Why so much negativity about potential signings?

Why so much negativity about potential signings? Yes I accept that we will not be shopping at Harrods, but that does not mean we will JUST be shopping at the pound shop. Those expecting seven or eight million pound signings are bound to be disappointed as Gold and Sullivan do freebies, loanees and on occasions take a gamble on cheap foreign imports when advised by their trusted agent, the repugnant Barry Silkman.

But that doesn't mean that they will be signing every has-been in sight. They know how and where to get value for money. They may well sign Jussi Jaaskeleinen as cover to Stephen Henderson, but I don't think there will be too many veterans signed. The haste in which Carew, Diop and Faye were dispatched forty eight hours after promotion is a clear indication of this.

The curious case of Robert Green

The following article was written by Max Kellar.

It has just became apparent that Rob Green’s much speculated future at West Ham has been decided as he has refused the contract offered by David Gold and Sullivan and will now look for a new club (from the ever-reliable @Adzman89). This will not come as a surprise to many West Ham fans as we were told last season that Green would leave regardless of whether we achieved promotion or not. 

Who's in, Who's out?

Well another transfer window and with it another load of rumours flying around, being linked to everyone as usual! It's a very exciting but also frustrating time for everyone as we await to see who ACTUALLY signs. I can see us bringing in four or five 1st team players at most as we have a pretty good core to our team in Tomkins, Reid, Noble and  Nolan. On top of that, a few of youngsters who could feature this season being the highly rated Ravel Morrison, Christian Montano and Robert Hall.

I know many of you are probably thinking why haven't I mentioned the likes of Green, Vaz Te and Cole? Well i'm sorry but in my opinion I think the jury is out on them. Green is fantastic at times and HAS had a good season, but is inconsistent and I don't like the fact that he is stumbling on contract negotiations. On top of that there are other good keepers available like Almunia and Gordan who are freebies so why should the club be held to ransom over his rumoured 45k a week wage demands?

Obviously Vaz Te has had a fantastic season but his previous seasons goal ratio isn't exactly world class is it? According to our official site he has only scored 9 goals in total since 2003(excluding this season of course). Sounds like a 'freak' season to me or maybe the fact that the opposition he has been up against this year were just poor? I hope he proves me wrong but i wouldn't bet on it.

As for Cole, we all know he blows hot and cold, usually down to the manager he plays under and formation he plays in but is never going to be our main '20 goal a season' striker. Although he will be a useful squad player so I would keep him, unless a £5m+ offer comes in for him.

As much as I'm still no fan of Sam Allardyce, he does and will attract top players as his record has proved in the past so that is pleasing. I would personally still like to move a few players on from the club to free up extra funds. The obvious being Piquionne and Sears, plus for me, I would not be too down hearted to see the likes of O' Neil and Taylor moved on should a decent fee come in as I don't think they are capable of making the big step up.

One player I have yet to mention is Sam Baldock, this is a sore subject and hugely frustrating for me(god knows how he must feel). Strong rumours from several sources suggest he will be either loaned out or sold/part exchanged this window. For me, it's madness. He still looks our best STRIKER, I've highlighted the word 'STRIKER' because despite Big Sam signing him as our big goalscorer he only actually played him up front a couple of times, electing to play him out of position on the wing instead!! To top it off, then moan that he has not scored enough goals! Really feel sorry for this lad, as he definitely has an eye for goal, reminds me of an Andy Cole type player, always in the right place at the right time.

Should he be loaned/sold to Ipswich or another championship club as suggested, do you think he will be warming the bench or deployed as a winger? I think not! He will be banging in goals. Why does Allardyce feel it would benefit him playing in the championship when he didn't show the faith himself and play him? Think Gold and Sullivan should ask the same question should the situation arise...

Speaking of the owners, I would like to give them a big thank you as they have been superb from day 1 (excluding hiring Avram though!). They have poured money into the club, reducing debt and funding many transfers. Of course they want to make money from the club, who wouldn't, so it bugs me when I hear negative comments about their business structure ie Olympic stadium, if we all want the club to get bigger and more successful, attract bigger players and start challenging for silverware, then isn't it obvious we need a BIGGER stadium to bring in more revenue.

If it means moving the club fifteen minutes around the corner, which by the way I grew up a stones throw away from Upton Park so I understand it's heritage, then so be it. Hardly an episode of relocation relocation is it! We are lucky that the Olympic stadium is so close and that we even have the opportunity to tender for it.

The owners are taking a massive risk on their own personal fortunes on it should we win the right to be it's tenant so I admire them. Should current season ticket holders choose to vacate them i believe there will be plenty of other fans wishing to snap them up. I think a lot of disgruntled fans are only acting out of passion and toughness by threatening to return them, but would not be able to back up their claims. The stadium is too iconic to not want to even 'give it a go' for even one season.  Like it or not it's the way forward.

