So farewell then, Gavin Williams and Luke Chadwick. They had their moments last season but I think Pards has done the right deals here. Chadwick in on a free from ManUre, sold for £100k. Williams bought for £250k, sold for £300k. £150k profit, not bad given their limited appearances. Tommy Repka is likely to go, assuming this will be a free transfer back to Czech Republic but a significant wage saving. I thought Carl Fletcher would be going and I guess he still might - but he's done OK since he came back, and anyone who winds up the Lava-Lamp is OK by me. Another who comes to mind is Dailly, who can be great and frustrating in equal measure. I could not however fault his loyalty and dedication to West Ham - he took a wage cut and pledged to stay when there were plenty ready to jump ship post-relegation. I think I could live with him going though! Don't know why we're keeping on with Aliadiere and Bellion, they haven't really shown much in their few opportunities to convince me to keep them on. So who comes in? Well I spose Glen Johnson would be nice if we can get his form back as it was pre-Chelski. He can forget earning their wage tho. The McCarthy thing seems to have gone very quiet, the Adebayor rumours linger. Ashton would still make a great signing IMO but the silly money Norwich are asking seems to rule him out. We need a top quality striker - it's arguable that Ashton is top quality but I feel he has at least as much, if not more than Harewood and Zamora and they've not done so bad. I'd be happy with McCarthy or Adebayor tho. What do you guys and gals think? Mike
At least it looks like we might have a fully fit squad this Saturday at Norwich with the exception of TS, Pards comments
Have to agree. In earlier days when teams cultivated there own players (some still do ) Williams and Chadwick might be kept around, but Pardew definitley made the right decision for both the club and players. If Repka is leaving this month, filling his spot needs to be top priority. Dailly is NOT an option there. Does anyone know where I can go to see how much longer players have on their current contracts?
Chadwick had his chances. The right wing spot was there for the taking last season and he didn't convince. Same problem we had with Sergiy Rebrov - flashs of genuine quality, a couple of games where they'd be brilliant but mostly just poor and hiding. Chadwick did look good on the left when he played there in a 4-5-1 but it's wasn't enough to keep Ethers out of the team, as good or bad, Ethers is always likely to get you that one break that gets you a goal. Now, Williams was a genuine hard luck story. Just as he was pinning down a place and playing consistently well down the middle and out wide, he got injured. He came back and the team was in a run, you don't break up a winning team and that's his West Ham career. He was only ever one to develop for the Championship anyway. I was fully expecting us to get Halls for Chadwick and can only assume that Johnson is considered a better option or that Repka isn't leaving. Dailly shouldn't be in the team. He's a liability and we can't afford liabilities at the back at the moment, we don't have the top-class forwards to get us out of trouble. Fletch has done enough to keep his place for this season. Both Fletcher and Mullins are still better bets in midfield than Dailly. Pardew seems to rate Bellion as an option off the bench, wide on the right but I don't see what he or Aliadiere bring to the side. They're signed for the season, I can't see them going back unless we sign some decent options at forward. We need an option for right back irrespective of whether Repka goes or not IMO. Other than that, it is the line-leading powerful forward, if only so I don't have to see Harewood play as a lone striker again.
I think that this Serbian looks good as a striker. I'd be happy to see Johnson back. I think the expectations at Chelsea were very high and Mourinho obviously doesn't want him. He would have been happy to stay with us and I think a move back could be good for both him and the club. Unlike Lampard and Cole, the move to Chelsea has not made him a better player. Maybe he's pinning for the Hammers!! Bellion and Aliadiare have both been disappointing. Do we have to keep them for the season? If we pick up Jerome from Cardiff and what happened to Mikolandra? With these 2 we could not be worse off.
I may be reading between the lines here but I couldn't help but notice how friendly Mourinho and Pardew were towards each other after the game. A professional but slightly familiar hand shake at the end and the post match comments were very diplomatic in comparison to other games. Perhaps AP has been talking to Chelsea about Johnson. I would like to see him come back but can we afford the transfer fee that Chelsea demand?
Quite apparent wasn't it Chris? Also, I was rather impressed with Mourinho's comments about how he had the "privilege" of resting five players whilst AP had no such luxury over the busy festive period - crikey, the bloke even edged up slightly in my estimation! (I did say slightly) Let's hope this new mutual respect/friendship works in our favour and that we get GJ back on loan for now, see how it works out first.
Where has this story come from that we're signing Nikola Zigic from Crvena Zvezda? EDIT: Ignore me, I have now seen the rumours thread. Though I am surpressing the urge to make a joke about problems with the local Bosnian population.