Crest consultation update
WHUFC.com
West Ham United supporters have endorsed the idea of evolving the Club's crest
07.07.2014
Summary of key findings
• 77 per cent of respondents in favour of updating the crest
• 98 per cent say crossed hammers are most important
• In discussion of the castle's future, 86 per cent said they want to see it retired
• Nearly two thirds want a bolder and cleaner typeface
• Majority recognise the need for representation of the Club's future
• Fans in favour of adding London to the badge vs Olympic Stadium
• Due to positive nature of results, Club is working on final design, which will be put forward for final fan vote
• Club release Q+A to answer some of the most common queries
West Ham United supporters have overwhelmingly endorsed the idea of evolving the Club's crest. Seventy-seven per cent of the thousands of fans that participated in an independent SMG YouGov survey said they backed updating the crest to reflect the Club's history and heritage in a new era. After a detailed video about the history of the Club's crest, supporters were asked to state which elements of the existing crest they considered most important. Unsurprisingly, a massive 98 per cent confirmed that the crossed hammers were paramount, while the Boleyn Castle was judged the least significant. Respondents were also invited to make further comment on individual aspects of the crest. In discussion of the castle, a convincing 86 per cent thought it best it be retired altogether.
As for the crossed hammers, upward of 70 per cent think they should feature more boldly or prominently than on the current crest. The remainder argued for a more authentic or traditional design, paying homage to the rivet hammers used in the Thames Ironworks.
A 67 per cent majority were in agreement with the Club's rationale to combine the cross section of the Ironworks' HMS Warrior with the famous crest of the 1950/60s. Other, less popular, views put forward included calls for no shield at all and one using a circular template. A strong 65 per cent of respondents opted for a modernised, bolder and cleaner typeface to be displayed. Just five per cent wanted no typography whatsoever and a further five per cent supported the inclusion of the acronym WHUFC. Only three per cent of supporters, meanwhile, called for the addition of 1895.
Elsewhere, only 56 respondents thought any change of crest colours was necessary. Of comments made on the matter, there was universal agreement that claret and blue should remain.
Finally, the topic of London drew some debate, with the majority of fans recognising the need to include something forward looking, pointing to a new dawn in the West Ham story. General feeling suggested that the inclusion of the word 'London' would celebrate the Club's position in the capital, while also acknowledging the Hammers' provenance. Feedback included: 'I completely get the concept of including a strong reference to our location and that will be important in matching our ambition. London is an iconic city and must be among the most globally recognised of all. If we could find a way to make West Ham become synonymous with London, from a global perspective, then we will have stolen a march on the other London clubs.' Another remarked: 'I think it is a logical move…At the moment, I don't think West Ham is as well-known or as highly thought of internationally as it is at home.'
Only 347 of the thousands of respondents thought otherwise, questioning London's relevance and claiming that the Club has a stronger claim to Essex.
Other feedback included: 'I'm worried that sticking London in will cramp the crest and make it look cluttered.' Elsewhere, a significant number (some 36% of those that felt a representation of the Club's exciting future should be incorporated on the badge to mark the new era) felt the inclusion of the Olympic Stadium on the crest would be of benefit. Overall, however, fans were in favour of adding London to the badge rather than a depiction of the Olympic Stadium, with many recognising that it is a key part of the Club's identity both now and in the future. The Club would like to thank the thousands who participated and will now be carefully absorbing all of the feedback received. Due to the supportive results, the Club has now begun working with its designers to produce a proposed new version of the crest, which fans will then be asked to vote on.
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Crest consultation Q+A
WHUFc.com
Your questions answered on West Ham United's crest consultation
07.07.2014
Are you changing the Club's name or is this the first step towards changing the Club's name in the future?
No, absolutely not. We are not changing the Club's name. We are, and will always be, West Ham United.
Is this the right time to be considering changing the crest? With the move to the Olympic Stadium, is it too much too soon?
The one consistent message that has been fed back by supporter groups is that the success of the move and the Stadium will rest on its acceptance among fans as the home of West Ham United. The Board are 100 per cent committed to this and this principle is guiding everything we do at the Club.
As a result there will be a huge, multi million pound investment into the application of branding at the Olympic Stadium. The move offers an opportunity to work meticulously to get every detail right and that is what the team at the Club are working around the clock striving to do. So is it a case could be a case of never?
