Four seasoned Hammers fans debate this season’s expectation and transfer strategy
What would you consider a successful season for West Ham this campaign?
Riley Johnson: Automatic promotion has to be the objective but the Championship is a tough league with a demanding schedule. We should not be so naïve to think we will dominate it but our quality must prove too much for the opposition.
Meirion Williams: It has to be promotion. I would settle for promotion through the play offs but a second season in the second tier will certainly not see a return of 50,000 season ticket holders. I agree with Riley it’s going to be tough but anything else would be seen as a failure.
Geoff Hillyer: Promotion. I don’t think anyone would settle for anything less. I don’t think we are going to walk the league – it’s incredibly competitive – but I do think that we are favourites for a reason. If we can get on in either of the cups, great, but promotion must be the aim.
Gary Pitty: The aim, as Geoff says, is promotion. It will be tough as it’s a long and gruelling season in the Championship but if we keep hold of certain key players we have a real chance of bouncing back at the first attempt.
Evaluating Summer Window Business So Far
What have you made of our transfer window so far?
Riley Johnson: I’m tentatively pleased. As it stands we have kept some key players, such as Bowen, Soucek, and Dino, and some developing talent I think will shine, like Kante, Magassa, and Potts. Fernandes leaving was inevitable but I am apprehensively waiting to see what happens with some fringe players and those that aren’t good enough / want out.
Meirion Williams: I fully expected Fernandes to leave and I must admit I actually thought Bowen would give us at least a season. So right on two accounts. But more will leave and more will join. What we do need to get, now the World Cup is over, is confirmation of just who will be leaving and then after that we can see what holes remain in the squad.
Geoff Hillyer: Getting £85m for Fernandes was brilliant and more than I expected. I was slightly surprised to see Wilson go as I think he’d have done a job for us in the Championship but we have to accept that we are diminished in stature for the time being. I shudder when seeing that Ward-Prowse, Fullkrug and Cornet have returned to our doors. It remains to be seen what happens with them. But as ever, I’ll wait until closing day to assess more fully.
Gary Pitty: Agree with Geoff. £85 million for Fernandes is great business for us. Hopefully most of that fee goes towards our rebuild. I hope to see more activity in the next two weeks. But this is West Ham.
Target Priorities Before Deadline Day
Who would you like to see us sign before the window slams shut?
Riley Johnson: Disasi is the obvious answer. We’ve missed out on some targets that I think would have improved our squad but I am hoping we can sign a left sided CB, a hard working ball carrier and someone to feed that top three. Keeping Bowen may be our best signing.
Meirion Williams: Dylan Lawlor would be a great signing but what we do need is another Kevin Nolan type player, someone who can grind out wins on a rainy night in Lincoln. It’s a tough league and we need some tough players to see us through.
Geoff Hillyer: Disasi improved our defence last season and I would like to see an equivalent in that position. Without him, defending is an issue, as we know. With the departure of Fernandes, there’s also a creative hole in our midfield and the area is light. But if the rumours are true about the retention of a number of players, the ‘players required’ list might not be quite as long as it could have been. We need some astute signings.
Gary Pitty: We should 100% go all out to secure the Disasi signing. He was immense for us. It would be a terrific signing for Championship football and going forwards he’s a ready made Premier League centre back should we be promoted. I think an athletic centre midfielder needs to be added although this could be young Kante if his head is not turned elsewhere.
Reaction to Mateus Fernandes Moving to Spurs
Where would you place Mateus Fernandes in our list of Judases?
Riley Johnson: Low down – he owes us nothing as far as I am concerned. Top player who was probably too good for us last season and definitely too good for the Championship. It’s unfortunate that another player has gone to Spurs but we made good money on him and that’s what matters.
Meirion Williams: Sorry he’s not even on my list. How can you compare Fernandes to the likes of Paul Ince, Judas Defoe and Payet? I see him as just a young player with a season under his belt who wants Premier League football and certainly not a betrayer.
Geoff Hillyer: Low down the list to be honest. We wanted a large sum of money for him, and Tottenham were willing to pay it. He was one of our better-performing players, and I think he gave his all. Obviously the buying club aren’t who I would choose but we needed to sell and what else were we realistically going to do? We aren’t a Premier League club any more.
Gary Pitty: Agree with Geoff once again. I would have been more annoyed if we’d sold him to Spurs still being a Premier League club but to get that money from Spurs is terrific business as mentioned previously. They offered the money; we made a considerable amount of money, which we desperately need.
Navigating Key Fixtures in the Championship Schedule
Which months are you afraid of judging by our fixtures, and which are you looking forward to?
Riley Johnson: I’m not afraid of any month but I am certainly interested in how September works out. Wolves, a fellow relegated team who have made some good additions, a Millwall derby and our first match against Wrexham. I think this will be a great litmus test of how up for it we are.
Meirion Williams: All of them but primarily the first two months. We have to make a statement and make it early. We will be every team’s glamour tie and must show our mettle early. If we don’t start off well it will give the rest of the league the confidence to make things even more difficult than they clearly will be.
Geoff Hillyer: I’m not afraid of any of the months – it’s a really competitive league, but honestly, if we go into this Championship season fearful of anything then we need to be asking ourselves some pretty searching questions.
Gary Pitty: August to December I always look at as these are the months which ultimately can define what type of season you’ll have. I’ll add that certain fixtures I’ll look out for: Millwall of course, other London Derbies and I guess Wrexham due to the hype. We won’t be playing on a snow covered pitch though like that 1990s FA Cup Match.
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