Distracted as everyone else is by the wonders of the World Cup, or Donald Trump’s stand-up routine—whatever is the most entertaining---down West Ham way, we hope we are entering a brave new world.
Well, that’s what we are being led to believe---Please Mr. Postman, look into your bag for more money for us—seems to be the plea.Never has there been a time at West Ham where everything seems to be so up in the air, there’s new ownership, new money, new staff, new players, new coaches. New hope all around.
Some of the old stuff is still around, though, the stench of the old Sullivan regime is still there. Hanging on looking for best deal for his 38 per cent shares. Is Danny Kretinsky still trying to get shot of David Sullivan? Did he manage to force a share issue at the end of last month to further dilute Sullivan’s shares and grab another, say, 10 per cent to give him total control?
It doesn’t seem likely though, does it. It could take another couple of weeks for that major share shuffling to become a fact. If there were no new shares issued, then Companies House will stay silent.
Internal share transactions don’t have to be announced anyway, until the next annual accounts, for us some time before new year. Let’s be clear, if Kretinsky has got what he wants and Sullivan out of the frame, he’s not planning to loan the club £100m. Like we’ve been told.
So what does Sullivan and the family, actually do now? The old fella is not on either of the club’s boards now, so does that still mean he’ll be in the VIP box when the season starts with that Caribou Cup tie with Portsmouth on 8 August or the opening Championship home game with Charlton on 22 August?
Sullivan still technically can’t come anywhere near the women’s and youth teams, but as he’s now no longer a club owner, does that negate the investigations by the Independent Football Regulator into the alleged historical issues?
Does he have any rights as a major shareholder, or is he persona non grata with the current board? Who knows, but I bet there will be a few cameras trained on the posh seats when the season starts to see just how far the mighty have fallen.
But all this has become an irritating side show, it’s the football issues we are all more interested in now.
Nuno Espirito Santo has finally got his trusted long-term assistant, Rui Pedro Silva, in place. A director of player recruitment Nils Koppen is finally beavering away. Karim Varani—interim CEO—is in place and seems to have impressed the fans groups, who are getting used to not being ignored by the club’s previous hierarchy.
It's an interesting title for Koppen. Not Technical or Football Director, but a handle that suggests the footballing structure is not his remit. We’ve already got a Sporting Director in Mark Noble, and the direction our footballing ideology takes seems firmly in the hands of Nuno (and even his agent Jorge Mendes).
I must admit I’ve asked around amongst Rangers fans of my acquaintance as to what they thought of Varani and Koppen when they worked together at Ibrox. Views have been mixed. But hey hoo, give everyone a chance.
Koppen’s in tray must first sort out the players we need to shift to reduce an alarming wage bill that will not sit well in the Championship. (Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Todibo, Fullkrug, Areola and Cornet being the obvious candidates.)
Matty Fernandes has gone for £85m, Cry Summerville is being chased by half-a-dozen Premier League clubs at a fee north of £50m. And it’s no surprise that Aaron Wan-Bissaka is being touted around at £25m.
All that means there’s no need for a fire sale, but surely there will be a reality sale instead. If players want out there’s no way you can keep them. It’s hard to believe that Pablo Felipe, Taty Castellanos, Tino Mavropanos and Malick Diouf do not fall into that category.
So what of Jarrod Bowen, what will it take to ensure he stays? Maybe a re-worked contract would settle the issue. I must admit I wake up each day expecting to see he’s on his way.
If there’s one thing that Kretinsky could do as he wrestles with shares, buy-outs, loans etc, is to make a signature statement to ensure Bowen stays. Over 45,000 season tickets have been renewed largely because of the new regime and their finances.
Many would have come back to the club now Sullivan’s empire is no more—but even that still hasn’t quite happened. So Bowen with a new deal and a certain stay would be just the right thing to happen now the players are back in training and the new campaign just a month away.
* Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.
* Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the highlighted author/s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy or position of KUMB.com.
