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Westley: Moyes window spot on and Rice may well stay

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Former Hammers academy director and exclusive CandH blogger Terry Westley looks at the winter window and what it means for the Irons in general and his protegee Declan Rice in particular.

By Terry Westley talking to Hughie Southon

Those who are saying Declan will be on his way as a result of this winter window may have it totally wrong and they may well be wrong again even if we slip to below the top six.

David Moyes did nothing in this window simply because he is starting to think in terms of West Ham acting in the same way as Manchester City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool .

He wants the very best players he can get into the club – not squad players who will do half the job as has happened in the past at times –  but quality players to take us to where want to be and to stay theere.

Declan will want the same and come summer if – as I hope and believe he will – the captain sees top players arriving he will want to stay regardless perhaps of where we finish at the end of this campaign.

David Moyes has been questioned and Rob Newman too after a zero winter window but former Arsenal boss George Graham used to say: “A great scout keeps bad players out of my club” and that may well be what the recruitment boss has done.

I’ve always said that top four or six was the way to keep Declan at the club but if we miss out this season and he sees top players coming in during the summer I know him well enough to believe he will want to be a part of things along with Jarrod and Tomas.

Of course Moysie could have gone out and bought some average players but he sees West Ham as a very serious operation and he really will only get the best possible players into the club,

He will need quite a number of new players this summer but don’t expect him to replace similar for similar – much better will be on the way – along with a £70 million plus striker to come in.

There’s new investment in the club and I expect very big things to start next summer. I also believe he   got things 100 per cent right this window by refusing to bow to the demands on him from some expectant fans.

Nobody should be panicking because no players arrived. Under David Moyes this club is  on its way to a big future.

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

0 comments

  • The Cat says:

    I’m sure that there are many West Ham supporters, who understand the Obvious points made by Mr Westley and the true Depth of what he has said.

    Unfortunately, it is always the negative mindless foaming at the mouth comments which make the headlines and receive the most clicks.

    I’m also sure that many of our knowledgable supporters have kept away from this twisty knicker fest for the same reason that I have. I will re-tune back into West Ham United come Saturday. I fully understand the direction in which this club is travelling under David Moyes and I am confident that success is on its way to this club, sooner rather than later.

    Amazingly, it is still not enough that this club is now light years ahead of any West Ham team that I have known over many years. Not only has Moyes improved the playing squad, but he has also changed the culture, mindset and expectations at this club, something I never truly expected to see at West Ham.

    COYI

    • papabenno says:

      Brilliant post

      • Whurmagic says:

        I hate the attitude in the comments that anyone who has expressed the opinion that we should have brought some players in, are mindless, armchair fans spreading negativity. We are currently fighting for 4th spot as well as the Europa League and needed a couple of players brought in to strengthen a thin squad which is exactly why Moyes tried to do so. Now I’m all for bringing only top quality signings in as nobody wants to see Moyes waste money on another Hugill but to put a bid in for Nunez just 2 days before the window shut was ridiculous. The board must have realised Benfica would turn the bid down as they would have no time to buy a replacement. If Nunez was on Moyes list of wanted strikers, why didn’t the club put an offer in earlier giving Benfica time to find a replacement? Moyes has now had 2 years to bring a Striker in yet has still failed to do so. Had we offered the asking price for Cabral at the beginning of the window, we would have got him but instead of that we were chasing Gabigol on an 18 month loan. Moyes must rate Gabigol, for how long we were pursuing him, so why the 18 month loan which Flamengo was never going to agree to? Duje Caleta Car has been a target of Moyes for the past 2 years. £15m for an international defender is not regarded as a high transfer fee and one we would certainly get back if we decided to sell him after a season or two so why on earth did the board insist on a loan for the player rather than an outright purchase knowing full well that Marseille needed the money? If we finish 7th this season, who will we be able to attract? Certainly not the same calibre of player had we been playing in Europe. I trust Moyes with his plan for the club but he has got to have a list of targets ready for the opening of the next window as we all know big bids will be coming in for Declan and if we haven’t brought anyone in by the time those offers come in, we could find his time at the club is at an end. I sincerely hope I’m wrong but let’s not even leave it to hope by bringing in some top quality players early and proving to Dec we have ambitions that match his own

    • ljd1980 says:

      Can’t remember the last time that I saw such a sensible article on C&H, or, indeed, as clear-headed a comment beneath as those from Terry and The Cat.
      We should also not forget that the solid foundations of a football club – because that’s what Moyes is trying to build, in my view – aren’t built in one or two transfer windows or around Declan Rice.
      The argument’s been forwarded time and time again in the last few days that Rice will leave as a result of our failure to bring in players. When he leaves – and he will leave at some point – I trust Moyes to have put the building blocks in place for us to cope with that outcome and for us continue to compete in every game we play.
      I think a lot of these sorts of argument have been generated by a fear of what’s happened countless times in the past being repeated again in the next season or two: West Ham build a decent team around one or two players (e.g. Rice, Payet, Cottee/McAvennie), we lose those players to bigger clubs, they don’t get adequately replaced and the team starts to flirt with relegation again.
      I understand that fear, but things feel different these days under Moyes.

  • Budgie says:

    A voice of common sense at last. We need to concentrate on a long-term planned future not short term gratification

  • mikey says:

    Well said, Terry.

  • papabenno says:

    Hip hip hooray, the voice of reason. I too have tuned out from all the negative comments, those idiots to whom I refer, are like sheep and have no real grasp of what David Moyes is achieving. We’ll said Terry

    • Thanks Pap – so glad to have Tel on board …great bloke as well

      • Whurmagic says:

        Can I ask if anyone still thinks it was okay for us not to bring in a defender during the window? Diop was truly, truly awful against Kidderminster today and Zouma looks like he’s picked up an injury being barely able to walk at the end. I only hope Zouma’s injury isn’t as bad as it looks because if he is out for several weeks, we can kiss 4th and the EL goodbye as the partnership of Diop and Dawson is simply not good enough.

    • petebonds says:

      I also gave all the transfer window hot air a wide berth. So many armchair experts in one place is something of a turn off. Moyes knows exactly what he is doing and where he is taking the club.
      I look forward to a great second half of the season.

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