The Club first suggested the idea to the Supporter Advisory Board and have since conducted extensive consultation with the fans on the possibility of evolving the Club's crest as we look to the future in our new state of the art Stadium in the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
This is part of broader work the Club is carrying out, working with supporters to establish how to better communicate West Ham's values and how to best recognise, pay respect to and celebrate almost 120 years of history. The Club feels this is the right time to have this discussion as we look forward to a defining moment. We want to do something that really reflects our history, heritage and values while also setting out our ambitions for a bright future.
How long has the current crest been in use?
The Club's existing crest is now 15 years old. It is worth noting that, historically, the Club's crest has been updated roughly every ten years. By comparison, every Premier League club has updated their crest at least once since 1997, some on multiple occasions.
It was the Club's view, one that has now been endorsed by supporters, that the time may be right to mark a defining new era for the Club.
Are you looking to remove the Castle?
This is something we've considered from the outset and has the backing of the vast majority of supporters. Our view is that retiring the castle from our Club crest would be a fitting way to respectfully signal a departure from the Boleyn Ground. Fans are overwhelmingly in agreement that it does not make sense to have the Boleyn Castle in our Club crest when we no longer play at the Boleyn Ground.
Will the crossed hammers be in the new crest?
We believe that the hammers are the fundamental symbol/icon of our Club and should be the most prominent feature of any evolution of the Club's crest. This is the Club's proposal and, based on feedback, is wholeheartedly supported by the fanbase.
Can you assure fans the new crest will be claret and blue?
West Ham United has been synonymous with Claret and Blue since 1900. We have no intention of changing this in any evolution of the Club's crest and are confident the fans agree with us on this.
Can the new crest be displayed in different colours?
Absolutely. As with the existing crest, any evolution of the crest can be presented in different colour waves in line with the brand guidelines. For example, mono colours, such as white, coming off claret. However, to reiterate, as above, any new crest will be claret and blue.
Why are you considering adding London to the crest?
This appears to be the issue that has created most debate. Consultation shows that many supporters understand and back the Club's direction in this regard, while others question London's relevance, claiming that the Club has a stronger claim to Essex.
There is, however, no denying that the Club is located in London at present and the Club feels this should be celebrated as we move to a London icon.
West Ham United is our name and should be placed in prime position - it is the Club's view that any inclusion of London would be secondary in position and prominence to a bolder typographic representation of our name - West Ham United - on the crest. It will never be instead of, or on a par with, the Club name.
London, of course, is fundamentally rooted in our history. From our origins at the Thames Ironworks, who proudly displayed their London location on all their vessels, through to the golden era of West Ham teams sporting "West Ham United London" on pennants and rosettes when competing in European competition.
Our absolute goal is to return to those days of competing at the highest level on a European and global stage and therefore believe it is appropriate to sport our city on the crest.
The Club believe recognition of our London location would be a signal of our vision to compete at the highest level and enhance the Club's global standing. What's more, with increased international recognition, the Club will become a more attractive prospect to high-profile players.
This is all part of the virtuous cycle we are aiming to nurture with our move to the Olympic Stadium. The more fans we can attract, the more investment will go into the playing staff, the better our team will perform and this, in turn, feeds further revenues for investment… and so on.
Have you considered including 1895?
Yes, this is something that continues to be discussed, but interestingly the research has shown that supporters, on the whole, are not keen on its addition.
Feedback thus far has argued that many clubs were established in this era and West Ham was not the first hence the year itself need not have particular prominence on the crest? Additionally, many fans have made reference to the change of name to West Ham United in 1900.
Do the Club want to put the Olympic Stadium on the crest?
The Club has been clear throughout the process that this is not our preferred option. It is however an option we have discussed with supporter groups and has been a feature of consultation.
Though there is seemingly widespread support for a return to the confident simplicity of the crossed hammers, fans also recognise the need to include something forward-thinking, pointing to a new dawn in the West Ham story. Interestingly, some fans who objected to the inclusion of London were instead keen to see a representation of the Olympic Stadium.
The Club are seeking a crest that boldly displays all the best bits of the last 119 years, but one that also celebrates a move to such an iconic venue and what that can mean for our future prosperity.
