Transfer rumours and speculation to take us through to summer.

Slacker

Don’t go to b..............zzzzzzz

Yeoldhammer

My bet is potentially Xande Silva or Diangana goes on loan to fit in one more. Cullen must be getting sold i imagine to ?

McHammer

Ex advising we have a rep watching Brugge v Kiev tonight

IronHerb

Silva is out for another couple of months so won't be going out on loan.

OutcastLondoner

I don't think there are many players in the PL who require defenders to focus so much on defending against them as Zaha. That's a contribution that isn't reflected in goal or assists stats (and 10 assists isn't bad when you look at the strikers he's been working with).

grey_til_I_dye

I haven't suggested Zaha, or his contribution, is bad.

It seems to me 'makes the defenders work' is both subjective and hard to assess the value of even if true.

ianbishoplegend

Play pro footie in defense, and you will quickly assess that type of value.

ASLEFshrugged

For all his skill Zaha is still a diving cheat with an attitude problem who picks up needless yellow cards.

If he were ever to pull on a West Ham shirt I would stop watching.

baracks_a_hammer

Wow, that is a somewhat extreme reaction IMO

Hamstew

I think he's decent. Carries a pretty much hopeless Palace side every season.

whupathman

So palace blunts and barcodes down, job done

Hamstew

I can't see Norwich staying up.

grey_til_I_dye

ianbishoplegend said:

Play pro footie in defense, and you will quickly assess that type of value.

But since none of us will, that is an assertion, rather than an assessment, and rather proves my point.

For those only half reading the previous comments (fair enough, of course, busy, busy...), no one has said Zaha is anything other than a decent player, who on his day can be excellent. Some have gone beyond that, and that is where the discussion has come from.

ASLEFshrugged

Sorry but Zaha is a nasty piece of work, he goes down far too easily, if the ref doesn't give a foul for the slightest touch on him he throws a tantrum like a sulky teenager and occasionally he'll retaliate with a stupid foul that gets him a yellow card.

I'd rather have Payet back than Zaha.
I'd rather have Arnie back than Zaha.
I'd rather have Ince back than Zaha.

IronHerb

Oh dear!

Hamstew

Grey I don't care what you say I think he's decent.

grey_til_I_dye

:weep:

:biggrin:

Lukerz

Was thinking about Pellegrini's way of going about defending, which doesn't appear the conventional way of beefing up the CB's & the CM's. One defender signed this summer, none have left from the first team &, as yet, no CM or DM to beef up the centre. He seems happy to go with four No.10's in the middle with one holding player & a back four.

So he clearly wants to build us as 1) a ball playing side, one which doesn't often lose the ball & need to defend, & 2) a side who squeezes the pitch, with the use of the closing down from the four of the midfield whilst Rice sits & the high defensive side. You could see a lot from Saturday once the game settled down that Fornals, Anderson & Lanzini did plenty of chasing & hurrying, WIlshere often joined in too, whilst Rice stayed in a more fixed position & the back four squeezed so when the opposition got the ball forward from one of our attacking break-downs, Diop was so close on the striker that he basically ended up being unable to control it. So it is a good way of maintaining pressure.

But it is a really risky way of playing. Don't get me wrong, I love watching a side that prioritises attacking & it is far better than the days of 11 men behind the ball. But it will look ugly at times, like we are being cut apart at walking pace. Once teams beat the press & get through quickly, they will be at the back four. Obviously they have to be good enough to pass through us quickly. City will, Newcastle probably won't etc.

But Pelle seems committed to it.

Lukerz

Ex expects the Ajeti deal to be completed today.

Hammerdublin

Hope he is good enough. I've never seen him play.

OldCastleSwift

His record is good. 29 goals in 58 games for Basel. 3 caps for Switzerland with 1 goal.

For me, he's just the kind of player we need as a back up striker; young, will be eager to impress, obviously knows where the goal is (albeit in the Swiss league) and relatively cheap.

Lukerz

So if we want this DM from Stuttgart, a member of our 25 man squad will have to go.

So who are the most likely candidates? Ogbonna? Reid? Sanchez? Cresswell? Antonio? Hernandez?

OldCastleSwift

I have a feeling Hernandez may be off. Firstly, I would imagine he would be third, or even fourth choice striker if Ajeti signs, and therefore keen to move on, and secondly, he's the only player that would command a decent fee, which the rumours suggest we would need to fund a CM.

Interestingly, Ajeti wears the No22 for Basel, so I'm calling Hernandez to go, Haller to get No9 and Ajeti No22.

Hammerdublin

Are we buying Aaron Long, as well?

https://foreverwestham.com/2019/08/blog-topics/west-ham-secure-long-agreement/

grey_til_I_dye

If Ajeti and A N Other foreign player came, we would need to drop two non-HG players from the current squad, although I would assume one might be Silva, since he is still recovering, afaIk.

OldCastleSwift

Talk of Diangana going to WBA on loan.

Hammerdublin

grey_til_I_dye said:

If Ajeti and A N Other foreign player came, we would need to drop two non-HG players from the current squad, although I would assume one might be Silva, since he is still recovering, afaIk.

Ex is saying Silva definitely won't be included now, but may be in January.

baracks_a_hammer

OCS

:ok:

I would agree with you there on Chica

I would say he is our biggest earner so to have him not first choice and not a real fit for Pelle’s way of playing and still be at the club is, for me, a bit of a nonsense.

yoyo

SKY : BREAKING NEWS

West Ham are closing in on a deal to sign Basel striker Albian Ajeti for £8m, Sky Sports News understands.

He is likely to earn around £50k-a-week at the London Stadium.

Pearces_Left_Foot

Maybe we need a replacement first before letting Chica go :hmm: