At the time of writing this, the transfer window has not yet closed – but the hopes and dreams of the Upton Park faithful that we’ll sign another striker are fading fast (and I’m not staying up past my bed time just to be depressed.) We’re watching deal after deal fall through – assumedly for financial reasons – and there is one big free-agenty-thing sticking in the back of supporter’s minds.
We could re-sign Carlton Cole.
When he left back in May, having turned down a new contract (this has been confirmed by David Gold on Twitter) it was a bittersweet goodbye. He was good for us over the years, although I fall short of using the term ‘prolific.’ He felt he was worth more money and could do better elsewhere – we felt we were better than Carlton’s wage demands and could get a better striker from elsewhere – so it was a strange scenario (albeit one that at the time seemed mutually beneficial.) Fast forward to September 2nd, and as it turns out that neither West Ham nor Carlton have actually done any “better.”
We have made some good signings over the summer – but we’ve been left with a £15million injury, an overly talented midfield who did nothing against Stoke City, one striker who’d rather leave thank you very much, and another striker who isn’t bad per se, but just does not fit into a lone striker scenario.
Take the above, combined with the fact that Cole is a free agent who would not command an excessively high wage after being unsigned all summer, and, well… would you take Carlton back? And if we did re-sign Cole, who is coming crawling back to who? Do we need him more than he needs us?
We’ve somehow fallen out of the frying pan and straight into the burning depths of hell when it comes to strikers, and waltzed into the football equivalent of a break up where both parties are sure they can pull someone better, and after one too many dark lonely nights of sobbing over Marley and Me, decide to get back together after all.
I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that something good clicks into place, and Demba Ba realises Big Sam is his soul mate, but in the likely event that he doesn’t, I’m hoping West Ham and Carlton can come to another mutually beneficial agreement regarding his wages, and that West Ham and Cole can come crawling back to each other before we throw away any more points.
Yeah- I can’t believe I just said that, either.
Absolutely loved this piece. I’m a big Carlton fan and it is a shame that he left the way he did. I have nothing else to say but I completely agree with you.
This just about sums up Sullivan and Gold …… Lies and no ambition. They are smug patrenising t####rs. Cole is rubbish . Perhaps Sam wants him to play centre back as he is not a forward ……. we are a laughing stock . Hope we go down as it is the only way we might get rid of the scum bags running the club .
Lies and no ambition? They’ve signed the 2nd most expensive British player ever! C’mon, give them a break!
How was it that after dead line the dirty Mancs sign a player and spurs spent 100 million before bale went. There ground isn’t bigger than ours how does the fair play rule work . Premier league is a joke it’s not a fair league never has been
I dont understand nor comprehend how we can be moaning when its only been 3 games, yes maiga is poor, but slating our owners is toally uncalled for. they live and breathe west ham as all of us do, have nothing but good intentions for us. I back the golds as we all should!!! WEST HAM TILL I DIE, LONDON IS CLARET AND BLUE.
I agree with most of the rhetoric on this thread. But I stop short of slating sullivan and gold. We would probably be where wolves are if their money hadnt of serviced the debt that would of taken us into administration! We are West Ham we have always been this way.
clubs like west ham hock their future based on projected income streams. Although the ffp rules havent quite kicked in the first audit is 2015. In other words gold and sullivan are worried about getting the wage bill down and servicable by then, without drastically reducing the quality of the squad!
@garry, its all income not just gates it’s tv, shirts, tranfers and sponsorship.
I am happy carlton cole is coming back, we should have repaid the loyalty and signed him for the rest of his career. He is happy to be back up. And he has proved its not because of the money.
Very good thought provoking article. Keep it up miss emily.
COYI
What a waste of 4.9 million Maiga! Whoever scouted him then recommended him needs sacking. Surely he aint a BFS type of player. WTF went on there 😐
COYI
Carlton old son..ive not been your biggest fan over the years but welcome back !! Leaving yourself with one injured striker and Maiga….not great planning is it. If the Stoke match did one thing for us all, it showed the major deficiency in the squad so may be it was a blessing in disguise. How it got to this I don’t know, but it doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence does it ?? If we, the paying fans can see it as clear as daylight, what the hell were the people running the club doing ??
I keep asking myself the same question. How does a team like Swansea (for example) become a better club than west ham? We’ve been trying to emulate their success for the last 30 odd years. It’s about putting your mind to it with conviction & dealing with it. I’m sick of being a team who’s highlight of the season is to win a game against 1 of the big 5. I feel embarrassed