The Olympic Stadium has witnessed huge success, which has been seen and admired the world over. No other Club is moving to London's iconic venue and to ignore that entirely, would, at the very least, be a missed opportunity.
The Club, however, think that incorporating London into the crest may be a favourable option to signify our future at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It remains the Club belief that West Ham United has too strong an identity to be wholly defined by any one Stadium past or present
If agreed, when and where will the new crest be used?
If agreed, a new crest won't become the official Club crest, nor appear on the playing shirt, until the 2016/17 season, our first in the Olympic Stadium. There is no suggestion, nor has there ever been, that the castle would be removed while still playing at the Boleyn Ground.
In the event that a new crest was agreeable to fans, the castle would be respectfully retired when the Club leave the Boleyn Ground.
Is this decision just about increasing sales and revenue overseas?
Absolutely not. At its core, this process has evolved through exploratory work with supporters to ensure that the Club do not miss this unique opportunity to best reflect our history in the new era and in a way that is acceptable to supporters.
The project had advanced with a core team, all of whom understand and feel great passion for West Ham, with the assistance and guidance of West Ham supporters willing to give their time to contribute and help to ensure the Club gets it right on behalf of the West Ham faithful.
The team have been meticulous in terms of staying true to the guiding principle that any evolution must suitably honour West Ham's rich heritage and be acceptable to supporters.
The process had been extensive in this regard while also seeking to embrace a new and thoroughly exciting era at the Olympic Stadium.
We do believe also that there is a strong case for evolving the Club's crest in a way that will also support our strategy to attract international star targets and help to engage new supporters all over the world, who we hope will develop the same love of West Ham that we possess.
So while this has never been the guiding principle, there is an opportunity that we believe merits serious consideration.
Will fans be given a say/vote in the design of the new crest?
Yes, supporters will absolutely be given a say. Online consultation in respect of the elements that matter most to supporters concluded on Friday 26 June 2014 and the outcomes of said consultation will naturally inform the Club's design choices.
That said, design is a subjective matter and the Club has entrusted a team of world-class designers and experts to work on this crucial piece of work and it will be they who produce the final crest, albeit taking into account all of the feedback received thus far for the fans' consideration.
The final design will reflect the feelings of all of the stakeholders and the fans alike.
If fans don't want the new crest, will you stick with the old one?
Yes. The Board have made it clear that any decision on the evolution of the crest will only be made with the fans' support so the fans will absolutely make the ultimate decision.
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Hard work continues in the gym
WHUFC.com
A modern day footballer has to undertake a rounded training schedule, including extensive gym work
07.07.2014
It is not just on the football pitch that West Ham United's players are expected to hone their skills ahead ot the start of the new campaign. Gym work also plays a key role in their ability to perform on the field, and the Club's fitness coaches have been putting the squad through their paces during their training camp in France. Following work on the football pitches in the evening, the afternoon focus has been on strength and core work, and Hammers fitness coach Eamon Swift explained the science behind the exercises. "As well as their pitch work, the players are also expected to do some gym work and the idea behind it is that we target specific areas or muscles to try and make them a bit more resistant and robust towards injury," he explained. "We accept that injuries are going to happen, but it's our responsibility as staff and their responsibility as players to do as much as we can to try and prevent that. "We've worked on some exercises for the hamstrings, the abductors, for the core specifically. The players will complete two or three sessions a week, alongside their pitch-based sessions."
Having just returned to pre-season, Swift outlined the need to build up the intensity of the players' work over a period of time. He continued: "It's important at this time of the year as they build up again, but it's also important that they start at the right level. The work we did on the first day was very much what we consider level one - body weight exercises and what we call isometric holds. That's us encouraging them to hold specific body shapes and positions. "We haven't put any external loads or heavy weights on them yet, because we understand that they've come from a big period of inactivity. Now, as well as their pitch sessions which involve much more twisting, turning and football actions, they also have to begin to work on their strength. "The balance has to be right between building up their fitness and tolerance for work, but in a careful way that we don't pick up any injuries. "The activities change as the season goes on - at the moment it's a level one, introduction to their strength, and that will be progressed as the weeks and months go on. The tasks will become more challenging, the load that they have to tolerate is slowly progressed and increased. "We have to keep the stimulus changing, keep them interested as much as anything, and in the same way the pitch work develops over time, it's the same for the strength and core exercises."
