Hammers boss Harry Redknapp will be forced to sell some of his players before he can make new signings at Upton Park. It's understood that the board will not allow any cash to be spent on new players unless some of the existing squad are off-loaded. That will come as a major blow to Redknapp who has been heavily linked with Arsenal striker Davor Suker. The Croatian has revealed that he has had an offer from a London club and the Hammers seem to be the favourites. But, even though Suker is a Bosman free transfer his wages are likely to amount to over £1million. It will be interesting to see if the board block the proposed transfer of Suker, who will make a decision over his future in the next few weeks. “
Well how many times have we heard these phrases before?” West Ham are a selling club”, “balance the books”, it would seem every year. Well maybe there is a genuine cause for concern this year due to the dreaded redevelopment. However, the angle I want to look at this quote from is do we really need to bring in many new players in order for an upturn in our fortunes? In what positions do we need strengthening or who do we need replacements for, and who can we get rid of that is surplus to requirements? Would our performance be worse than this seasons if we didn’t buy at all?A question like this would seem a heinous crime to most footie fans and I could be accused of lacking ambition, but is it such a crime to consider our squad of players whom we shout for on the pitch at Upton Park, as perhaps good enough to keep? I’m actually thinking along the lines of getting the best out of the players we have, who have either under performed or have been injured. The benefit of this is that they should be comfortable with their surroundings, with the staff etc etc. We could also benefit from having a season with a much more settled squad and definitely a settled first team.
So lets talk about some players we already have and could keep, rather than who we could be getting or letting go. Marc Keller is a player who has under achieved this season. I was a great fan of his last season and many have called for him to be playing on the left wing for us all season. However, have you been pleased with his performances when he has played? I doubt it, and like the England team, West Ham seem to have few players that could fill this position. But do we get rid of him or do we somehow get him back to the form he showed the previous season?
Frederic Kanoute has yet to settle in and he looks great so far, but what if we find he isn’t as good over a season or he too gets injured. What has happened to our other reserve strikers? If we take it that Paolo Wanchope will at least be on the bench, that still leaves several others in the squad and that’s before we consider Davor Suker.
Paul Kitson seems to be an endless enigma and is fast catching up with Darren Anderton in the “sick note” stakes. Charlton have already turned him down and sent him back injured. He is wanting to play first team football but can’t hold his place in the first team through either injury or to put it bluntly, being outclassed by better strikers.
I’ll give Paul the benefit of the doubt in that he has played some good football for us and scored some important goals, but if he were honest, he’s found himself queing to play in the first eleven both at Newcastle and at West Ham. Surely his best hope of playing first team football is to drop a division and hope he is still not injury prone.
What is hard to believe is the lack of use of the other strikers. What happened to Gavin Holligan, Samassi Abou and Manny Omoyinmi? I will admit that I’ve never seen Holligan play but I thought he was supposed to be a prolific youngster? Samassi Abou was playing some wonderful football not too long ago and Manny Omoyinmi seemed to be coming on too, although I would actually call him more of a winger. Ok…. forget Omoyinmi. Also what will happen with Gary Alexander, he was his (on- loan) teams top scorer this season with 18 goals?
What I am saying is that West Ham must get the best out of these players because they are being paid as part of our squad. If these players can’t do the job and get in the first team then they must be sold on. But I’d rather see them do better for us rather than do better for another team. We can either view such players as “deadwood” or view them as potentially excellent players who the club aren’t getting the best out of and there’s plenty more names in other positions in the squad including Charles, Coyne, Byrne, Newton, Ruddock.
We have, Forrest, Hislop, Potts, I Pearce, S Pearce, Minto, Lomas and Cole as first team players to return from injury. So in what areas are we needing reinforcements, replacements or gaps filled, once these players return, which should be by the start of next season? I hate to say it but probably none, apart from the gap left by the already departed Marc Vivien Foe.
I am dubious as to the truth of the Teamtalk statement which I started this piece off with, because they say the same thing every year and there is no substance to the claim. However, I suspect that the board and maybe even Harry Redknapp may be looking at the members of our squad and what will happen with them, more closely this season, rather than who they can buy in. I think that if we were honest we should be looking at this summer break as more of a “clear out” than a “summer spending spree”.
One final thought; if Suker wants to be playing regular first team football, who do you drop, Di Canio or Kanoute, plus there’s Wanchope on the bench, Kitson, Alexander, Abou, Holligan and more….Makes you think doesn’t it?
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