There are always positives. You just have to look for them. And after West Ham’s toothless display against Crystal Palace those positives aren’t so easy to pick out.
But I’m going to try.
I hope that game serves as a massive wake up call to Graham Potter as to the urgency of recruiting front line strikers now.
Not in the summer. I’d almost sensed that after the Fulham result the foot had come off the gas pedal of West Ham’s transfer window activity: Maybe words had been spoken behind the scenes after Potter’s win, suggesting we didn’t need to splash the cash?
No front line strikers. When was the last time West Ham started a game without a recognised striker? Not in all the time I’ve been attending games – since my very first game, I don’t think – when I watched Ian Wright (pic) stoop to head in for a 1-0 victory against Southampton at Upton Park (which Google tells me was 1998) has our team been so devoid of an attacking threat.
How we’d probably settle for six months’ worth of someone else’s cast – off Premier League striker like Ian Wright, even at the end of his career, just now. That’s how bad it’s got. A hundred and how many million invested last Summer?
There IS a positive in there, honest – if Graham Potter was working under the false assumption that no additions were needed – surely that assumption has evaporated now.
Positive two: The young players who Potter has so far brought into the side have acquitted themselves well and not let themselves down: Lewis Orford yesterday, along with Ollie Scarles, fitted in well as they both stepped again into the limelight. Kaelan Casey will be the next- Mavropanos’ ban will surely be another opportunity for the youngster to show he fully deserves to be in this side on merit.
Positive three- Summerville will be fit again soon and Jarrod Bowen’ll be back next month. Best I can do this morning. For now, anyway.
Very well.said, its going to be a slow build up to a fully fit squad and then.. we live in hope
Why did Potter not start with Danny Ings. Yes he is getting on a bit but he is still a forward and better to have him on from the start than bring him on chasing a game. Rather have him starting than the ineffective Kudos at the moment.
We make awful awful decisions that have knock on effects. Appoint Lopetegui had negative knock on effects on nigh on everything.
Not pay the bit extra for Duran didn’t only mean that we didn’t have Duran who is now worth how much, but it meant that Fullkrug needed to be recruited for getting on for as much who had an injury record that has come home to bite us while his value has plummeted.
It doesn’t even stop there as it has a further knock on effect of we probably now need to sell players in order to bring in a striker that for a few million quid extra should have been Duran.
Penny pinching appalling decisions that have not only wasted the season but have cost in just about every way imaginable. It’s frankly surprising that we get by as well as we do the decision making is so awful Mr Sullivan.
The only positive i can take Martin and that’s hard after yesterdays shocking display which i witnessed first hand is that we have Graham Potter in charge and i believe he can turn things round although it’s going to take a while.
Palace,Forest,Bournmouth,Fulham and brighton are all unearthing cheap talented players something which we are not.
When you think we brought in nine players in the summer and now we probably need another six shows how bad the people overlooking our transfers are.
I like it that Potter is gradually introducing our academy youngsters into the first team something Moyes and Lopetegui wasn’t willing to do but it’s a big step up and will take time.
The problem is the reality of another season without european football to offer.
Hardly an incentive for recruitment and retention.
One misstep in this regard nowadays can set a club back years essentially.
The main reason I will never forgive Moyes for not investing in our last euro season. Had he done so, we could have potentially won the Eufa, qualified for CL and who knows?
Small mindedness of a mediocre manager content at ‘his’ level with the excuse of ‘preferring to work with a small squad’.
We’re paying for that now and will continue to do so until Sullivan and his stooges are out.
Probably not a popular line on this particular site, but not far from the truth I’d wager.
Your line is popular with me, Whippethammer! Pretty much spot on.
Problem with this club, and always has been, the dithering and leave it until tomorrow attitude. Let’s face it, Lopsy should have been out the dooor months ago – aww, but he might turn it around, give him one more game ! Turn what around exactly ?? you need to be facing the right way first !
Bare minimum this window: Centre Back, Midfielder, Striker.
We’re lucky this season there are a few poor teams in the league so should stay up, but the majority of our performances are Championship level, but that’s what you get when you have Championship level players like Dino, Rodriguez, Ings and Cresswell ( why is he still here – must be 45 !). Better get your magic wand out Mr.Potter !
I’ve all but given up on this season as one for us to push for a top half finish and compete for a European spot.
I think we have enough to avoid a relegation scrap, but with Summerville, Todibo and Bowen coming back, we should be fine.
I can see (well I hope) the manager uses the rest of this season to blood a few youngsters from the academy, and start preparations for next season and beyond.
His post match presser was telling when he alluded to a rebuild from top to bottom of the club, he’s under no illusions as to the task ahead, and he seems genuinely up for it.
Don’t forget that after the Chelsea debacle he has a point to prove too.
Yes we need a striker, but we also need midfielders that can run, defenders that can defend, I can’t see the winter window* providing all on that wish list.
I knew very little about Loppy and was happy to give him until Christmas, but to be fair, and with the benefit of hindsight, we all knew Christmas was a moot point by November.
I can see Potter as a long term investment in the club, next season will be much better, we’ll have a younger and fitter squad.
Yesterday wasn’t great (I like understatements), but still you can see the discipline he has introduced in just a few training sessions, the team held it’s shape, unlike Loppy’s teams, the players knew their role, and I don’t think you can blame the manager for wanting to have a look at fringe players to see what they can offer.
*Keep thinking bl00dy summer window, ’cause it’s like a sauna down here. You all looked frozen in the stands, but onya for making the effort! COYI!
Neil, are you in Perth WA? Because it’s certainly a sauna where I live! 🥵
There’s Always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how long it is COYI !!!
“Best I can do this morning. For now, anyway.”
Thanks for trying, Martin! I’ll go back to crying into my pillow now. 😢
We certainly need a striker immediately, I can’t understand why we haven’t got one yet in this window. But we also need more in the central midfield area, and much more in our defence. We’re letting in too many goals, and have nothing to fight back with if a couple of players get injured.
When I see Cresswell starting the game and Ings brought on I know we are in trouble
If only it was about the strikers after what I have seen we need a decent goalie ,2 central defenders ,3 midfielders then 2 forwards here’s wishful ththinking