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Cole ready to feel pre-season benefit
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is sure a full pre-season will help him towards a strong 2014/15 campaign
07.07.2014
Carlton Cole is ready to feel the benefit of a full pre-season as he gets ready for the new campaign. Having re-joined the Club after the start of last season, the 30-year-old striker missed out on the full range of preparatory work, yet still notched six goals to help guide the Hammers into mid-table. Now, after getting back down to work during a week-long training camp in Evian, Cole is sure he can contribute more in the year to come. He explained: "I did my own mini pre-season last year, when I had Monte [Mathew Monte-Colombo, strength & conditioning coach at the time] working with me one-on-one. "It was intense as I had to get fit as quickly as possible, but when I did get fit I felt the benefits. "It's always good to pace yourself though and maybe not burn yourself out like you can do. I handled the pressure well with my body, but it's better to start when everybody else is starting so you're in tune with everyone else. "I didn't play any pre-season games last year, so that'll be the difference this season - I'll be fitter and ready to start the season."
One of the new faces with the Hammers this week is striker Mauro Zarate, and Cole is sure the added competition for places will help spur him and the team on. He continued: "I've always thrived on competition and I know what I can do when I get the chance. "I think the team is definitely set up for a better season. The manager is building a good squad, he'll use everybody so everyone's got to share the load in the season because we know how hard it will be."
As for the return to training itself, Cole is happy to be back on the pitch once more. He added: "It's been quite good, when you've been away for the summer you want to get back in the swing of things straight away. "We got eased into it on Friday, had training on Saturday and two sessions again on Sunday,
"The new boys have settled in with us well and everything's looking good."
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That Was The Season That Was 2013-14 - Part Four
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st July 2014
By: Gordon Thrower
After a less than wonderful start to 2014, things needed to improve and fast. Gordon Thrower's look back at 2013/14 continues as he picks off another couple of months starting with February 2014. Howard Webb might want to give this one a miss....
February 2014
With the January window having closed it emerges Razvan Rat, has been released from his contract "by mutual consent". Nobody ever did get round to calling him Roland, mainly as a result of his making so few appearances. Also out of the door is out of favour Modibo Maiga. He heads west to QPR in the hope that a spell in the Championship might do something for what appears to be a somewhat fragile confidence.
After what was by any reasonable standard a miserable January, the point gained at Chelsea at the end of the month appears to have galvanised the team who return to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Swansea. A first half brace from Nolan gives us the three points.
The match is hugely controversial as Howard Webb hits a new low. Carroll tangles with Chico Flores, accidentally brushing the cheating Spaniard's ponytail as his arm comes around. Flores clutches his face as if shot. Webb dismisses Carroll. On video review it transpires that the one piece of violent conduct in the whole affair is Flores' elbow to Carroll's chest and that Webb is actually looking the other way as it occurs. Despite this, Webb refuses to change his mind when shown the video. Carroll gets a three match ban. Webb, whose dishonesty in the whole affair should have seen him face some sort of disciplinary action, takes his bent grin off to the World Cup instead.
One would have hoped that Webb's main employers might have had something to say about their employee. Unfortunately, as the Hillsborough affair has shown, altering the facts to save your own backside seems to be pretty endemic amongst the South Yorkshire Police Force
Whether or not connected with the dishonesty of his players, Michael Laudrup barely survives the weekend as manager of Swansea, his dismissal being the second of the season to occur just after playing us. Laudrup's departure comes amid rumours of the manager's lack of interest in little things like actually taking training, midweek breaks to Paris apparently being the norm.
Ooop north things at Leeds become so farcial that those who remember them kicking, bribing and cheating their way to league titles in the 1970's temporarily stop laughing at Spurs for a while to enjoy a loud guffaw at the expense of the denizens of Elland Road.
