The January Transfer Window

thornburyiron

Alderz I’m not saying the squad is not imbalanced but by just saying we have the smallest squad because we had fewer than 25 and implying that every other club had filled all 25 is not completely accurate and the transfmarkt site is misleading.
Our squad is out of kilter but that’s more to do with the types of players and/or positions in it rather than just pure numbers. If we bought two or three top class under 21 year olds who went straight into the first team we would still only have the same number in the squad.

ASLEFshrugged

Sebastien Romain Teddy Haller????

His parents decided his middle names would be a lettuce and his favourite toy

No wonder he never smiled!

baracks_a_hammer

I see there’s a piece in the standard with Moyes intimating that the task of getting a new striker is more difficult because clubs know we have the Haller money.

I mean who could ever have thought this would be a potential consequence of selling our only specialist forward before his replacement had been secured??.. 😂😂

ASLEFshrugged

If we'd waited to sign a replacement Ajax might have gone elsewhere and the opportunity to shift Haller would have passed.

Opportunity knocks but once, etc.

IronHerb

The selling club nearly always holds the upper hand. Even if we had agreed a replacement for Haller, once it was known we had sold him and the amount involved, there is nothing to stop the club upping the asking price.

alderz

It is a bit funny that we tried to say it was an undisclosed fee so that nobody knew how much we got for him and then Ajax immediately told everyone the fee.

Cuz1

Funny or hiding the truth😂😂

Dodger58

alderz said:

It is a bit funny that we tried to say it was an undisclosed fee so that nobody knew how much we got for him and then Ajax immediately told everyone the fee.

That's the trouble with 'Gentlemen's Agreements"

OldCastleSwift

baracks_a_hammer said:

I see there’s a piece in the standard with Moyes intimating that the task of getting a new striker is more difficult because clubs know we have the Haller money.

I mean who could ever have thought this would be a potential consequence of selling our only specialist forward before his replacement had been secured??.. 😂😂

I also read something from him yesterday saying our transfer business has been slow because we're playing football so often.

That's what happens when your scouting network consists of your manager and starting midfielder.

Dodger58

OldCastleSwift said:

That's what happens when your scouting network consists of your manager and starting midfielder.

I agree in principle, but with our recent history, I would far rather Moyes stayed heavily involved ensuring we get in people he actually wants and will play - if that has led to delays, so be it.

No doubt we need to establish a genuine scouting network, but it has to be one the Manager both trusts and is aligned with.

No more 'Carlos Kickaballs' please - i.e. no more Sullivan specials!

OldCastleSwift

Dodger58 said:

OldCastleSwift said:

That's what happens when your scouting network consists of your manager and starting midfielder.

No doubt we need to establish a genuine scouting network, but it has to be one the Manager both trusts and is aligned with.

Absolutely. A proper scouting system would have a brief as to what Moyes wants and will have been looking for players since he arrived. And that's my biggest gripe; given Haller was never a Moyes player, we've effectively had a year to identify potential replacements within our price range. It seems like we didn't even start looking until Haller was sold.

Hamstew

I don't even think we are looking. We're as good as safe and those crooks know it. It really won't matter to them if Antonio breaks down and we limp it home. Another season closer to when they can sell.

baracks_a_hammer

We don’t have a conventional scouting system. A list will be given to Moyes by Sully’s trusted agents and Moyes will need to pick from that list. Then if a player is available for 20m, sully will bid 10m with 2m up front knowing full well it will fail.

We don’t appear to have a set up where Moyes has his own trusted scouts who can prepare a wish list of options to give to the owners.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

So were Soucek/Coufal/Bowen from one of these agents?

Pearces_Left_Foot

https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-hams-losses-set-to-be-revealed/

OldCastleSwift

Pearces_Left_Foot said:

https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-hams-losses-set-to-be-revealed/

"The announcement which could come as early this month"

That's handy. Tell everyone how much money we don't have at the exact time that people are demanding it be spent.

ASLEFshrugged

C&H are just speculating with no actual evidence that this is going to happen

Excuse me if I don't get my knickers in a twist

Yeoldhammer

they just need to get out the club. its that simple really.

alderz

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years said:

So were Soucek/Coufal/Bowen from one of these agents?

👍🏻

I think everything anyone says about our scouting system is only speculation tbh. I’ve never seen or heard it confirmed

OutcastLondoner

alderz said:

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years said:

So were Soucek/Coufal/Bowen from one of these agents?

👍🏻

I think everything anyone says about our scouting system is only speculation tbh. I’ve never seen or heard it confirmed

It was from an investigation by The Athletic and stuff Ex has said. I’m not sure it’s the same now. Moyes tried to overhaul it during his first stint. He must be again

ASLEFshrugged

We all wish they'd leave but wishing isn't going to make it happen

Fortuneseeker

SSN reporting that Aston Villa are set to spend an initial £14 million on Morgan Sanson from Marseille. Good to see owners backing their manager in the quest for European football.

Hamstew

Fortuneseeker said:

SSN reporting that Aston Villa are set to spend an initial £14 million on Morgan Sanson from Marseille. Good to see owners backing their manager in the quest for European football.

Covid has only financially affected East London

baracks_a_hammer

From the the outside IMO the Benrahma deal was agent driven rather than Moyes driven. Moyes has used him on and off. On the other hand Moyes used Bowen Coufal and Soucek straight away and all the time

So I’m not going to subscribe to the theory that suddenly we are doing our scouting in the way it should be, especially as Benrahma is one of our latest signings. Our owners are not to be trusted.

OldCastleSwift

ASLEFshrugged said:

C&H are just speculating with no actual evidence that this is going to happen

Excuse me if I don't get my knickers in a twist

Depends if you believe they're Sullivan's social media mouthpiece. Personally, I do.

OutcastLondoner

baracks_a_hammer said:

From the the outside IMO the Benrahma deal was agent driven rather than Moyes driven. Moyes has used him on and off. On the other hand Moyes used Bowen Coufal and Soucek straight away and all the time

So I’m not going to subscribe to the theory that suddenly we are doing our scouting in the way it should be, especially as Benrahma is one of our latest signings. Our owners are not to be trusted.

No don’t think we’ve changed completely but think there are some changes. There will always be a lot of agent involvement I think, just hopefully it won’t be in so many of the dealings.

Bowen was eased in though, from what I remember. Benrahma had barely been playing for Brentford when we signed him as well

Fortuneseeker

Apologies if someone has already said this but much as we need a new striker I reckon an interchangeable player should be our preferred option as an out & out centre forward would only play when Antonio is injured? A bit like the not so Great Yarmolenko? Hang on a second I do hope GSB don’t see this otherwise I can hear the money vaults being secured as I write this until the next transfer window. 😬

IronHerb

But if you buy an out and out striker then Antonio becomes the interchangeable player. Doesn't stop him playing wide with the new player up top.

Fortuneseeker

IronHerb, What, if we want to play Antonio out wide again why didn’t DM do that with Haller up the middle when he had the chance? Sorry you make a very valid point but I just have to ask the question. 👍

alderz

Fortune

Presumably because Moyes didn’t rate Haller, or because Antonio was injured for about half of the games before Haller left.