West Ham create Will Still’s first challenge at Southampton

Self-confessed Hammers fan Will Still was appointed manager at St Marys upon the Saints’ relegation back to the championship -with seven games of the Premier League remaining – and the subsequent decision to part ways with Ivan Juric. This represents his first job in English management, after spells at Rheims and Lens.

Considered an outsider for the job which Graham Potter landed in January, Still has to rebuild the confidence of his relegated side. One of the items sitting near the top of his in tray will be working out how to fend off the challenge for some of his best players: West Ham do seem to have been linked with virtually half the squad in recent weeks.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis at £20 million plus add-ons seems the most likely departee back to the Premier League: Aaron Ramsdale  is another mooted for a season-long loan to West Ham which might well suit both.

Still’s biggest problem is likely to be the Hammers’ interest along with that of several Premier League clubs in youngster Shea Charles: Todays footballleagueworld.co.uk reports that :”West Ham eye Southampton starlet Shea Charles after breakout Sheffield Wednesday loan spell…“I think keeping him [Charles] would be a huge benefit for Will Still, but then on the other hand it’s a club that needs to decide how it wants to juggle it’s finances and how ambitious it wants to be”

In other words, they cannot keep everyone. West Ham circle whilst Still decides which of his most valuable assets to sell. The painful reality of Championship football: One which could work in West Ham’s favour whether they land Charles or Harwood-Bellis.