About a year ago, West Ham United’s young defender el Hadji-Malick Diouf posted on social media of his ambition to join a ‘top club’, suggesting in his own mind that he was way too good for the east London side who had paid the best part of £20m for his services.
At the time the repose from West Ham fans was predictably mixed, some excusing the naked ambition and putting it down to cultural or language differences, whilst many felt a little dismayed by his perceived lack of loyalty for West Ham.
In the end, a virtual 100% profit in 12 months was a pretty good outcome for club and player when he was sold for £35m in the summer. His ‘top club’ ambition now looks a little questionable as he struggles to break into – erm – Brentford‘s starting line up – he’s played just 30 minutes in a red and white shirt – but very good luck to him.
Diouf – £15 million profit in one season is a pretty good outcome which West Ham would do well to replicate
It is an interesting parallel with West Ham’s newest recruit Edvin Austbø who has just spoken of his own ambition to be a top, top player, but who has managed to couch his ambition in such a manner that few supporters would find disloyal:
“The goal is to reach the Premier League, and that’s West Ham’s plan too. I’d like to play for an even bigger club in the future, even though West Ham is huge. The goal is to become so good they sell me, but first, we’re going to achieve a few things along the way.”
The only caveat to Autsbø’s ambition should really be to ‘sell for a massive profit‘ – and few West Ham fans would argue. A promotion winning season, another year and then a £30m-plus profit on the young winger would be a perfect model for the club to seek to replicate regularly.
For that way lies financial success, hand in hand with success on the pitch, as clubs such as Brighton and Bournemouth have worked out. Indeed, they’ve been portrayed as the model to follow.
Austvø doesn’t know it but he’s just described the perfect yardstick for West Ham’s Recruitment Director to apply to most future transfers. Sure, there’s still room for the odd seasoned pro – as the wise, free signing of Veltman has proven- but for success on, and off the pitch, if they aren’t on the up, financially and professionally, don’t buy them.
Although what he says is likely what 90% or more of what footballers think, how about he does it consistently on the pitch first before stating he one day wants to play for a bigger club?
I know footballers aren’t the sharpest tools in the box but they might try to endear themselves to the fans that ultimately pay most of their wages. When the going gets tough I’d rather rely on the Dicks’ and Brooking’s to get us out of a hole than the Diouf’s and Austbo’s.
Gone down in my estimation already, if this is a true quote
We have to admit that the vast majority of players playing throughout the premier league at probably 75% of the clubs aren’t playing because of their love for the particular club that they play for and that pays the enormous fortune of their contracts. Not so long back this would have been the case for Man City as it was for Chelsea and in future possibly Newcastle could start to turn heads more easily. We also have to realise that those players don’t have anything like the passion or desire for our clubs that we do for those that we support. However, where I think Austbo differs from someone like Diouf (apart from having some form of ability) is that Austbo has actually joined us at our lowest ebb. He hasn’t joined a Premier league team, I’m sure he could have had that opportunity at some point.
I’m not cool with what he said, but it’s a reality in the same way I couldn’t say the same if I was being paid lots of money for playing for Aston Villa, Brighton or Everton. It would be a thrill to do that, but ultimately I don’t have any affinity for them and would rather play for Real Madrid, Man Utd etc etc….. if I’m not going to fulfill my dreams and potential at my home town boyhood club.
… and some players you keep even if you can make a tidy profit, so as to build up a squad that competes with the best teams and then beats them!😊 Declan Rice, I mean at least in theory, might have been a player who would have stayed if the squad & ambition had been there. When you look how good Bowen is nowadays and how he brings more than just his ability – that is important too, so cannot sell everyone once reach peak price – in my opinion, of course.
The clubs we are supposed to copy have it partly right in my book, but they remain middle of the table (which of course is a mark of success) and a good young manager (Iraola) will leave as well as their best players and you have to build again, continuously. The idea of selling Austbo & Diouf is different, sounds right and that is what is needed right now, but I hope long term there will be less churn and club will establish itself as a top competitor, especially once have had to build a new 100k+ stadium, because LS will have become too small & tatty in a season or 3.
P.S. That’s some goooood coffee I had this morning. 😊
Be great if we could find players & or a manager who is determined to make WH a big club. I would think the only way is to promote local players & manager material with West Ham in their veins, otherwise these player & manager mercenaries if successful just move on for the money. Can’t see how we can build consistant success with short term mercenaries
Austbo will play his part this season and beyond. We need a deep squad for the Championship, it might be the difference between success and failure.
If we just want to be a Brighton, Brentford, or a Bournemouth; we may as well pack it in and fold and die as a club.
Those small clubs do what they do to survive. Their limited fanbases just accept who they are.
We should be aspiring to be a lot more successful than they are given our huge fanbase and footballing heritage.
Agree with that Martin, unless you are one of the big clubs you need to build towards it and every other club is a selling club. It’s one of the upsides of squad cost ratio or whatever it’s called now, clubs have to balance the books so getting the best young players in to academies or buying them gives you the best chance to supplement your squad with a few exceptional players.
Austbo has a job on his hands to displace Solomon who is a level above him so I hope his determination matches his ambition and we see him fulfil his potential.
Solomon so far looks like he is better than Summerville was and we sold him for £65m would much rather keep Solomon at this point and sell Austbohopefully for a huge profit.
It will be interesting to see how the players we sold in the last window perform. Fernandes isn’t prospering at Spurs. Diouf isn’t getting playing time at Brentford. Potts is getting criticism at Bruges. Maybe Nuno is a better coach than many give him credit for?
Yep, Dudley you may be right!
NOBODY is prospering at Spurs, oh what a shame lol, although I think looking at the money that’s gone on other midfielders this Summer we might have sold Fernandes a bit too cheaply.