Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

Alfs 3:23 Wed Sep 1
Our owners

Okay, they have quite rightly been pilloried for the first few years at the OS, but leaving the universal hatred toward them aside - are they beginning to get things right?

Pellegrini was a disaster, as we all know. But he was handed significant fees, which he spunked up the wall, leaving WH with massive losses on Haller and Anderson. Oh, and Roberto, who cost us 12 points. . Not the board's fault. The majority of WHOers were excited by his appointment - just no one had any idea how far his Alzheimer's had kicked in.

Since Moyes has arrived for his second coming we've brought in Bowen, Benny, Fornals, Coufal, Soucek, and now three more internationals, in Zouma, Vlasic and Krul.

For years we've been a selling club, but now we're actually spending money to improve. Not something I've witnessed in my 50 years of claret and blue frustration.

Like the majority of you, I've wanted them out since the move turned into a joke. But I have to say, I'm reconsidering. Particularly now, when that PAI lot are trying to muscle in.

So, WHOers, this will make you gag, but does the board deserve some credit for where we are? Can you forgive them for their past discrepencies?

the straw 3:34 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

They've been horrendous since day one. One of the worst things they've done is impose their (lack of) class onto our club. We used to to be quite a unique and proud club, but now we are seen as murky and unlikeable.

But somehow, probably more by luck than design (Moyes was cheap) they have got us the perfect manager for this particular situation. And they have given him some tools with which to work.

At this stage I wouldn't want to rock the boat so I'd be inclined to say cheerio PAI.

Maybe I've just got Stockholm Syndrome. Shit.

norwaytips 3:45 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Ah, a realistic post, Alfs. I agree 100% and while I haven’t liked everything they’ve done, I’m not one to blame the board for everything.
Just now, we are riding the crest and long may it continue. A very decent transfer window, one of the top PL spenders, with some really good buys, IMO.
I just hope we can stop some of the whining posts now and look forward to a good season. ⚒⚒⚒

Texas Iron 3:52 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Agree with Alfs mostly…

But why the fuck can’t they buy a proper goal scoring striker…

Over 50 brought in…but very few delivered enough goals…

Must try harder…and don’t wait until transfer window to get some options…

Mike Oxsaw 4:24 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

When they sell up and go, Sullivan's ego will inevitably force him to make a book & film franchise about his time here. What's it to be called?

I'm going for "Days of Blunder".

Manuel 5:00 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

It was so obvious and fucking predictable what the context of this thread was going to be before opening it, read the first line and stopped.

Alfs, I've always said that apart from moving us, which is a fucking biggie of course, I've always thought they have done okay. Pretty much always backed their managers, only one season outside the top flight, and European football a couple of times, and not their fault that TWICE we pathetically couldn't even beat a pub side to get into the groups before.

Darby_ 6:29 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

They’re nothing special as owners. In ten years it looks like they’ve finally found a good manager, so the rest has fallen into place. I suspect that largely an accident, because he was only picked twice to “do a job” and save us from relegation.

I hope that Moyes goes on to be a great manager for us, but this thread is a bit short-termist. We’ve had lots of periods when things were looking rosy then fell apart.

toadinthehole 6:42 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Texas Iron 3:52 Wed Sep 1

Ironically the best goal scorer they signed was a midfielder (Antonio)

The best striker signed is probably Carroll or Sakho which really shows how bad recruitment has been.

Mike Oxsaw 6:55 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

..." then fell apart."

Things don't generally "fall apart" without a reason; things decay naturally if left alone, so enough energy must be put into them to counter that trend, plus any extra to improve.

If yearly premiership survival is the acceptable measure of success for the board then that is all we will get, no matter what we expect as fans of a football club.

I can't ever recall them publicly stating what they regard as success, but if they are really honest in their drive to improve the club, I would expect the "bar" to be raised to no lower than the previous season's final position every new term.

That being said, that way of thinking is truly "old West Ham" in it's roots and I never expected or even saw last season's performance coming.

Would be nice for the board to come out and state something along the lines of "success" is regarded as finishing 4 times out of 5 in the top 10, which, admittedly, allows them 4 consecutive non-top 10 finishes in 5 years, but, at least it's a more ambitious aim than 17th place every year.

