Rate the transfer window...

[stubbo-admin]

So our last chance to affect the run in through squad make up has been and gone...but was it a net positive or negative?

We started the window with a squad somewhat 'unbalanced' to coin the Manager's phrase....bloated with substandard squad fillers picking up big wages and unlikely to get meaningful game time.  At the same time we had a Brazil international on the books and a young Brazilian winger who surely deserved more game time despite only being 19.  

At the end of the window we have more senior forwards, but key areas of the squad still look weak.  So are we better off, or was it the usual Sullivan cluster fuck?

1. Goalkeeper

Ins: N/A
Outs: N/a

No change in goal. We still have a first choice keeper who hates the ball in the air and is if not the root cause, at least contributes to our high ball susceptibility, and a second choice no one trusts with stunted arms.

Rating: C...no stronger, no worse. Would ideally be stronger.

2. Defence

Ins: Disasi
Outs: Igor

Say what you like about our new "French International", but he's an upgrade on Igor and comes in at a time when the cupboard was bare. Whether he's Craig Dawson reincarnated, or more Roger the Relegator remains to be seen, but technically we're stronger here now, with the new man a much better box defender and aerially dominant. Will it ultimately make our defence any better remains to be seen, but it is an improvement, all be it minor.

Rating: C+...better, but with the leakiest defence in the league, we needed major surgery and not just some Botox.

3. Midfield

Ins: N/A
Outs: Rodriguez, Irving, JWP, Paqueta

Whether you put Paqueta in attack or midfield really dictates the outcomes of those sections, but with a lack of open play goals and assists to his name in recent seasons, midfield feels more appropriate. Arguably, midfield has been a successful window with deadwood on big wages shifted, a sizeable fee received for an unhappy underperforming maverick, and all players of note retained.  Trouble is the wages saved won't save our season, and the fee received for Paqueta is only useful if reinvested in an improvement, who given he got notable game time when available, means we're an option and potential match winner down. Where's the money gone Sullivan?

Verdict: D... we're weaker, all be it from the loss of players who were not great performers, but Rodriguez had helped us see some games out, and Paqueta in glimpses was still a potential difference maker. Not replacing him when it was clear he was off a dereliction of duty. We all know we won't see that transfer fee again 

4. Attack

Ins: Pablo, Taty, Traore, Lamadrid
Outs: Fullkrug, Guilherme

Rightly or wrongly, the loss of Guilherme can't be seen as anything but neutral since he was getting no game time, was untrusted by three managers in succession, and should have been part of the U21 squad despite his inflated fee. Fullkrug's departure for me is a welcome exit. The 'big' German came with a reputation for injury and physicality...only delivered on half of that, and ultimately was a huge waste of money with an overinflated opinion of himself.

The arrival of Taty and Pablo has brought renewed energy to the side, allowing us to defend from the front in the first hour of games, and whisky they don't look like prolific goalscorers has had an undoubted impact in improving the side. Traore it's too early to call, but so far he's cost us Todibo for 3 games by starting a ruck, and looks like his 'roids addiction has got the better of him...he'll likely have more impact in the Rush Green quasi-gymnasium than he will on the pitch. As for Lamadrid....welcome lad. Nice goal for the U21s. Good luck when you return to your parents club ...glad to have helped your development.

Verdict: B+...we're notably stronger up top, no weaker out wide, but really needed a other bench wide option to affect games, and the drop off when Pablo or Taty Go off knackered harms the side's ability to play a 90 min game.

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So where does it leave us? For me it's a C+ window. We are stronger in terms of the first XI and marginally so in terms of our bench options. But will it move the needle and bring us back from the precipice of relegation? Fucking unlikely.

Jarrod Bowen....suit up! The future of West Ham is once again resting solely on your shoulders!

BSOut....where's the money gone Sullivan?!

 

[Far Cough UKunt]

a X-

Because we still have clown shoes Kilman.

[stubbo-admin]

Perception on this window is interesting, as it comes down to expectation.

January is a hard window to do well.  Wholesale squad change in January is REALLY hard.  Convincing high quality players to join your club when you're 85% likely to get relegated (and they want to be playing in the PL) is doubly hard.  And getting players for reasonable prices when Clubs know yo're in a desperate position....even harder.

So whilst I can agree that I don't believe we've done enough to make us rise like a Phoenix form the flames, I'd suggest we have improved the state of things from the start of the window, and now have a first 15 or 16 players more capable of winning points for us.

I struggle to see it as a D-rating or worse.  IMO we currently have two to three holes in our squad at the moment.  A number 10/withdrawn striker competition for Pablo, a backup to Fernandes, and a backup to Summerville.

We have players that wed like to be better...but being realistic, January is not the time where you can turn over half a squad, and bring in 5 or 6 world beaters on a shoestring.  You're largely shopping in the bargain bin, or taking a punt on unproven potential.

