Sport
West Ham optimism is a little premature – transfer strategy may have its flaws
There has been a shift in the zeitgeist in east London. After a vitriolic first season in their new home, West Ham fans have their swagger back, with some familiar big-money signings increasing the level of optimism ahead of the new Premier League season.
There’s Javier Hernandez of Manchester United fame, a pivotal figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s latter years at Old Trafford, multi-title-winning Pablo Zabaleta, England’s number one Joe Hart, and firebrand forward Marko Arnautovic from Stoke – all arriving for a combined fee of circa £36million – a figure dwarfed by many of their rivals’ outlay in this madcap transfer window.
Seems likes good business, right? All four new arrivals are household names to football fans on our shores. We all prefer to stick to what we know. There will be no adjusting to life in England, no voyage of discovery to find these players’ best positions or strongest attributes. They can slot straight in and start propelling the Hammers up the table once more.
West Ham’s flawed transfer strategy?
However, there is a glaring caveat to that plan – these arrivals are in anything but good form, and initial results may not be everything the Hammers’ faithful have been hoping for.
“I think he is potentially the best player who has ever come to the club,” co-owner David Sullivan eulogised on talkSPORT after signing Hernandez.
“In recent years, he is probably the best proven goalscorer we have signed since we have been at the club. He’s already done it in the Premier League with Manchester United.”
Notice the tense in the last sentence. Yes, Hernandez was an excellent weapon for United. He was a real force when he first made the move to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, too, and arrives in England with an impressive goalscoring return from his two seasons in Germany.
However, what he has been doing in recent months is not quite so impressive. And the same can be said for the other new signings. Form isn’t everything, but it certainly will have an effect on the speed of the transformation at London Stadium.
Out of form
Hernandez has six league goals since October 1st. He wasn’t aided by the fact that Bayer were collectively well below-par last season, but still, having hit the ground running in his first season in Germany, that represents a sizeable drop in potency.
Arnautovic didn’t end the season particularly well either, having netted just once in the Premier League since the beginning of March. Quite how that earned him a £20m move to east London is hard to fathom.
Away from the expectant masses of a Premier League title chaser, Hart was in suitable surroundings to find form again with Torino, but returned to England with indifference the recurring consensus in Turin.
Only two goalkeepers made more errors leading to goals in Serie A last season, and Hart had to rely on goal-line technology to spare him the embarrassment of another against Cagliari. Fans gave him a warm send-off, without really pining for an extended stay.
Zabaleta has started one Premier League game since March 1st. A stalwart of Manchester City’s rapid rise, Zabaleta has struggled with injuries, limiting his game time, meaning he has lost a great deal of that intensity that made him such a big hit at the Etihad as a result.
Big reputations
There have been some big-name flops in recent years at West Ham, especially in the striker department. From Marco Borriello to Simone Zaza, many a reputation has been ruined in east London and, as a result, you can’t blame the Hammers’ hierarchy for favouring players more familiar with the rigours of the Premier League.
Yet, with fans and experts alike highly complimentary of such a strategy, there must be a level of grounding here – none of the new arrivals are in good form, and could well take time to recapture their intensity. Reputations count for nothing in such a competitive league. The transfer strategy cannot be judged a success just yet. Watch this space.
