Iāll be honest, my first reaction yesterday morning was probably the same as most ā a bit of shock.
The idea that West Ham are unlikely to appoint a director of football if we stay in the Premier League just feels like more of the same. Weāve been here before. Too often the club has relied on favoured agents and David Sullivan to get deals done, and letās be honest, that approach has failed more than itās worked.
But a post in the comments section this morning from Haribo made me aware that not everyone shares the same opinion. “I donāt understand this system with DOF heading recruitment surely the manager has to have full responsibility otherwise he canāt be held to account for poor performance.”
It’s a decent shout of course but something I find frustrating because West Ham seemed so close to operating under a more modern structure.
West Hamās recent recruitment hinted at a smarter model
Because in recent months, it did feel like something had shifted.
The arrivals of Mateus Fernandes, El Hadji Malik Diouf and Mohamadou KantĆ© looked like a move towards a more modern approach ā younger players, increased transfer value, proper squad building. And in those three cases, itās been a job well done.
So naturally, hearing that West Ham could scrap that direction and hand things over to Nuno EspĆrito Santo and Jorge Mendes didnāt exactly fill me with confidence.
But ā and this is where it gets interesting ā not everyone sees it that way.
Will West Ham use max again? Max Hahn produces the data – but is not in charge of recruitment
Nunoās January window gives West Ham something to think about
If weāre being fair, you can make a decent case that January actually worked.
Four players came in ā Axel Disasi, Adama TraorĆ©, Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe ā and thereās been an impact there.
Disasi looks like a top signing. If Nuno had him from the start of the season, I genuinely think weād be in a much better position. Adama TraorĆ© was clearly a player Nuno wanted, and now heās starting to show why ā at Ā£2m, that could end up looking like a bargain.
Castellanos is an interesting one. Heās not spectacular at anything, but he improves the team. Thereās energy there, thereās workrate, and West Ham look better with him in the side.
And then thereās Pabloā¦
The Pablo deal still raises serious questions
I wonāt dress it up ā a rumoured Ā£21m with only around Ā£8m going to the selling club doesnāt sit right with me at all. It feels like one of those deals where we’ve had our pants pulled down if I’m honest.
That said, even with that in mind, you canāt ignore what heās brought to the pitch. The energy, the effort, the willingness to run ā itās all coincided with an upturn in form.
So where does that leave things?
Because while my instinct is still that West Ham need structure, need a proper footballing hierarchy, the reality is the last window does give Nuno and Mendes a bit of a case.
What this means for West Hamās next transfer window
This is where it gets properly divisive.
Do you stick with a manager-led, agent-driven model thatās just delivered a decent window? Or do you try and build something more sustainable with a director of football?
I know where I lean, but I can see both sides of it I guess.
Iāll leave that one with you ā because whether Nuno and Mendes running transfers next season is a good thing or not probably depends on how much you trust what weāve just seen.
Unfortunately Gonzo some people look at the DoF concept through the experiences under Pellegrini and Lopi. Both poor appointments but ultimately you still had the same person pulling the strings in the background.
Fact is too many clubs to mention have made the structure work. It enables coaches to coach, and if they fail itās not then a case of placing the entire squad because the new manager doesnāt rate them/canāt play in their system.
Fact is in 10 years time every club will operate this way as the old guard will retire and this structure will become the norm for coaches to operate under.
Unfortunately lots of clubs have cottoned onto this already but no doubt weāll be the last to transition.
What happened to what Brady said in the last supporters meeting, where she said regardless the division we WOULD be hiring a new DoF?
Let the Manager/ Agent select their players they want and then get them.
Donāt make the stupid low bids and then say we did bd for them.
S&B either leave or sell the club.
I am an ex-season ticket holder, I am 76 years old , so I’ve been around for our ups and downs.
Was it a decent window? Weāre still in the bottom 3. Traore had a good game for Leeds and now heās a potential bargain at Ā£2m? He has hardly played in the League. Pablo is awful, letās not pretend otherwise. Taty is a hard worker who has added much needed energy to the team but a striker has to score goals and right now he has one in the league is it? Fundamentally we got 4 players in and one has been very good. How is that a decent window after spending around Ā£50m???
The upturn in form is because of one player and one player only and that is Summerville. Since he has been missing how have we played? Again, weāre still in the bottom 3. Decent transfer window!!!! Nice one!
Thought at first your headline meant Magic Diouf was going somewhere!
Actually, I’m of the opinion that the manager/head coach has to be responsible for what players he has.
By all means have someone – call them what you like – working full time on identifying potential players that might meet the manager’s spec. and also trying to obtain them if required. But don’t empower them to bring anyone in entirely on their own initiative.
Surely in a well-run club, everyone operates to the same agreed objectives: the manager/head coach sets out what he wants, and everyone else plays their part to the same end. The board provide the cash, the DOF finds and gets the appropriate players, and the boss is left alone to coach, formulate strategy and tactics, pick teams, and win matches.
What’s missing?
If we go for a DOF, then this person must rank higher than the at-any-time manager, so the DOF is also responsible for hiring managers according to a longer term strategy and football philosophy.
It is obvious a DOF can’t get players not suited to a manager, thus this has to align. We never really did that with Steidten, evidences by a) the falling out between Steidten and managers (that was not someone falling out with their boss), and b) signing were a strange mix of DOF, manager and owner – causing an incoherent team.
I believe a DOF would make sense, but it can’t be done half assed…. if we get a DOF, that person sets the strategy and philosophy according to the board’s vision – and selects manager and players (with input from manager). If signings are within set budgets, the Board can’t interfere, but they can accept or deny requests for increased wage/transfer budgets.
In theory, it’s really simple. But it requires a bit of hands off from owner / board, thus West Ham will continue with shared responsibility and blame game for the foreseeable future.
100% agree. And for all those reasons it wonāt work at West Ham because of one person.
Interesting debate Gonzo – I think that the jury is still out on the January window – particularly the two strikers – we have still only won 1 home premier league match since the window – win another 3 and the window will be a success and the Director of Football debate can be resumed
Unfortunately I dont think that Taty and Pablo is a rerun of Hartson and Kitson but I would love to be proved wrong
COYI
Yeah, I agree mate. I’m probably aligned with yourself on the strikers but thought I’d take a look at the opposite angle.