If the papers are right that seems to be the type of players Moyes is focusing his attention on. Particularly for the forward and central midfield.
The trouble is a high majority of those players won’t come cheap.
The other priloblem is convincing them to come. They may not see west ham as a step up enough to leave their current clubs, especially if they are a long serving player or are attracting bigger clubs
We have to be careful we don't spend all summer going after players where there isn't much chance of signing them (and thus missing out on other players)
Last edited by Crouchend_Hammer on Fri May 27, 2022 7:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Danny's Dyer Acting wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 6:03 am
I missed the Watkins/Defoe debate last night. Some numbers...
Watkins was 24 at the start of the 20/21 season. Since then he's scored 25 in 72 PL appearances.
Defoe was the same age at the start of the 06/07 season. Over the next 2 seasons he scored 22 in 72 PL appearances.
Over his career (ignored his spell at Bournemouth post 35 because it's a massive drop off) Defoe scored at a rate of 0.35 goals per game in the Premier League. That's almost exactly 13 goals per 38 game season. A very similar number to Ollie Watkins.
Either some of you are massively overrating how much of a natural goalscorer Jermaine Defoe was or severely underrating Ollie Watkins.
Watkins is far from perfect but I've just got a feeling he would suit this team down to the ground. Very expensive though.
Do those stats take into account Defoe's minutes on the pitch though? He made 496 appearances in the Premier League, but 149 of those were as a sub, and I would guess a huge proportion of those were at his peak when he was wasting away on Tottenham's bench. I can't really believe it's contentious to say he's a better finisher than Watkins for anyone who has watched both play.
Aztec Hammer wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 6:58 am
It probably does matter what he costs though. What if it means that we have to continue playing Cresswell for example, or that we can't get the requisite quality needed at CM?
It shouldn’t mean that though, I mean your probably right but it shouldn’t be the case. I mean I took it with a pinch of salt but what about the 150m budget. I think we need to spend big on a forward compared to a CM & I expect to see Cresswell in the left back spot next season anyway.
Lovejoy wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 7:08 am
It shouldn’t mean that though, I mean your probably right but it shouldn’t be the case. I mean I took it with a pinch of salt but what about the 150m budget. I think we need to spend big on a forward compared to a CM & I expect to see Cresswell in the left back spot next season anyway.
If Cresswell is still our starting left back next season I will riot.
If we could only make one signing this summer it should be a left back.
Aztec Hammer wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 6:58 am
It probably does matter what he costs though. What if it means that we have to continue playing Cresswell for example, or that we can't get the requisite quality needed at CM?
That's it for me. Is Watkins worth £50m? Probably once you take into account how low risk it is in terms of being proven and settled in the UK. There are potentially better options abroad for that kind of money, but you pay a premium for proven.
Watkins plus good enough players at LB, CB, CM, GK and CAM and I'm all good. If Watkins means skimping on one or more of those then no thanks.
Bissouma would be a great signing, and it would then be very interesting as that would allow Dec to play further forward as he clearly wants to do. Whether that's his best position is debatable, but if that's what he wants and keeps him here longer then let him do it I guess.
As an aside and slightly left field but bear with me - assuming a starting left back is also incoming, I wonder if Cresswell considering his age could start playing more centrally as a DM, at least as a backup? He's a decent passer, can tackle (reasonably well compared to midfielders), and must be classed as one of the senior leaders at the club so useful to keep him around. I was tempted to use Philipp Lahm as an example of a fullback moving to DM but maybe, just maybe Cresswell isn't in his class...
The_Cheadley wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 7:48 am
Bissouma would be a great signing, and it would then be very interesting as that would allow Dec to play further forward as he clearly wants to do. Whether that's his best position is debatable, but if that's what he wants and keeps him here longer then let him do it I guess.
I don't get this line of thought. Rice is a world class holding player. If we sold him then we wouldn't be able to replace him like for like in that role.
As a more box to box? He is good, but for the money we'd get for him you could replace him relatively easy in that role (IMO).
If he wants to pretend to be the second coming of $tevie G then I'd be tempted to cash in...
It is funny how we all see things differently.
Personally I think Bissouma would do better than Rice at the primary job of protecting the back four.
Then you have Rice doing his stuff back to front.
Would love that.
Keep Soucek as well to add depth and a different option
Crouchend_Hammer wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 7:57 am
It is funny how we all see things differently.
Personally I think Bissouma would do better than Rice at the primary job of protecting the back four.
Then you have Rice doing his stuff back to front.
Would love that.
Keep Soucek as well to add depth and a different option
Rice is Streets ahead of Bissouma at that role. He just so happens to be good at other things going forward too.
Crouchend_Hammer wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 7:57 am
It is funny how we all see things differently.
Personally I think Bissouma would do better than Rice at the primary job of protecting the back four.
Then you have Rice doing his stuff back to front.
Would love that.
Keep Soucek as well to add depth and a different option
Agreed in so much as Rice is far too good to be limited to holding (which he is excellent at). I’d love to see him be able to truly go box-to-box with the confidence not to worry that our defence will crumble if he does so.
Aztec Hammer wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 6:56 am
Hickey would have been a great signing. Would be nice to see us get business done early for once. Still, Calvin Bassey is there to be had. It's imperative that Cresswell does not start for us next season.
I think Bassey is definitely the better player out of the two, and probably a similar price.
Aztec Hammer wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 8:07 am
Agreed in so much as Rice is far too good to be limited to holding (which he is excellent at). I’d love to see him be able to truly go box-to-box with the confidence not to worry that our defence will crumble if he does so.
I don't think anyone would suggest putting him in shackles like he is in the England set up, but a true box to box? He has the drive and dribbling ability, but would he contribute enough in the final third? I have serious doubts about that.
