Alphonse Areola on a permanent contract – but despite that I have seen some claiming we are approaching the start of the season with a weaker squad than last term. That’s simply not true.
The four first team squad players to depart so far are Andriy Yarmolenko, Alex Kral, Ryan Fredericks and the retiring Mark Noble, who amassed just 686 minutes of Premier League football between them last season. So not exactly first team regulars.
Scamacca and Aguerd have been bought to be just that. Sadly of course Nayef picked up an injury that will delay his appearance – but he’s been purchased for the long term future that’s clear.
Flynn Downes, unlike the other two, is unlikely to be guaranteed a starting place, but it’s a fair bet his younger legs and greater energy will see him used equally as much, if not more, than Nobes was. And let’s be honest, Kral contributed virtually nothing anyway.
With Connor Coventry and Harrison Ashby staking their own claims for squad inclusion, which should delight those regularly calling for our youngsters to be given more of a chance, the squad even now is looking stronger not weaker than it was.
David Moyes doesn’t need to be constantly told what requires doing .I think the manager and his coaching team will have worked that out for themselves.
He will be pleased with his business so far – and rightly so – but he’ll be working hard on improving his squad even more in the remaining weeks of the window. He’s not panicking yet – neither should we be.
Not panic but get things done, need another striker as Antonio is not one and 33
Great post Allen, it is good to read an alternate version of what is seen to be happening here at West Ham as it brings balance. At the same time it is worth paying a little respect to the people in charge who have put us in this position in the first place.
The biggest take away for me in all of this is something called “Trust”, an outstanding manager in Moyes coupled with an exceptional head of recruitment in Rob Newman deserve just that……. TRUST!
Our season does indeed start this coming Sunday, but it is a point worth noting that this transfer window closes on the 1st of September, which doesn’t get too much of a mention.
Have to disagree the manager has more than enough time to research and get his targets in….getting players in so late means a bedding in process as well as getting them match fit….with so many matches early doors leaving our business so late is inexcusable.
No need to panic,the future is bright……well at least i think so, after watching the u19s beat Spurs 8-0 on Saturday.Marshall is one to look out for,seems to have that Declan Rice quality about him.
Agree that we have to wait until the end of the window before we judge and probably even a few months after that, the lack of options cost us last year, we have been running on fumes, this season the demand and games are even more heavily loaded due to the World Cup so we have to have enough depth to rotate. It’s likely Masuaku will also go and maybe, Vlasic & Diop we are 5 – 7 players off imho a healthy competitive squad. Most of our competition for European places has strengthened while we are wasting time chasing players that don’t want to play for us, Kostic and Zielinski, Raum has gone. Hopefully we can get some of the other targets but we don’t seem to be able too from the evidence so far.
The Squad is still paper-thin – in my book the time to panic has passed – just grt on with the recruitment and stop dithering! 🙄