Best Recent Content
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World Cup Qualifiers
We are so slow and negative even when we were chasing the game.
Eh? The season’s not even started yet.
Oh.
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Couldn't Think - from January 2024
I am not sure there is any evidence we are becoming a selling club, which I take to be a club that sells it's most valuable assets to secure running costs, sacrificing ambition in doing so, as I can only think of Rice's departure which we had very little say in other than letting him run down his contract.
I do agree that I don't think Sullivan will ever allow his own wealth to be damaged by supporting West Ham and if we suffered due to that he would leave eventually and say oh well, I'm a businessman not a charity. I think this is where our wishes become clear as we wish for a wealthy owner who is prepared to lose money to do all he can to make West Ham a success, however we also, well many of us, don't want a sports washing ownership such as City or Newcastle, and maybe there are not so many of them about at present.
My main regret is that we didn't have ownership in place that allowed us to build our own stadium as spurs have done. Levy gets as much, or more, stick as Sullivan does and they both manage in a similar mode but where as Levy helped finance one of the best stadiums in the whole country we moved into rented accommodation. My hope is that the cunning plan is to eventually be able to buy and redevelop the London Stadium and end up saving a large sum. However I know there will be many obstacles to that actually happening, financial, contractual and political.
The one thing I do agree with what the guy is suggesting is that I think if things go wrong we would be looked at as a real problem in not owning anything of substance and having borrowed against what we did own. If we do fall, we could fall fast.
For balance, the managers have been quite well supported in recent years, although recently the Rice money would have helped that. We have shown ambition and for some too much ambition. Letting Moyes go was ambitious as we hoped to gamble with the security he offered to try and bring a little extra to take the next step. Although I think they made a terrible decision in Lopetgui it was ambitious and he was heavily supported. Potter is now on a rescue mission regarding that ambition. This window and this season are very important for us. -
Summer Transfer Speculation (its just two months away)
About to have the most ginger midfield Italy has ever seen -
The Summer Rebuild
Since January there have been reports that he wants to go back to Italy with links to various Serie A clubs of which Lazio is the latest
He's only got a year left on his contract so cashing in on him now seems a better option than letting him walk on a free at the end of the season
I hope he does well wherever he ends up -
Cricket
Congratulation to South Africa on winning the World Test Championship. Sidelining for a moment the perfectly reasonable debate over qualification and a one off final, that was an excellent test match - a real test, a worthy final. Both sides bowled relentlessly well and for South Africa to make that fourth innings total - let's just say, the absolute polar opposite of choking! Great test innings from Markram and Bavuma, well deserved. -
The Summer Rebuild
C&H "told by a training ground source" that Freddie Potts will be part of the first team next season and they are prepared to consider offers for Andy Irving who wants more regular first-team football. Celtic interested
https://www.claretandhugh.info/celtic-eye-bargain-move-for-west-ham-midfielder/ -
Summer Transfer Speculation (its just two months away)
I am happy to see De Bruyne go to Napoli and reject the Saudi and US approaches. I don't doubt he has sacrificed income but will get to play in the best leagues still, as his talent should.
He will be adored by the fans. If anyone has watched the Maradona documentary you will recall how absolutely lose your mind crazy the fans went when Maradona arrived at the club. He isn't quite Maradona but is one of the best I have seen. -
Couldn't Think - from January 2024
I mean, I don’t know that you’re going to find a podcast or YouTube channel that talks about the owners and has a positive slant. I like that these guys just don’t talk about that side of things because I don’t particularly enjoy talking about it either. -
World Cup Qualifiers
Andy Irving got his first Scotland cap as a 2nd half substitute against Liechtenstein.
Brought on after an hour along with Sassuolo LB Josh Doig
They were school mates at Newcraighall Primary School and Portobello High School plus their dads played for Edinburgh City FC -
Management Merry Go Round 2024/25
If I were McKenna I wouldn't go near Brentford. Relegation there would wreck his career. (I'm only bothered because he's a possible future England manager)
