Joe Hart -(was 'signs - official' - we haven't signed him permanently.)

TwistandShout

Lack of class from Sullivan, surely not? ;puzzled

grey_til_I_dye

It isn't a lack of class, imo, and to suggest it is only seem possible if you ignore what was said, and its context.

ASLEFshrugged

Sorry, Grey but you are wrong.

Sullivan and Gold have been a PR disaster from the moment they got here, they are completely incapable to keeping their stupid mouths shut, they blab off at every opportunity which does nothing to support the manager, the players or the club. They are too busy trying to flatter their own egos and not thinking about the effect their comments will have.

Adrian is obviously annoyed having just signed a two-year deal and now being told that he'll be a benchwarmer by the owners. No doubt Randolph is similarly disgruntled especially as he's currently Ireland's No.1 and needs playing time.

At least Bilic handled it professionally by saying that Hart won't be guaranteed a starting place and he'll have to compete with the other keepers. That is what real management looks like, not the cack handed amateurism we get from the board.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/slaven-bilic-warns-joe-hart-he-wont-walk-into-the-west-ham-team-but-backs-england-no1-to-shine-a3591071.html

alderz

eskimoking

It can depend on the personality of those other players involved as well though. I can certainly see why Adrian or Randolph could get disheartened by those comments.

For me, personally, if I was in their shoes it would annoy me and I would be determined to prove I was better than Hart. So let's see. If they have that attitude, it could be a good thing.

That said, I still think the owners shouldn't be saying things like that as there are more personalities that would be disheartened than motivated by those sorts of comments.

IronHerb

I'll wager Hart will be in goal at Old Trafford

grey_til_I_dye

ASLEF

No, I am not wrong.

You disagree, which is not always the same thing.

chocolatbwoy

Hart should have to earn his place, he is no better than Adrian or Randolph. Adrian especially has been overworked and has done good for us. We should not disrespect him like this.

brookingsirons

sorry I think Hart is a big upgrade on the other two , they both have too many
mistakes in them and I don't think they command the back 4 very well , I think Hart
will give the back 4 a kick they need to concentrate more as will Zab who is used to
Hart can only see this as a big plus for us this season.

imagelost

Hope hart does well, to drop hart and recall one of the other keeepers will be fun grrrr

chocolatbwoy

Hart has never made mistakes? Partly the reason why Pep did not see him as number one as soon as he got there.

brookingsirons

Not saying he never makes mistakes choc , but I don't think many city fans
will look back on last season and say Bravo was an upgrade ;biggrin

IronHerb

Where's Bravo now?

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

So Sully says next to nothing lately, except wanting hammers fans to help catch a potential burglar and now he comes out with this? Realise it's all about context but they do leave themselves wide open to ridicule. Fair play to Adrian for coming out with his tweet. To say that he's the best keeper he's ever worked with?? I thought coaches and managers worked with players?

Why couldn't he just say something like welcome Englands No1 and we now have three top profiessional goalkeepers on our books? Why does he appear to have to alienate the other two?

It's staggering the gaffs they make, it really is.....

thornburyiron

I think everyone should stop being too precious. These are grown men and if competition upsets them then they're weak. I have no problem with DS saying Hart is the best goalie he's worked with any more than when Bilic said Payet was the best player at the club. When Slav put Randy in goal that was tantamount to his saying he was the better goalie at the time. If either of them are upset or annoyed over this then knuckle down and prove you're the best.
Pep left Hart out because he wanted a ball playing keeper. Bravo was good at playing the ball out but as soon as anyone had a shot at goal he was clueless and it generally whistled or trickled past him.

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

grey_til_I_dye said:

Honestly don't get why some people seem to take every opportunity to stick it to Diddy D.

What has he done? He's said that a signing we have made is a top-quality player.

What, he should never say anything, ever?

Lots of people on here are insisting that Hart is miles better than our current keepers, yet Sullivan isn't allowed to say diddly about him?

Don't get it at all.

Why does he have to say anything like that at all? Why not welcome him and comment we have 3 top keepers now?

and when did he actually work with him at BCFC was Sully that involved he was out giving shooting practice?

