Just how many players can West Ham be interested in?

The transfer silly season appears to be here already. According to today's media gossip West Ham are in for Marseille's midfielder Morgan Sanson, Fulham's Aleksander Mitrovic, Atalanta and Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie, the Celta Vigo pair of striker Maxi Gomez and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka (presumably good at lobs), Barcelona's Andre Gomes and Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan. Surely they can't all join? 

Though presumably Pellegrini has something planned for midfield after letting Sami Nasri go. A fit Nasri could have been a real bargain on a free, although perhaps he was asking for too much money and a younger player is coming. At least there is more money in the kitty now with the rumoured prices for Fernandes and Perez being £8m and £2m respectively.

A bit of 1970 Hammers nostalgia

Thanks to my pal Swansea-supporting Huw for passing on The West Ham United Football Book No 3, which he found in a charity shop for £2.50. It was published in 1970 and is edited by Dennis Irving. Irving, we learn, has claret and blue wallpaper in his office and has dubbed the Hammers "the Gay Deceivers", a phrase which might have a slightly different context today.

It's certainly nostalgic reading. There's a chapter on "Ron Greenwood seeks his missing link" (which he never found after the glory years) and a piece on a promising young youth coach called "Johnny Lyall". 

With hindsight it's all a little over-optimistic. There's a puff piece on new star signing Peter Eustace (I remember a cry of "Useless Eustace!" at one of my earliest games) and another chapter entitled "Bobby Howe, the second Dave Mackay, says his trainer" (he certainly wasn't). Then there's the chapter on new signing Jimmy Greaves, which predicts he might well get 20 goals in the next campaign. He was of course a functioning alcoholic by this stage and retired at the end of the following season. 

The ultimate limit of human endurance

A strange story on the BBC website. This claims the limit of human endurance is, "2.5 times the body's resting metabolic rate, or 4000 calories for the average person." But I always thought the ultimate limit of human endurance was supporting West Ham...

How serious is West Ham's Gomes bid?

The Guardian reports that West Ham have bid £20 million for Barcelona's Andre Gomes, who looked a really good player while on loan at Everton last season. Though rather worryingly the paper also writes that, "his representatives have made clear that his preferred outcome is a move to Goodison Park." 

Should we want a player who sees us as his second best choice? And is this just a ploy to make it look like West Ham are in the market for a top player whom the club is unlikely to get, which has happened in the past with the likes of Bacca and Batshuayi? If the Hammers are serious about getting Gomes then it will take £25m or more to sign him. Though if WHU could get him it would be quite a coup to beat the Toffees to his signature.

When West Ham played behind closed doors

Remember when West Ham were in Europe? Looking through my late mother's letters to me at university I found this cutting she sent after West Ham beat Castilla 5-1 behind closed doors at Upton Park in "ghost game" in the Cup Winners Cup in 1980. It makes for nostalgic reading with the Daily Telegraph referring to "last night's soccer" and Cross, Goddard, Brooking and Bonds prominent in the match report. And looking at the picture I've not seen such an eerie, empty stadium since the Europa League Final in Baku.

Alvin's lad signs for the Hammers

West Ham seem to be stockpiling goalkeepers with Millwall's David Martin, the son of the great Alvin Martin, signed as our new number three choice. He's 33 and played a lot of games for MK Dons so not a bad back-up behind Roberto, despite dropping a televised ricket for Millwall against Brighton in the FA Cup. And perhaps he could persuade his dad (who's got no hair but he don't care) to turn out if our defence has a wobbly patch.

Meanwhile the restructuring of the squad has started, with Edimilson Fernandes signing for FSV Mainz and Lucas Perez departing for Alves.

Red redemption

Congratulations to Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp on winning the European Champions League. Of course, if West Ham are going to think like a big club then we have to stop enjoying rivals such as Spurs failing to win a trophy. Though I'm still not sure that pre-match lasagne for Spurs was such a good idea…