January Transfer Window

Hamstew

He's rubbish let's be honest

IronHerb

We need a striker, not an Antonio back up.

Bazshuayi

His best attributes are as hold up and target man which we could feed the latter and benefit from the former when we cant counter attack against teams. He's not great but hes experienced and definitely a good sub on for Antonio. I only mentioned because of the gossip re Burnley. Origi would be much better for more reasons but although I hate to say it this way, Benteke is better than nobody coming in!

Hamstew

Yeah that's fair enough but personally I don't feel we should just be settling for these sorts of players. I think we deserve a decent striker.
Origi I think could be quite good.

buffybegood

As much as we might deserve a decent striker, we're more than halfway through our third window without getting one. I certainly see Baz's point, I'd rather Benteke than no-one, but unfortunately then there's the argument that we wouldn't be able to get the striker we really want in the summer because we've got Benteke on our books (saying that, I seem to remember the same argument about signing King last January, so we held off and got our preferred striker in the summer, oh no, no, we didn't, did we? 🤔🤔🤔)

OutcastLondoner

King was always a better player than Benteke and it's a shame we didn't pick him up, I think he's been good for Watford.

Bazshuayi

Yes we deserve a decent striker. We have been on an upward curve for a good deal of time now and having extra striker options (like every other team in the Prem) should really be a given.

I actually refuse to believe there isnt a good striker out there (that would suit our normal style of play and maybe a little bit extra in terms of dimensions) that we can both afford and is essentially the right fit. Its not like we havent had any time to look. Stating the obvious in saying we've waited more than long enough. We also have the guy who's head of recruitment from City now. Surely he's been brought in because hes good at his job? Has experience and connections...

Short version = I WANT A STRIKER (two actually)

MrsGrey

Bazshuayi said:

Y

Short version = I WANT A STRIKER (two actually)

Play your wildcard?

Fortuneseeker

I would really like us to sign a marque striker, waits for the Benny Mc jokes to arrive, to not be an understudy to Antonio but actually threaten his place in the team. DM can roll out “the striker we wanted wasn’t available in this window” quote but they appear to not have been in the last one either. If we wait till the summer they may well go elsewhere & out hopes for this season be dashed.

Slacker

Moyes has stated on more than one occasion that the owners are backing him with money for transfers. If he says that the type/quality of player he wants is not available as yet ,I for one believe him. I really don’t think that the delay in signings is done to wind fans up.
We’ve had our fingers burned before by shelling out big money for players that didn’t work out. He knows what he needs better than anyone.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Slacker said:

Moyes has stated on more than one occasion that the owners are backing him with money for transfers. If he says that the type/quality of player he wants is not available as yet ,I for one believe him. I really don’t think that the delay in signings is done to wind fans up.
We’ve had our fingers burned before by shelling out big money for players that didn’t work out. He knows what he needs better than anyone.

Has to be a bit of a happy medium though

Deffo think Moyes has been brilliant with his transfers but we often deal in absolutes which sometimes works but sometimes doesn't

If we miss out/can't afford a certain player we should identify others

Not asking for much, just a striker to compete/replace/cover Antonio

Expat_Hammer

Fortuneseeker said:

I would really like us to sign a marque striker

It would show intent 😁

OutcastLondoner

Slacker, I get what you're saying but this is the third window since selling Haller. There's really not one striker who can be there to give Antonio a rest at least? How many windows would have to pass until there is one?

OldCastleSwift

This is quite interesting. Jordan Hugill is the only striker Moyes has signed for West Ham in six windows. Different circumstances in each stint, but it certainly suggests he has a clear idea of what he wants from a striker.

In fact, when you think back to his Everton days, didn't he use Cahill and Fellaini up front a lot?

So it seems to me that he's happier playing a false 9 rather than sign anyone other than exactly what he wants. Strikes me as a bit stubborn, to be honest.

Slacker

OutcastLondoner said:

Slacker, I get what you're saying but this is the third window since selling Haller. There's really not one striker who can be there to give Antonio a rest at least? How many windows would have to pass until there is one?

That’s what is looks like to all of us fans, but , again, he’s looking for the right fit isn’t he?
I don’t get the “ let’s just a striker in” philosophy when the manager knows the situation far better than any of us.
To us it looks like it’s easy to just go and buy X Y or Z but there are so many variables when buying a player these days, if it was that easy the transfer market would look like Soho on a Friday night.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

But Everton under Moyes was the best they've been in 30 years, and West Ham under Moyes is the best we've been in, what, 30-40 years? Certainly in PL era.

So it might be stubborn but he knows what he's doing.

