Westley: Moyes window spot on and Rice may well stay

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.