Well one thing with our beloved club is there will always be ups and always be downs, but that's why we love them so much.

Keep supporting and keep your eyes on our site for all the gossip, news and please feel free to air your thoughts and comments below and on all of our future posts.
We are West Ham, we stay united!

£7m for unproven Dost or £1m for proven Yakubu - who'd you choose?

There has been a lot of talk on social networking sites, such as Twitter, as well as paper-talk that say we are interested in signing Bas Dost, a 22-year-old Dutch goal machine who scored 38 goals in 39 matches in all competitions last season.

Bas Dost is currently playing for Heerenveen, who plays in the top-tier league of Dutch football. I personally don't know how good the league is in relation to the standards of the premiership, but that sort of goal to game ratio proves that the Dost knows exactly where the back of the net is! A wise man once told me "A natural goalscorer will score in any league, you just need to give the ball to him in a goalscoring position."

Michael Owen could do a similar job to Teddy Sheringham for the club

Michael Owen could do a similar job to Teddy Sheringham for the club. Tony Cottee says the club should go all out to sign Michael Owen, I wouldn't go that far, but there are certainly merits in signing Owen if managed correctly, like Pardew did with Teddy Sheringham, sending him on from the bench  or starting him and withdrawing him early, he could be a hugely influential signing for the club.

True, he has rarely been fit in recent years, but there is one undeniable fact regards Michael Owen.... he ALWAYS scores goals. Every time he's played at the Boleyn Ground, he has seemed to score against West Ham! Even when playing for Manchester United  when largely coming off the bench, he scored 19 goals in 49 appearances. Make no mistake, if Michael Owen did sign for West Ham United, he WOULD score goals for West Ham United!

I could see him being managed by Samuel Allardyce, similarly to the way that Alan Pardew managed Sheringham, with Owen starting matches and being withdrawn after 55 min or coming off the bench for the last 30 minutes of a match, some weeks he wouldn't train for instance .

He would also be hugely influential off-the-pitch as well, giving everybody at the club a lift, both Maynard and Baldock would learn a lot from him. Owen would not be the first supposedly washed up player whose career  has been resurrected by Samuel Allardyce. The like of JJ Okocha and Ivan Campo spring to mind 'Injury prone has been's said the critics.' Well they both had three or four good seasons in that period Bolton regularly beat the big guns.

They were in no small way helped  by Allardyce's team of sport scientists, that would be the case with Michael Owen as well. I'm in no doubt that a good pre-season under Allardyce, Owen will be the fittest he's been in YEARS! They will monitor absolutely everything! To sign for West Ham, Owen would have to pass the most stringent of medicals .

Believe me, the days of la la land managing of West Ham United Football  Club, signing players like Dyer who failed two medicals, dressing up a Ugandan refugee in Savio awarding him a five year contract, then getting him to smile for the cameras is history now. Gold and Sullivan turn every penny over, Miz Brady inserts more clauses in contracts than the Conservative party has policies!

They don't do huge transfer fees! Freebies, cheap foreign imports and loanees are their forte. If they like a player but are unsure about him, it's a one year loan with a an option to buy. Anyone seriously thinking that they will slap in a seven million pound bid for Das Bost, just because he's scored a few goals in a third rate league, needs to think again. There is more chance of them signing Marouane Chamakh on loan with an option to buy, if the loan is successful, than signing Das Bost .

Chamakh who has fallen foul of Wenger, is liked by Samuel Allardyce. He has a bit of a bad boy element about  him, but to Allardyce he's a pussy cat, this is a man who had the measure of El Hadji Diouf remember. With Arsenal wanting rid of Chamakh and Miz Brady being personal friends of their director Keith Elderman, Chamakh making his way to the Boleyn Ground may yet be a possibility.

No Sir, by signing Michael Owen, they would know what they're getting. He would only be signing if the board and Allardyce were 100% convinced that he stood a reasonable chance of delivering. West Ham have got to make every penny count and they will make them count, make no error about that!

They would check EVERYTHING before signing him, they would dissect every part of his body like an insect, if after coming through an exhaustive medical and he signed, Allardyce's team of sport scientist would get to work  straight away, giving him a series of tests, then draw up a programme that would have to follow, while being monitored closely, making sure that he would be fit by the start of the season.

So yes, IF he were to pass the most stringent of medical 's and Messrs Allardyce, Gold and Sullivan decide to bring him to the Boleyn Ground, I'd be happy with that. Well whats in it for Michael James Owen? Obviously a new challenge, the chance of proving his detractor's wrong, simply the chance of playing football in the Premier League and scoring goals.

Owen will realise that at West Ham, he would not only get games, but would be able to make a difference. He would also realise that it's is last real chance of ending his career in style, which would mean a hungrier Michael James Owen. Used like Teddy, Owen could yet prove an important piece of the jigsaw puzzle to establish the club in the Premier League next season. We are more than a football club, we're a way of life! COYI'S!!!