Wednesday, January 22

Are West Ham going for the wrong transfer targets?

Asked about possible signings last night, Sam Allardyce said: "I wouldn't have a clue at the minute. Every time I get a new signing somebody else f•••ing takes him!" Which makes you think some of the club's targets are too ambitious. Lacina Traore was always likely to prefer a club like Everton and it was never that likely that Everton's Heitinga, who played in a World Cup Final, would want to step down into a relegation struggle and join WHU. Similarly our chasing of Manchester City's Joleon Lescott seems unlikely to be successful, especially after what he saw last night. A more realistic striking target might have been West Brom's Shane Long, who has now signed for Hull City. A decent player, good in the air and capable of  scoring the odd great goal. Surely we'd stand a lot better chance going for middle-ranking PL players or younger Championship players in our present position?

7 comments:

Maz said...

YES EVERY SINGLE TIME! EVERY SINGLE WINDOW!

shouldn't be buying anyone. Maybe the odd loan from other PL, champ clubs if we need. should be prepared in the summer with buying players.

Unknown said...

We never seem to learn, I'm all up for having some ambition and trying to sign good players - but none of them seem to be interested in our club. Please Feel free to visit my site http://avidhammer.blogspot.co.uk/
I would appreciate your feedback.

Cheers.

matt said...

There's clearly a problem with signing players. We started the season with a hopelessly unbalanced squad, with only 3 centre backs, and unbelievably one fit forward, with 2 league goals hopelessly unsuited to the manager's inflexible tactics; and a player who should never have passed his medical, and didn't play til January. So in December there were noises about getting someone in to hit the ground running in January. One loan player from a third division club. Seven games later, and they want someone to hit the ground running in February. Chelsea have made signings, Hull bought two forwards with a minimum of fuss. David Sullivan needs to bring someone competent in and get out of the way, because he is not up to coping with transfers.

CHARLES said...

If WHU want a permanent seat at the Premier League table then they should have billionaire backing, and not be run on the proverbial shoe string. Under the present regime, we are subject to recursive movement between the Premier League and the Championship. WHU board lack financial clout and coupled with a middle of the road manager, many worthwhile signings pass us by.
A WHU fan, I have over 60 years following this club, and hardly has the club been at such a low ebb before to my knowledge. The gulf between WHU and the Premier League elite is very worrying indeed. I hope we survive the relegation battle, but I don't fancy our chances.
Chas

Glenn said...

Sam has got to go first.
The players the fans want won't play for him
Why should we want a player who will play his style of football?
I would rather waste £4m getting rid of Sam instead of wasting even more on a player who fits his style of play.
Even if (and it's a huge if) we stay up - he (BFS) has still got to go.

Pete May said...

Plenty of debate on this topic. We clearly do have a problem signing players as the multi-failures to sign a striker in the summer proved. As Matt says it may be to do with David Sullivan's negotiating - we must surely be more attractive than Hull? Allardyce has signed some skilful payers in Downing, Jarvis, Morrison and Joe Cole (who looks shot these days) Glenn, but then I think they're stifled by his rigid one-striker system. Though Maiga and Diarra have been disasters. Nurse, the screens…

Glenn said...

That's the problem though isn't it? We're not more attractive than Hull these days.

On another note: In private eye this week in the Commentatorballs section: "I'm in a no win position, unless those lads go out and win for us" Sam Allardyce

Does this give us an insight into BFS's tactical nous?