On this basis...we've signed four genuine first team squad players who are better in the here and now than what they've replaced.  We've lost only one player who has made any notable contribution, and got good money for him. And we've signed a kid on a punt who may or may not becoe anything, but is at the kind of value our punts likely should be, replacing a punt that we took that cost us 20m which is not the world our Club is in.

We aren't suddenly a top 10 side.  But as the last four games have shown, the strikers have made a big difference.  It's too early to say with Adama or Disasi.  And will Lamadrid get a go before the end of the season...her certainly slammed in a great goal for the U21s yesterday.

So I'd stand by C+ for this window.  I could make a case that as far as difficult January windows go, with our startpoint, it's actually better than that.  

...and the huge volume of business that is really needed to address the squad was never going to get done this window...and that is the real crime (and Sullivan's legacy of the last 5 years).

[Sir Alf]

We needed a “B” or 7 out of 10 or higher but imo we got a D- or 4 out of 10. 

[Fat, Bald n 50]

We needed a keeper, shame we could get the keeper warming the bench at City.

[Russ of the BML]

We needed strikers and got them. 
We needed a CB and got one. 
We got another attacking option. 
We got rid of deadwood. 

if its enough, who knows?


 

[threesixty]

I think it’s been a good window just because of the front 2 we got in. For years we’ve never been able to field something like that. 
It’s unlocked Summerville and Bowen as well. 
if we can play against other teams like we did against Chelsea in the 1st half then it’s been a good window. 

I think the downside is more that we don’t have another 2 players with relentless energy to put on so we keep up the press.
Maybe letting Marshall go will in hindsight have been the worst move we made. 

other than that, considering u rarely get great value in jan its not been that bad. Would have liked Tammy Abraham or something like that but I think our goals are going to come from wide players and midfield now. 
 

[Chinkey Weasel]

Absolute shit window. It's irrelevant anyway as we're going down. We all knew that at Christmas.

The final rapeing of the club by Sullivan.

Taty, Pablo, Traore & some 10th choice rent boy centre back who might be match fit by April. A shambles of a football club but it's been blatantly on the cards for the last couple of years.

Poor old Bowen has got to stick it out now until the summer, when he'll finally get a move to a decent team.

Yet still, people flock over to that absolute cսnt of a ground & keep lining Sullivan's pockets by turning up every week.

One day, people will get it & see what has been unfolding, right under their own noses.

*click here to renew*

[Pub Bigot]

D+ because I don’t believe the signings will be influential enough to keep us up. Worse still, we don’t have a board with any strategy or a manager with any balls. 

 

[THUNDERCLINT]

Put a sock in it.

Hi ladysmith.

[John Drake]

Compared to that time when we 'won the transfer window', it wasn't so bad. C+

[Beef&Tomato]

Put a sock in it.

[THUNDERCLINT]

Actually thought we did alright.

We addressed some issues within the squad and got rid of plenty of deadweights.

I'd rate it a B

B for Boglione, the founder of Kappa?

[Mad Ferret]

Actually thought we did alright.

We addressed some issues within the squad and got rid of plenty of deadweights.

I'd rate it a B

[Tomshardware]

Agree with Stubbo. C + is about right.  

[Rossal]

Free agents? 

I'd take Sterling on a deal till the end of the season 

[honky cat]

Ok. I think we've done well to shift the deadwood, and despite reservations about Taty and Pablo long term, we are better for them.

Probably right to hold off on replacing paqueta with a panic buy. 

Traore was not needed at all and you just don't pull that sort of shit on your debut. 

Disasi, we'll have to see and is an improvement on Igor  To be fair no one could have predicted the complete meltdown in discipline at Chelsea and losing todibo the day before the window closes. But at the same time he could have picked up an injury so we are still short.

It's the same old at west ham. No planning, just reactive signings and square pegs, but then are we buying for the championship or prem? 

Any free agents? Tbh id take zouma back if he has 15/20 minutes a match in him.

[Manuel]

We now have a stronger first eleven and apart from Paqueta (who many wanted out anyway) have only cleared out dross that never or rarely played, including the wide Brazilian who wasn't played by 4 different managers. So overall not great but not a disaster. Sorry if that view upsets anyone.

[Massive Attack]

F

[THUNDERCLINT]

A eye brow plucking Argie, an massively overpriced Brazilian beanpole, a roid donkey and a broken toy from Chelsea.

F-

 

[Takashi Miike]

I completely disagree about no weaker out wide. He's swapped a promising young brazilian with pace & a young wing forward with a goal threat in marshall, and brought in a fat spanish barrell with zero goal threat, and who's only apparent skill being able to throw spanish midgets

[Mike Oxsaw]

Wouldn't touch it with Ted Moult's barge pole.

[yngwies Cat]

Same old shite 
 

[Takashi Miike]

1/10
F-
absolute

[Rossal]

Shit.  Nuno kept crying out for balance in the squad. It isn't balanced. We don't have any depth out wide or up front. We haven't improved the main area which was CB and in Traore Disasi and La Madrid we've signed 3 blokes who probably wont play much if at all between now and end of season. 

0 intent to stay up and improve.  D-