West Ham are getting ready to kick-off another season at Upton Park, and are doing so with a lot of new faces in claret and blue. Our board said they’d be prepared to splash the cash, and seem to have put their money where their mouths are. Even though we are ready to get down to business, Hammers manager Sam Allardyce has said there are still signings to be made – so if we do sign another player, what is the area of the pitch that still needs strengthening if we are to improve on last year’s performance?
At the time of writing, we seem to have a fairly full squad – and one in which there will be surely strong contention for starting positions (except for Kevin Nolan’s position. He’ll keep that.)
We’ve got a decent line-up in defence, and I’m pleased that – for now – both Winston Reid and Guy Demel remain Hammers, and I’m extremely excited to see new signings Aaron Cresswell and currently crocked Carl Jenkinson play for us this season. We also have James Collins, James Tomkins, Joey O’Brien, and hopefully the introduction of youth player Daniel Potts, who looked on fine form in the Stevenage pre-season game. It may be a crowded line up, but given how we ran out of defenders last January, it may not hurt to put another body into the mix, just in case.
In midfield, I’m shocked – shocked I tell you – to find that Mohamed Diame has not been snapped up by a top six club. Just shocked. As well as retaining him, Mark Noble, hero Kevin Nolan, and wingers Matt Jarvis and Stewart Downing, this area seems to have been strengthened over the summer as well, with midfielders Cheikhou Kouyate and Diego “you guys, it was just banter!” Poyet joining up with the team to create a far greater depth in options than available in recent seasons. (I make no mention of Ra’vel Morrison in this instance as I am yet to be sure what role, if any, he has left to play at Upton Park.)
The area that could be argued needed the most strengthening from last year would be our strikeforce, after we struggled on many occasions to find the back of the net—but even this area has had a number of additions to it through the summer months. Youth player Elliot Lee has looked extremely sharp in pre-season and will hopefully get a first team opportunity this year. We’ve also purchased the promising Mauro Zarate and un-fit but talented Enner Valencia. Add this to Andy Carroll, who may yet play for us again, and loyal old Carlton Cole, and we may actually have options up front.
Having said that though, Sam Allardyce has openly said he is still looking for another striker prior to the start of the season—but is it worthwhile to purchase another striker when we only play one at a time anyway? In a couple of months, on paper, we could actually have an incredible strike force, so I’m loathe to spend more money on a player who may not be injured right now— but once Valencia and Carroll are both fit, he may just end up being another pricy bottom on the subs bench.
If West Ham are to continue to splash some more cash, what area would you like to see get further strengthened? If we could get one more player in, who would it be? Would you sign another striker, or should we just put Teddy Sheringham up front and be done with it? Let us know below!
Think ravel & vaz te may be sold. Possibly diame too. Would like another wide option, midfielder and one forward. Dont see value in crouch so i guess it will be a younger player.
Jarvis possible Diame no we need to keep his creativity , definitely not
Midfield has been and still is the main problem area. Particularly in the creative part. Any forward can score goals if he has a good service. But we have become too predictable. Always attacking from the wings or through a long ball. This is not good enough. We need a Silva or a Benayoun type of player.
our back 4 looks decent.
noble and kouyate are going to a real good pairing there also so i thnk we have a solid 6 there as a foundation to build upon.
the remaing 5 however concern me,especially how we play them.
zarate and valencia are good players,and give us options so id slot them in as starters,zarat i think should play the nolan role behind the striker and valencia’s role to me is dependant on what we do in the market these next 3 weeks as he could excel either in a wide role or as the strker.
and then there is adrian!!!!!!
i agree with an earlier poster in that i think diame will be gone by september and ideally so would vaz te.raising us upto 5mill in funds.
add to that the speculation about arvis (today) and ravel (yesterday) we could boost our kitty by anther 9million.
and these 2 horro signings we are about to make from france
i however would do it a little differnetly.
let diame and vazte go-5mill in the kitty
If and thats a big IF ravel has gone 1 step to fr then id embrace the cardiff bif but however id reply ok you can have him…….in a straight swap for your keeper david marshall.
this would enable me to sell adrian who although is a good keeper on his day does drop far to many clangers and marshall would be a huge upgrade in my eyes.
so say we get 3mill for adrian-thats 8mill in the kitty.
let arvis go to wba for 5ill and thats 13mill in the kitty.
id then be on the dog n bone to newcastle and sunderland.
lets see if we can do a deal where we give up downing and get either wickham or ben arfa in return-depending on who we got determines valencias role-wickham means valencia out wide,benarfa means valencia as the striker.
and we still have our 13mill in the bank.but we need a winger and a central midfielder to offer competion/cover for noble and kouyate.
so southampton here i come-jack cork?3mill?yes please
10mill left
chelsea next-victor moses 3mill?yes please
then city-scott sinclair 3mill?yes please
4mill left
now we have a decision to make.im going to role with the idea that we got wickham for downng-given he is the last year of his contract.
so with my remaining 4million im going to go back to newcastle and buy hatem ben arfa for 4million
and in 1 final deadline day deal……im taking mourane fellaini on loan.
giving me forard lines such as
ben arfa-zarate-sinclair
valencia
or
valencia-fellaini-moses
wickham
Ben Arfa is absolute pants.