They are awful at this type of stuff G man and I don't get why people defend them on it seemingly all the time

;ok

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Thorn,

I don't think people are being 'precious', and I don't think it's up to you to decide whether players being demotivated by comments from the chairman makes them 'weak'.

It may be that Randy and Adrian could take it either negatively or not. However, what possible positives are there for Sully to come out and say it? The fact that our current 'keepers *might* be made to feel bad by it is enough IMO to make it a bad move from Sully, in view of the fact that nothing good can come of it.

thornburyiron

Funny how all of a sudden because of something DS said nearly everyone believes Adrian and Randy are top professionals and tip top keepers when last season a new GK was on most people's list as a top priority.
Heaven forbid an owner may slightly irritate someone he's paying more in a week than most people earn in a year.

Yeoldhammer

All Sullivan had to do was insert the words "one of."

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

If you look at West Ham articles currently online today, a lot of them are about Adrian hitting back at Sully's comments.

Now, I don't really care for most journalists/newspapers, but there are plenty who do. In what way is this negative PR helpful?

What if potential signings see it and think they don't fancy being hung out to dry by the owner?

chocolatbwoy

The owners should stick to that, ownership but players and be quiet. We don't need players undermined by thoughtless comments. If the owners want to be respected buy the players you keep claiming your going to buy and stop trying to disrespect the players we have. Remember at the end of last season how many of you happy that we signed hart even thought we needed a keeper? Be honest too.

grey_til_I_dye

Slizzy

We'll agree to disagree then.

All I see is people desperately searching for anything to bash Sully with, based on nothing .

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Grey,

I can only speak for myself when I say I'm very far from 'desperately searching' for a reason to criticise the owners. For the most part, I defend them at every turn.

But I disagree with these comments from Sully, which to me can have no possible positive effect, while having the potential to cause unnecessary disruption and demotivation.

There are plenty of articles circulating the internet today about Adrian hitting back at Sully. Surely you can see we could do without that?

grey_til_I_dye

Jorderz

;ok

Fair enough.

I'm not doubting your sincerity, I just can't share your outrage or dismay.

brookingsirons

I can honestly say I was one of those fans that said we needed a keeper on more than one occasion, we tried both and both had spells of aurful mistakes.
Hart is a big upgrade imo .

As for sully''s comments I can only think they are moving one keeper out and it was
Ment to upset one or both of them , that doesn't make it right but if I owned the club I would expect to give opinions on players
And the signings from time to time .

Happy with business so far but we must be sat on a large amount of money when you look at net spend since Payet left , can only
Think by end of August we could make a big bid for someone.

brookingsirons

Thorn ;ok spot on I never felt we had a top keeper since james left .

baracks_a_hammer

This is a tricky one

For me nothing sully has said is untrue - people who are excited with harts arrival would I am sure agree

Now many people out there pointed out that the lack of fan fair about Adrian's contract extension suggested that rather than being an endorsement of him as a first choice keeper, it was to allow a fee to be obtained if he left

Adrian I'm sure must have felt that to an extent.

However, sully needs to be careful with what he says and how he says it. If in any doubt he should rather say nothing. Every single word he utters or scribes will be seized upon - this is the world we live in

claretandbluesky

I think the frustration is that it is just unnecessary, if the chairman wants to be part of the PR team and speak out then the need is to do no harm first and foremost, I think he could have come up with a better message if thinking for about 2 minutes about his aim.

' When a player of Joe Hart's quality becomes available you know you have to try and sign him, it's that simple. He is world class and an international keeper of quality. But lets remember he will not have it all his own way in this side as we have in my opinion the best goalkeeping staff in the premiership now with three international keepers, and I know Adrian and Randy will want to be number 1 as much as Joe. It is going to be a problem for Slav but one I am happy to have been able to give him.'

Clactonite

I think DS going on the official club website to try to catch a burglar is way more embarrassing and cringeworthy than him praising a new signing.

Vorselaarhammer

None of it is good, which is kind of the point really.

It's unnecessary and shows a lack of class.