Having said that, if it's an Antonio/Cahill/Arnautovic type he wants then I tend to agree with what others have said - there must be players somewhere on the radar who fit the bill.

There seems to be less information leaking out of the club these days (another well done to Moyes) so I'm hoping there are some things going on in the background.

I am starting to worry, though. We could really do with 2-3 players in this window and at the moment there seems to be nothing going on.

alderz

OldCastleSwift said:

This is quite interesting. Jordan Hugill is the only striker Moyes has signed for West Ham in six windows. Different circumstances in each stint, but it certainly suggests he has a clear idea of what he wants from a striker.

In fact, when you think back to his Everton days, didn't he use Cahill and Fellaini up front a lot?

So it seems to me that he's happier playing a false 9 rather than sign anyone other than exactly what he wants. Strikes me as a bit stubborn, to be honest.

I think he’s earned the right to be stubborn if he wants to be, tbh.

That said, if he wants to use a false 9 that’s fine with me, but he needs to either bring one in, or bring someone in that allows him to use one of our existing squad members. If he wants it to be Bowen, we need someone that isn’t Yarmo to allow him to play there. If it’s someone else, we need adequate cover.

Honestly, I think he’s holding out for Lingard.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Feel like you said very similar to me there, Alderz. Not happy about it.

OutcastLondoner

Very different comments, I think.

Expat_Hammer

Bet we end up with Andy Carroll on a pay as you play striker 😁

OldCastleSwift

Jorderz, alderz - of course he has the right to be stubborn, and yes he did very well at Everton and it looks like we're heading that way too.

But how much did this stubbornness hold them and us back? We'll never know, of course, but if he was a bit more flexible, Everton may have achieved even more, and we may have bridged that two point gap to CL football last season.

OldCastleSwift

OldCastleSwift said:

Jorderz, alderz - of course he has the right to be stubborn, and yes he did very well at Everton and it looks like we're heading that way too.

But how much did this stubbornness hold them and us back? We'll never know, of course, but if he was a bit more flexible, Everton may have achieved even more, and we may have bridged that two point gap to CL football last season.

I don't want to come across as uber critical here, by the way. Moyes has clearly earned the right to do things his way; I just echo the sentiment that there must be a player in world football that's been available to us that could have improved our options up front. If Yarmolenko is genuinely considered better than anything else we can find and afford, then that's a tad worrying.

Fortuneseeker

There are a few at the ANC who could do us a job but there is the problem they aren't currently available to talk to.

OldCastleSwift

Fortuneseeker said:

There are a few at the ANC who could do us a job but there is the problem they aren't currently available to talk to.

We've been heavily linked with Aboubakar in the past. He's had a good start with Cameroon so maybe we'll see those links resurface.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

I'm still more worried about the defence than the attack, as much as I'd like us to sign a quality striker.

We've scored 41 goals in the league this season, 8 more than Arsenal and 18(!) more than Spurs. I know Antonio brings more than goals but he's only scored 8 of our 41.

If we could defend we'd be on easy street.

PrestonHammer

I keep agreeing with OCS hahaha

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

I'm still more worried about the defence than the attack, as much as I'd like us to sign a quality striker.

We've scored 41 goals in the league this season, 8 more than Arsenal and 18(!) more than Spurs. I know Antonio brings more than goals but he's only scored 8 of our 41.

If we could defend we'd be on easy street.

I agree, but I see Zouma isn't far off from returning which should go a long way to helping

But also think it's not a case of add a defender it only helps the defence or adding an attacker helped the attack etc.

Like if we had another striker option, someone getting the goals when Antonio is off the pace then Rice wouldn't have to try take it upon himself to venture forward allowing him to protect better

Also if the ball is kept higher up the pitch then again helps the defence out as they're under less pressure

Likewise how a better CB allows the AM to stay a bit higher up the pitch and not need to track back as much as which helps our attack

Bottom line is that an upgrade to the squad no matter where on the pitch is an improvement to the squad

And right now we have 3 senior CB (once Zouma returns) to contest 2 spots whereas we have 1 senior CF competing 1 squad

For the record I'd like a CF, CB, LB and DM but it's Jan so I'd settle for just a CF

alderz

I’ve just had a YouTube video recommended to me about footballers with ‘surprisingly low release clauses’ and there is a picture of Jarrod Bowen with ‘£20 million’ underneath him. I’ve not seen that reported anywhere else? Has anybody?

EDIT: from what I can see online, he has a £20m relegation release clause. Can’t see anything otherwise.

OldCastleSwift

I seem to remember a relegation release clause being talked about when he signed. Hopefully that's all it was.

MrsGrey

Relegation release clause?

Move along. Nothing to see here.