Marshal is an excellent keeper.
Poyet bought to provide creativity in midfield and now amalfitano can also help there and provide wing power. Believe we need another out and out winger who can interchange, and get rid of Vaz Te. Morrison, if he stays, should be played as attacking midfielder, with two wingers and Zarate or Valencia up front – play THROUGH midfield.
Nolan should be dropped as skipper, armband going to Agger or Noble. Nolan plays as impact attacking option off the bench.
Lee must now be brought into the fold as one of attacking subs on bench every game, increasing his game time as his game and pl match fitness progress.
We should definitely sell following players NOW if we can get decent price
Diame
Vaz Te
Jarvis
Nolan
Certain that Nolan would bring in 10m alone (a certain Arry loves ex WHU players!), Diame could be swap with Martin Kelly at Liverpool – giving us another attacking/ defensive option.
Jarvis could get us 8m and opportunity to sign someone like Zaha (can also play winger).
Suppose we would have to take a loss and pay someone in the Champs to take Vaz Te but worth it to be rid !!
Much as ive always been a fan of Ginge Collins !! I think the legs have started to go and he was at fault for both goals against sampdoria.. He would still be worth his spot on the bench But feel another center halfe come right back would be a good addition.
totally agree about Vaz Te
Bring in Yevhen konoplyanka
West Ham must sell Carroll Demel O’Brien Nolan Downing.Diame Morrison must to stay.
Splash the cash and get malky mckay brilliant manager. bye bye bfs carroll and nolan.
We really should be looking at quality goalkeepers.Adrian has not convinced me and Juicy has had his day.
I think we need a striker no doubt. I would go for targets such as young,promising Conor Wickham or expierenced, finisher Samuel Eto’o. I heard we are on the verge of signing Morgan Almafitano on a free transfer. Creative, clever winger that scores goals. A good adition to the team. If we want to change our style of play therefore out with Nolan and Andy. And in with a new manager maybe Roberto Di Matteo.
If I ever feel down I know that I can always be entertained by reading ABSOLUTE bonkers comments from some of our finest. A week away from kick off & its not only about buying a couple of players in crucial positions before the season starts, but wholesale selling…..And a change of manager. Will any of these things happen? Maybe in a parallel universe, but not here on planet earth.
The club has done well in the transfer market this year and a couple more signings before the start of the season would probably be this clubs best bit of pre-season transfer business in memory.
It is NOW time, that IF you support West Ham United Football Club, to do just THAT once the season starts!
COYI
Hallelujah.
Jarvis speculation is interesting. Would take 3m for Ravel at this moment particularly as its not from a premiership side. Sam knows we need goals, so for me Jarvis, Vaz Te & Ravel could be sold if we can get players in that are better.
4-5-1 formation means that goals have to come from wide areas as we will never have a 20 goal centre forward. So for me they need a wide player who comes inside like Nasri does and allows full back to provide width.
Get Marshall and the young CB from Stuttgart plus Wickham. Norwich were interested in Nolan so part exchange him for Fer, sell off Vaz Te, and Jarvis. Give Lee and Chambers some playing time. Captain Chicken Dance needs to make way for faster younger players, oh and sad to say but move on the disaster better known as Morrison, part exchange for Marshall.
Let’s play
3 5 2
Marshal…..best keeper last year in crap side
Reid dawson agger
jarvis and ollson …..3 million …..wing backs
koyate holding
alfretano james Milner or nick powell …loan …. attack mid
zarate valencia up front
Try and buy
darren Bent …….1 million
Redmond
Zaha or Moses or Sinclair
mica Richards
why dont we just sell our whole team in the next week and buy a whole new starting line up.!! your a fool this your club?? west ham – not a sun bargain dreamteam
As if someone has agger and Dawson in their team hahaha Dawson is absolutely awful and agger is a no chance
Give bfs first 6 games.see if football has changed for the better as well as results. Drop nolan to bench. Swap carton cole &vaz te for a proper number 9 like shane long / havier henandez ….
team to play.adrian demel tomkins reid collins cresswell noble kayoute diame zarate valencia ..3 -5-1-1 wing backs 3 Centre backs with 3 across the middle with kayote holding .zarate benind valencia…….4-4 -2 as a plan b jarvis an downing on bench until prove themselfs ..
GK ADRIAN – WHY IS EVERY PRAISING HIM LAST SEASON NOW DOUBTING HIM OVER PRE SEASON? #1
COLLINS – REID – TOMKINS
CRESSWELL – DOWNING WING BACK
KOUYATE HOLDING
DIAME NOBLE NOLAN WILL START / THEN POYET ONCE PROVEN WHICH HE WILL
THEN ZARATE PLAYING OFF VALENCIA SHOULD BE FIT HE SAID 1-2 WEEKS LAST WEEK!
Neil Lennon As west ham manager Nolan and Carroll gone noble captin
I agree about Nolan and Carroll but Lennon as manager? No!