Improvements and speculation

  • by Matt Bell
  • Filed: Thursday, 18th June 2015

I am encouraged by the up-to-date transfer dealings. I must admit my work is suffering while I watch transfer news updates and have been busted more than once trying to Google translate an article from some random Turkish newspaper that links West Ham with this or that player.

Yes, I need to get a life - but I also need something to do before the evening drinking starts.
No club has signed all their targets and with the window yet to open all we can do is speculate. So far…..

Obiang is a very good addition and a player I think can nail a first team spot down. His energy should counter his lack of experience. Signed for a decent fee, this represents good business by the club.

Bringing in Chris Woods as goalkeeper coach is an excellent move. Vastly experienced from his playing career, he has huge experience with the USA squad and working with David De Gea at Man Utd and Tim Howard at Everton. Both are fantastic players who have improved, so he must have some impact on both.

I understand Bilic’s preferred backroom staff have work permit hearings but given their work with the Croatian national team surely these hearings should be a formality plus we hear that a former face may be brought back

In regards to the possibles here are my preferred signings; feel free to argue against!

Charlie Austin
Pay QPR the £15million (that must include add-ons?) they're seeking. 25- years old, a good goal ratio, strong and hungry. A move to West Ham would provide him with first team football plus the opportunity to shine and perhaps make the Euro 2016 squad. (His competition for striking places isn’t that fierce regardless of England's unbeaten record since the World Cup – we’ve seen the games.)

Loic Remy
Whats the fee - £8million-£10million? He would bring pace and goals and offer us something different. Plus I think he can play in a forward three, up front alone or with Austin or Diafra Sakho. If our competition is Crystal Palace because of Pardew's previous relationship, I still think we offer a brighter future to turn his head.

Toby Alderweireld
I would agree with this move. I like the Ginger Pele, we all do, he will stick his face or his genitals in the way of any shot to prevent a goal - though age and pace will catch up. So I think he would be a great player to bring in for a tough Sunday away game after the Europa league matches.

I like James Tomkins and have championed him for years but he still worries me. Between playing with his hair and dozing off he looks promising but he is not a youngster any more and has had the chance to claim a central defensive spot. Every manager has changed the pairings around so if we are going to see mistakes made, I’d be more forgiving of young Reece Burke than Tomkins.

Yohan Cabaye
Is this realistic? Would PSG write off so much by letting him leave for £10million? At 29 the next contract is so important so I think we would get a hungry player who has Premier League and European experience. Again with Palace linked, due to Pardew my argument for Remy is the same with Cabaye. Palace can sell their club and expansion, but we have the Europa campaign plus the new stadium to offer.

Alex Song
Would he join us permanently? It seems that Chelsea and Liverpool are interested and because we want him, suddenly Spurs want him (such a jealous bunch of mean girls that lot). £5million isn’t bad for a fee but his wages are high and would he lose what motivation he showed at the start of last season if signed on a permanent deal? Risky, but I’d take him.

Alen Hallovic
Barca B. Only seen one rumour and maybe I’m getting carried away because he’s Croatian. The new Modric and presumably on loan, but he would offer us some needed creativity.

Right Back
This is a big issue for the balance of the team. I thought we would reintroduce Jenkinson in on loan again but it turns out Arsenal want a £2million loan fee. Jenks would be my preference over Glen Johnson or Aston Villa-bound Micah Richards, but £2million to give an Arsenal player first team football and improve ?

I don’t know about that but I'd be tempted to tell Arsenal to do one, too. Fact is, options are limited so we may have to - especially given he has had a year with us and wouldn’t require a settling-in period.

Vedran Corluka has little pace but a wealth of experience and would not be overlapping the winger. So there's more pressure to bring in a winger who can deliver quality, score a few and track back. All of which racks up the £££.

Wingers
Every day it’s a new link, but I’m pretty sure we won’t see Matt Jarvis on either wing next season.

"Bring Rav home" campaign
I would vote YES to bringing him back (if we could). No disrespect to Sam Allardyce, as I am only an outsider looking in, but it seemed to be that if he liked you he liked you and if he didn’t, then you watched Kevin Nolan in your place.

I think Bilic has a big enough personality to find the focus in Ravel that he so badly needs for his career (and I’d go far as saying for his personal well-being). His age, ability and his potential are his major positives and he is one of the players that you watch and think “if you could sort your head out you’d be a world-beater”.

Then you read a Sunday rag and find out he has gone to Manchesteragain to beat something else. Like Zarate he is a wild card, but at least Rav is on his target weight.

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