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Talking Point

A great victory at Anfield, now for unfinished transfer business!

Well, what a great feeling, the 52 year hoodoo has finally been laid to rest and West Ham fans are thoroughly enjoying the moment. It was a formidable display of defensive solidarity and counter-attacking play. The nature of the job that we did on Liverpool is reflected in the fact that although they had the lion’s share of possession, they could only muster one decent goal scoring opportunity. Make no mistake. this was a thoroughly well deserved three points. But we can not rest on our laurels or allow this victory to make us in the slightest bit complacent in the transfer window.

There are outstanding issues with the strength in-depth of the squad and they need to be resolved before Tuesday’s transfer deadline. It appears to me that, as a minimum, we need to sign two strikers (x1 permanent and x1 on loan), a wide player and probably another midfielder. If we could manage to sign Hernandez from Man Utd, Matri from AC Milan (on loan), Victor Moses from Chelsea and Alex Song (on a free) from Barca, I think that would probably see the squad sorted.

We do not need another keeper. Randolph has proven himself a perfectly adequate deputy. However, I would ideally like to see us sign additional cover at right-back, with Sam Byram of Leeds Utd being my preferred option. But if transfer monies are tight, I am sure that Jenkinson and O’Brien will suffice, with Hendrie, Chambers and Tomkins as additional cover. Augmenting the strike force is the single most pressing imperative. With Valencia, Carroll and Zarate not available, and Maiga sold on, our position precariously relies on Sakho’s continuing form and fitness. Hernandez is definitely the type of quality striker that I would like to see join the club. Failing that, I would not turn my nose up at the acquisition of Jelavic from Hull City. Jelavic is a good striker and could excel with better players around him. However, I am also clear that we need an extra loan striker. And acquiring Matri from AC Milan would be a perfectly good one year loan option. Of course there is also talk of the impending loan signing of Adebayor, but in truth it is unclear whether that move is ever likely to happen, considering Spur’s hostility and intransigence?

Arguably We also need to add another wide player to the squad. We will presumably retain Matt Jarvis, but we could do with another option There has been a lot of talk about a £6m bid for Chelsea’s Victor Moses. Moses is a player with a lot of talent, but he needs stability and a club where he can settle and play his best football. West Ham and Moses are a good fit and I would accordingly welcome the move. Another wide player linked with West Ham is Aaron Lennon, but I think his final destination is more likely to be Goodison.

Finally, with Poyet placed out on loan, there is a need for another defensive midfielder. I think that the preferred option is to sign Alex Song from Barca on a three year deal. As we all know, the complicating factor is the fact that Song is currently recovering from ankle surgery. This means that there are problems with him passing a medical and the club are waiting until 1 September 2015 before conducting the medical. Personally, I rate Song and would welcome us signing him permanently. He may not be fit to play until November 2015, but a player of his quality is well worth the wait.

So, the key questions to be posed are: do you agree with the stated transfer priorities and the preferred targets identified? Or are there other priorities/targets that you think should be pursued?

SJ Chandos.

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