Nagel 7:54 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

"For years we've been a selling club, but now we're actually spending money to improve."

I'm sure that you're aware that TV revenues have gone way up since GSB took over. We got £143.5m for last season, over £100m more than in their 1st full season as owners. So let's not pretend that they've been funding all this spending themselves.

Fact is we probably would have had much more money to spend if they didn't have such a scattershot approach to manager recruitment. If you switch back and forth between coaches who prize technique and those who prefer work rate you end up with an unbalanced squad where players quickly fall out of favour, resulting in the sale of those players for much less than they were bought for.

The owners have improved in some ways in recent years (more media shy, less involved in transfers) but they set such a low bar for themselves early on that they couldn't do much worse.

zico 8:43 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Purely the biggest difference is that the manager now seems to be in charge of in's and out's and it has seemed a more measured approach to signings rather than the scatter gun hit and hope by Sullivan and Pellegrini.

Re a striker I have some sympathy with them. Antonio is clearly number 1 so it's likely targets, if believed, such as Ings or Abraham weren't going to come along to sit on the bench. I read somewhere that Vlasic has played up top although no idea of that is true.

Takashi Miike 9:07 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

they only deserve credit for letting Moyes sign who he wants, which is the minimum requirement if keeping to a budget. the turnaround is completely down to Moyes, his coaching team & the players

Westham67 9:08 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

GSB out never forgive them for the lies they made about leaving Upton Park

Willtell 9:31 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

It's weird that they have been terrible owners but I said a month or two back that "their hearts are in the right places..." Of course, I got roundly abused for daring to suggest such a blasphemy.

The truth is GSB were awful owners expecting gratitude for having saved us from administration and bragged their way around the media making right cunts of themselves in the process.

But I was right imo. Their hearts are in the right place but they are just well intentioned incompetents that have struck lucky. PAI Captal's public bid probably frightened them into finding down the back of the sofa to spend the 4th highest PL fees this window - £63.3m.

However, when I give people stick for being cunts, I am also big enough to give them credit when they bungle their way to success.

If 2nd in PL; Europa League football about to start; £63.3m and 4th highest PL spend; regular full 60,000 seat stadium and about to develop the training ground is bad owners that we should protest about, then some of our fans are always going to be unhappy.

Side of Ham 9:32 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

They only get things right here after they’ve shafted a manager on budget so he struggles and they need the next appointment to either get them out of the championship or get them out of the relegation zone. Anything good is done on the back of a manager who’s able to work within their previous fuck ups and what’s left.

Willtell 9:38 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Are you talking about Pellegrini SOH? You're saying GSB are to blame for Pellegrini losing control and players being unfit? The same Pellegrini that had the biggest ever spend in our history?

Ha ha ha!

Side of Ham 9:39 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Think you’ll find Bilic and even the fat one was shafted by them on that Willwall you thick cunt…….

Pentonville 9:40 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Think we should just ignore them now and focus on the team. Lots to focus on.
I'm not sure this separate thread "our owners" was needed when there is a "the owners" just below. Just saying..........

Willtell 9:43 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

You're justifying your own position of hatred for GSB based on a dubious historical fact no-one cares about. Today we are doing well so I give them some credit when they do well even when it's probably by accident....

It's what gentlemen do...

chim chim cha boo 9:45 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

I don't believe we have bad owners but we do have TERRIBLE owners.

They would love to be loved by our fan base but live in a world where everything they do is fantastic or if you deal with them on a day today basis you simply get sacked if you disagree with anything they say.

I've worked for people like them in the past.

I remember Sullivan giving an interview years ago when he said that he could easily be a football manager but he was making so much money elsewhere that he simply didn't have the time to run the club day to day.

It's basically uncontrolled narcissistic behaviour. Nobody ever says 'no David, you're wrong'.


I hope for all our sakes he's slowly learning.

Side of Ham 9:49 Wed Sep 1
Re: Our owners

Again Willwall a small time view in order to have petty rows with fellow West Ham fans.

As for that big at the end……you’ve posted too much scummy low life shit to call yourself that.

Another day of the meaningless Willwall scum awaits…….

Page 1 - Next