West Ham Till I Die
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The folly of last season's transfer strategy!

Watching the World Cup Finals and, in particular, the performances of Algerian striker, Islam Slimani, one is reminded of the club’s transfer folly last season. The club invested c.£15m in Andy Carroll, a decision that may yet be vindicated in the medium/long-term, if not currently, in the shorter-term. However, if the club had at the time decided to invest its transfer funds elsewhere, it is sobering to reflect on the fact we could have likely secured both Wilfred Bony (£8m) and Slimani (£6m) for a combined fee of £14m! I am not so sure about their wage demands, but surely we could have got both players for not much more than the c.£70,000 per week that Carroll is allegedly paid. No wonder the board have decided to be more ‘hands on’ with our transfer dealings this summer! And, no doubt, the addition of a Head of Recruitment will ensure that there is less chance of a repeat of the Bony and Slimani episodes in future.

A Bony-Slimani strike force would certainly have guaranteed goals. The partnership would have had everything, power, pace, technique, intelligent play off the ball and (last but certainly not least) a clinical cutting edge in front of goal. Unfortunately, we lost our opportunity to sign Bony and, his goal scoring record at Swansea last season, probably now renders him unaffordable at £19m. In Slimani’s case, it could be that we will come to regret not closing a deal for him in January. It is probable that £6m would have secured him before this World Cup, but will Sporting Lisbon now increase the asking price in the aftermath of his World Cup exploits? I would be very surprised if they did not. So, one must ask, why the club did not follow through on the deal in the last winter transfer window? Its probable that indecision/vacilliation has put the player beyond our reach, especially now other PL and European clubs have been alerted to his ability. Still, you never know, West Ham, may still be able to strike a deal for Slimani. He certainly looks like a striker who could improve us and increase our options up front. Both as competition to Carroll and a striker that can play alongside him.

Talking of Carroll, it will interesting to see if Teddy Sheringham will be able to help him work on key aspects of his game. In particular, his link up play and running off the ball. If West Ham are to adopt a more attractive playing style next season, it stands to reason that Carroll is going to have to contribute more to build up play and be better prepared to convert chances on the ground. Of course, Carroll’s ariel ability is a great strength, which we must continue to exploit. However, as a matter of playing policy, the intelligent ball in to the near and far post should replace the aimless punt up field. Caroll needs to adapt his play and show that he is a better all-round technical player than many suppose. He has the potential to do it and, with Sheringham’s coaching, he could come on leaps and bounds next season. The big variable factor is whether Carroll can stay fit and available for selection. Some feel that he may be injury prone and next season will probably prove or disprove that proposition.

Fans often express the view that the squad currently lacks a midfield play-maker, someone to orchastrate play in the final third and pick out the killer balls. In that case, they will be pleased to note that we have been linked with a classy player of just that type. Sportsmail are reporting that West Ham are considering bidding for French midfielder, Mathieu Valbuena. He is currently on World Cup duty with the French national squad and normally turns out for Marseille. The speculation is that a c.£6-7m bid will accepted by Marseille and the player is known to be keen on a move to the Premier League. We should monitor this potential deal, because it could prove another significant one, certainly in terms of our commitment to improve our playing style. Who knows, if true, then perhaps we can even offload Diarra and/or Maiga to Marseille as part of the deal?

Finally, it has been reported today that both Fulham and Norwich City have submitted £10m bids for Leeds Utd’s Ross McCormack. That is a big fee for a Championship striker, albeit one that scored 28 goals last season. As we know, West Ham have a long running interest in the player and contemplated a £5m punt last January. But is he really worth an inflated £10m fee? Can McCormack reasonably be expected to perform as well in the PL? I can see why he would be seen as a good signing for clubs seeking an immediate return to the PL after relegation, even at £10m, because he virtually guarantees 20 plus goals in the 2nd tier. But has that level of bid effectively priced McCormack out of an immediate PL move?

SJ. Chandos.

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