So long, farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Goodbye. An apt departure message for Tim Steidten as the German left his position as Technical Director earlier in February. Some might say that it could have been a warmer statement than the ‘it is time for Tim to pursue new opportunities’ had the club used those particular song lyrics.
The Summer of the Learjet
So where did it all go wrong for a man that was once heralded as being the start of new beginnings for West Ham? With song lyrics in mind, it wasn’t so long ago that our freshly appointed Technical Director had been rewarded with his own chant: ‘Tim Steidten went to ‘Dam, to smoke some marijuana; Came back with Alvarez and a superstar from Ghana’ was quite often heard circulating the fans after the now famous Learjet photos with the two key signings of the 2023 summer window.
Brilliant, we all thought – someone other than David Sullivan trusted to spend the Declan Rice money. Unheard of European gems were promised and no longer were we going to be subjected to washed up, perennially injured has-beens. Steidten’s appointment was seen to be the antithesis of both Davids and their ‘Dithering’ taglines. But before long, cracks started to show.
Cracks in the Collaboration
Reports came out that Alvarez had been identified as a Declan Rice replacement by Mark Noble prior to Steidten’s arrival, and that whilst scouting him, the club had become aware of Mo Kudus’s abilities. Eyebrows had apparently been raised about Steidten putting himself front and centre so publicly. Clashes in style were seen that summer, with differing opinions on recruitment tactics.
Moyes was keen for established Premier League targets as opposed to Steidten’s knowledge of European markets and potential gems. This was never clearer in the battle to sign a midfielder, where Steidten’s suggestion of Monaco’s dynamic box-to-box powerhouse Youssouf Fofana was rejected in favour of Moyes wanting the set piece specialist of James Ward-Prowse. Seemingly to keep the peace, David Sullivan then sanctioned the signing of Konstantinos Mavropanos at Steidten’s recommendations.
The Power Struggle with Moyes
The indifference between the two continued, with differing targets identified ahead of the January window. David Moyes may have won that particular battle, but ultimately lost the power war with the disastrous signing of Kalvin Phillips. Clear signs that faith was being steered away from Moyes towards Steidten began with the appointment of the latter’s brother to the scouting team and was fully clarified when Tim was tasked with the search for a new manager.
Whilst he was publicly courting Rueben Amorim, Moyes saw this to be disrespectful enough to damage their relationship, and for fear of undermining him, banned Steidten from the training ground for the remaining months of his managerial tenure.
Unity, PR Wars, and the Lopetegui Era
As Moyes departed, with Amorim’s compensation making Sullivan look elsewhere, in came Julen Lopetegui. With Steidten confirming that he was fully behind the appointment, West Ham fans looked forward to a cohesive and collaborative approach to recruitment. Right? Well, obviously not – this is West Ham after all. A multitude of signings – each on their individual merits looking decent acquisitions – didn’t always seem to complement each other or align into the same plan.
Sure enough, within weeks of the statements of unity, stories were creeping into the press once more with Steidten apparently distancing himself from the poorer performers in an attempt to win the PR war. However, it was his desire for PR that was starting to draw the fans’ attention towards him too. Suddenly finding himself on the pitch after a win at Palace, or front and centre on the team bus after beating Newcastle, which along with his constant leaking to certain journalists, led some to wonder if he was trying to force his own agenda.
The Second Training Ground Ban
Not just in the media either, with reports of Steidten trying to convince certain players that he would soon oust the manager and that things would soon be better. Sure enough, for the second time within a year, a second manager promptly banned him from the training ground. His prediction of the manager’s tenure may have come to fruition, but as a result, his days soon became numbered.
The Arrival of Graham Potter and Kyle Macaulay
Despite initially leading discussions with the incoming Graham Potter, his role was stripped down with Karren Brady taking over. Potter’s appointment came with a number of backroom staff – including his preferred Head of Recruitment, Kyle Macaulay, with whom he had shared success at Swansea, Brighton and to an extent, Chelsea. Once this appointment was confirmed, Steidten’s days were numbered, and sure enough, hours after the transfer window closed, so too did his time at the club.
A Mixed Legacy: Negotiator or Stepping Stone?
Whilst a lot of this article paints a fairly negative picture of Tim Steidten, it is still worth bearing in mind some of the positives of his tenure. Whilst he may not have identified the Ajax duo, he certainly played a part in closing the negotiations out swiftly and efficiently. This was again displayed when a seemingly Juventus-bound Todibo was encouraged to join us at the 11th hour.
So how will his time with us be judged? Some will say as the man who saw off our most successful manager in 40 years and used us as a stepping stone for his own reputation. Some will say a shrewd negotiator who did his best despite the chairman’s controlling nature. I guess only time – and imminent revealing interviews – will tell. But overall, it’ll probably be based upon the success of his signings. No pressure there then Luis Guillherme. Either way, in typical West Ham fashion, a situation that promised so much has instead ended up being a bit of a song and a dance.
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