January 2022 Transfer Window

[Burnley Hammer]

Defence, just basically need a centre back that can defend? Decent with the ball as well great, but being able to defend paramount imo.

I disagree - I think being decent with the ball is equally paramount. Our current problems in the defensive third go beyond simply defending.

[NedN]

Agree about cancelling Kral's loan and signing another midfielder, certainly you could see today how this was needed without Soucek. Defence, just basically need a centre back that can defend? Decent with the ball as well great, but being able to defend paramount imo.

And to think all of us thought Kral hadn’t been shagging kakophoenix’s bird or something the way he was talking about how bad he was before he signed, turns out he likely was right about him not being prepared for the PL

[S-H]

I disagree - I think being decent with the ball is equally paramount. Our current problems in the defensive third go beyond simply defending.

The quality of our distribution from the back, since we lost Ogbonna and Zouma has been awful, and really shouldn't be underestimated.

[Lovejoy]

I disagree - I think being decent with the ball is equally paramount. Our current problems in the defensive third go beyond simply defending.

Agree with that wholeheartedly. Our ball retention is woeful, and tbh I don’t think Ogbonna and Zouma are particularly great on the ball either. I wince every time we try and play from the back, it just looks unnatural. I think that’s why Bielsa had James running around like a whippet especially when Dawson got it.

The same is said for our striker as well, loses the ball way to much.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

If a loan with an option deal was available for Diallo I'd take it, but PSG don't need the money so I'm not sure they'd entertain it.

A replacement for Ogbonna who can actually pass a damn football is a must.

If we can't find that there's no point wasting £10 million on Phillips and being lumbered with him for years, like when we just had to buy anyone so bought Hugill, pointless.

I do wonder who these players that aren't available until the summer are.

[MrHammer73]

If a loan with an option deal was available for Diallo I'd take it, but PSG don't need the money so I'm not sure they'd entertain it.

A replacement for Ogbonna who can actually pass a damn football is a must.

If we can't find that there's no point wasting £10 million on Phillips and being lumbered with him for years, like when we just had to buy anyone so bought Hugill, pointless.

I do wonder who these players that aren't available until the summer are.

The problem with waiting in the summer and doing nothing now is that next season it will be tough reach the Champions League with a world cup in between.

We are good position this season with league, FA Cup and European League. We have to show some ambition this winter window and not just sign one loan player like we did last January.

[GetUrWangOut]

My ambition is lowering by the week but a lcb is a must

[Georgee Paris]

As it stands I think we’ve settled for top half finish.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

The problem with waiting in the summer and doing nothing now is that next season it will be tough reach the Champions League with a world cup in between.

We are good position this season with league, FA Cup and European League. We have to show some ambition this winter window and not just sign one loan player like we did last January.

I don't think a defender who's just about better than Diop would help us much for the rest of the season, we should be bringing summer's budget forward and really going for it.

[billtho]

Would agree with many on here about top priority being a top left centre back.At the beginning of next season Ogbonna will be 34 years old and coming back after nearly a season out.Is he going to the old reliable Ogbonna( and as much as I think he has been quality for us ) it is asking alot

[westlondonhammer]

Last season I read a lot about it being 'our golden chance that won't come around again'... this season I'm starting to read the same comments but it has come around again and we are repeating our feat of last year (with the added complexities of Europe). Why not again next year and the year after too? Why is this not the new West Ham under Moyes?

We're growing incrementally (similar to how Liverpool did for a few years under Klopp, however from a lower starting point) and to a plan which is around sustainable growth.

Today was similar to the Southampton game which we need to learn from but it shouldn't change how we are approaching things.

Between now and the summer window we need a new striker, a new long term CB and a long term replacement for Cresswell. That hasn't changed... nor has the need for quality player in those roles (not stop gaps). If we can get 1 of those properly sorted in this window it'll be good window. If we get stopgap versions in those positions that needs replacing in the summer than it will be a bit meh.

A few more rounds in Europe (including a game against a giant), top 7 and quarter finals of the FA cup will be a good season for me.

[Wilko1304]

An injection of quality would help, though. Lingard did it last year, an impetus added that helps everyone at the club.

I would be very surprised were it to be impossible to get in someone better for that left side than Diop (and Dawson) at a decent price who isn't just a short-term measure. But we could also get a loan, which then does allow some short-term thinking.

There is something about the mentality of acting in the window that could help this squad.

[Hugh Jargon]

We are miles away from Chelsea and Liverpool. 4th is the ultimate achievement. Not sure the board will spend the necessery to achieve it.

I think they will concentrate on cups and settle for about 8th this season. Just a lack of ambition really.

[stu1]

Not that we don’t need an upgrade there in general but would a better central defender have actually got us three points today? It was actions by Cresswell and Vlasic that were the triggers for the first and third.

The second goal wasn’t brilliant but taking a wider view, how many times have we conceded from a situation like that? Hardly ever. So much so it was genuinely surprising that it happened.

For me the centre halves today created nervousness in our play and their distribution impacted our fluidity. Their performances are having subtle negative impacts on the rest of the team (who also weren’t great)

The third goal is a good example of the centre backs not being immediately involved in the goal but contributing to us conceding. I don’t particularly blame Diop for the pass as Vlasic had more than enough time but like many today his brain was far too slow to react. However only 30 seconds earlier Diop under hardly any pressure at all thumped the ball out of play. The next time we recovered the ball lead to Diop’s pass to Vlasic. Diop smashing the ball out of play began the sequence of event that lead to their third.

We’ve done well to maintain our top 4 push but we are chancing our luck in every game these days where the opposition remotely turn up. Today’s game just evidenced how much we need another CB and CF.

Antonio was very poor. I lost count of the amount of times he lost the ball with his back to goal, he almost seemed surprised at being pressed. It was a problem for many of our players today (being slow in mind) but particularly Antonio. The fact we had to resort to throwing on a 19 year old striker who many thought wasn’t ready in the Europa League shows we are lacking.

[Iron-on-transfer]

We are miles away from Chelsea and Liverpool. 4th is the ultimate achievement. Not sure the board will spend the necessery to achieve it.

I think they will concentrate on cups and settle for about 8th this season. Just a lack of ambition really.

They only promised us top 6 in xx amount of years from when they blew up our old ground. Not top 4. Give the customers too much and serious wedge is also needed for investment. Get the Shatner Pants out Sully. Hide away your wallet.

[Sir_Trevor]

The fact we had to resort to throwing on a 19 year old striker who many thought wasn’t ready in the Europa League shows we are lacking.

He's actually only 17.

[stu1]

He's actually only 17.

Is he really, well that just shows how short we are in that position.

[King1968]

A Centre half and centre forward are a must this month any fool can see that,leave Bowen out wide where his at his best he is not a natural centre forward ,if we don't bring in players in those two positions mid table beckons at best

[Wilko1304]

Does need to be remembered we were extra short because of Covid (Soucek) and the AFCON (Benrahma) so usually Yarmolenko and Perkins would have been nowhere near the pitch.

But then that's part of the risk when you got in just a little short overall, I guess.

Priority is defence, I agree with Bubbs and Bubbs (F). Just whether you'd like someone for the poster wall whilst we wait too.

[HammerAl]

It’s frustrating because we are SO close. Whether it’s Sullivan being tight, Moyes being stubborn or Newman not identifying the best targets, who knows, but we really are only 2 or 3 away from being really, really good.