I don’t know what my colleague at the Daily Telegraph Martin Smith has got against West Ham – maybe he’s a Sheffield United supporter. But his list of the 25 Worst Ever Transfer Window buys rather beggars belief. In a list of 25 players he’s included no fewer than six West Ham players…
25. Calum Davenport
24. Yaviv Katan
23. Lee Bowyer
8. Luis Boa Morte
3. Nigel Quashie
2. Matthew Upson
You may well be scratching your head in bewilderment wondering if the author of this list inhabits the planet earth. Quite what Nigel Quashie has done to him in a previous life is anyone’s guess, but as well as featuring at number 3, he also features at 4 and 5! And I think anyone who knew anything about West Ham would consider Matthew Upson to be a fantastic buy for us. I am of course fully in agreement with him about Boa Morte, although I feel he could be rather higher in the list!
Mr Smith partially redeems himself in the 25 Best Ever Transfer window buys by including Nigel Reo-Coker at 22, Lucas Neill at 10 and Dean Ashton at 4.
Discuss.
Matthew Upson?? He must be on something.
even lee bowyer doesnt deserve to be there
Yaviv Katan? How he was ever able to judge his performance, and therefore deem him an awful transfer, I’ll never know. Didn’t we pay a pittance for him on a sketchy recommendation from Yossi? I recall seeing him about twice, coming on in the 89th minute, the rest of the time I only ever saw his name in reserve game write ups.
Bowyer has infuriatingly short spells of form, and I’m so confused about whether I rate him or not that it’s painful. Quashie came in to bolster a wet midfield at a crucial time and did just that, Boa Morte IS dire, while Davenport’s appearances have been reduced due to injury and injury…injury…and those infrequent periods when we do have a settled centre back pairing.
Like you said, the most astonishing name on there is Upson. Granted, when I first had a chance to watch him in our shirt, he appeared to have a crippling lack of pace, and his awareness of the game was non-existent…I guess a season or so of watching high balls lumped at you in the Championship will do that, but God, what a turn-around. He (with Green) would be an instant pick when putting together the line up week in, week out.
I never reply to blogs, but that reallllly got my goat…does seem to reek of West Ham Vendetta.
Well, he also listed Upson in the top 25 of the january window. I think he put him in the “worst buy” because of all the injuries he had last season. I mean, it wasn’t because of him that we survived the drop…
john hartson and paul kitson…saved us! where is kitson now???
I wonder why we are suprised, He is a suds fan isn’t he? And when has the press ever got things right?
Is he sober? He must be joking!
The guy obviously knows as much about football as i do about ballet dancing…..less than nowt !!.
i am pleased with Upson and especialy Bowyer, he has scored 4 goals for us so far, and he is a hard worker.
To be honest Iain, read the Times online, much more accurate and always write fair articles about every team.
Upson is a superb player, reminds me of my all time hero Billy Bonds (maybe its the beard, i dont know??). obviously a rosy glow of nostalgia makes me say he’ll never be as good as bonzo but still. the reporter is out of his mind – maybe he needs a holiday.
not really sure about the others, dont really think any of them were THAT bad, not in the same league of shiteness as lee chapman or mike small – remember them???
all i can say is he must be a twat. upson looks like getting a england call how is that a bad buy. should try looking at liverpool they could fill all 25 places. cmon u irons
yep, has 2 b a sheff (bitter n twisted) fan. !!!!
lbm maybe, but bowyer? upson? come the fk on bridget
I can understand Upson being there. Didn’t he play about 20 minutes and then have the rest of the season off injured? So for the reason we bought him yeah. It was crap.
did we ever get a director of football?
missed that one if it hapened.
buy a bloody top draw striker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!this liverpool game was ours,cant believe we have gone 442,we were playing well 451!!!!
Nothing on here re the Liverpool game Ian?
Would like to discuss with others.
I’ve stopped buying the Telegraph because, of late, their bias against all things West Ham has been increasingly infuriating. Don’t know what they are on, but it certainly isn’t this planet!
What a nutter