The story goes something like this: Italian Massimo Cellino takes over the club from owners GFH. Cellino sacks incumbent manager Brian McDermott. A person or persons unknown then makes changes to the Leeds team on the Friday before they go out and bet local rivals Huddersfield 5-1 on the Saturday. GFH then point out that Cellino doesn't actually own the club yet and therefore doesn't have the power to sack McDermott. McDermott is duly reinstated, though nobody thinks to tell him, the news arriving via his i-Pad. Meanwhile, the lawyer who sacked McDermott on behalf of Cellino is escorted from the ground by a big bloke acting on behalf of GFH. McDermott turns up to take training to find a mystery Italian player warming up in training. Asked by the press who the player is McDermott responds "no idea". Cellino promptly fails the Football League's fit and proper test, which is a a pretty good trick given the credentials of some of those who have managed to pass the test in the past. More to come on this one we reckon.
Of course when it comes to stuff to laugh at, Joe Kinnear is ever one to be outdone. Seven months and not a penny spent sees the SJP faithful chanting "where's your signings Joe Kinnear." Sadly before he can claim to have signed Messi and Ronaldo in response, Kinnear resigns pausing only to add a Newcastle Champion League win onto the bottom of his already somewhat factually-challenged CV. Meanwhile, the resulting grin on Alan Pardew's face makes him look smugger than ever, something previously thought to have been impossible by most scientist, or at least most of those who deal in smugology.
As if to rally against the sheer injustice of the whole Carroll affair, we make it three clean sheets in a row with a 2-0 win over Villa at Villa Park. Nolan continues his rehabilitation with another brace.
Surely we couldn't make it three in a row for the first time since black & white telly (no I couldn't be bothered to look it up either but it probably wasn't that long ago I suppose. The amazing run continues as two late goals from Collins and Diame send Norwich home pointless. Adrian is the MOTM after a string of saves earlier on keeps us in the game. Canaries boss Chris Hughton bemoans his luck. Again.
Outside of football, as if organised religions don't do enough to make themselves look daft, The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the UAE announces a Fatwa. The subject of this interpretation of Islamic law is not, as you might think, some hapless cartoonist or the entire population of the USA. No, the ruling is aimed at anyone who might be considering going to live on Mars. Apparently the one way nature of such a trip would be tantamount to suicide which, of course is a no-no in many religions. Thanks guys that's match my mind up for me.
The Ravel Morrison mystery continues. Having been missing with a groin injury that has seen coaching staff raising sceptical eyebrows-a-plenty, the player is loaned out to QPR, which is fast becoming the Boleyn Ground's equivalent of the naughty step.
Winning? It's getting boring now as the streak continues with the side coming from behind to dispatch Southampton 3-1. Jarvis, Carlton Cole and a resurgent Nolan are on the scoresheet in a month that waves two fingers at Howard Webb.
The guys who run the kumb.com podcast to honour the anniversary of the passing of Bobby Moore. It's a marvellous piece of work featuring a whole host of the great and good of football and Harry Redknapp. If you haven't heard it yet I'm sure the link is available somewhere on the site. Meanwhile I'd like to apologise to the guys on behalf of everyone who approached me to tell me what a good job I'd done (I did apportion the credit to where it was due).
The four wins in a row see us end the month in tenth place, easing the worries of relegation that some of you may have been having up to this point. At the top Chelsea lead though Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool, who seem to be trying to become the first team to win the Premier League based purely on their ability to dive, are all breathing down the Pensioners' necks.
March 2014
Having won 4 in a row in February, the marvellous run comes at an end up at Goodison Park. Lukaku is the difference between the sides again with a late winner. The match sees the return of Andy Carroll from his disgraceful suspension. Replacing Carlton Cole on 28 minutes, the record signing ends up with a broken finger for his troubles.
Newcastle beat Hull 4-1 at the KC Stadium in a match memorable for an altercation between Alan Pardew and City's David Meyler. The Newcastle boss headbutts the defender. And we thought Kinnear was the mad one. The butt earns Pardew a seven match ban, the first three of which are a stadium ban. An FA fine of £60,000 is added to a club one of £100,000. Have to wait a few more weeks to upgrade that Ferrari then Alan.
Man City pick up the League Cup, though they don't have it all their own way as Sunderland go into the interval 1-0 up. Three unanswered second half goals give the Citizens the trophy prompting us to muse how different things might have been had we been able to field a proper first XI in the semi-final. Not much probably.
We then go down 3-1 at Stoke. Carroll's 5th minute opener is cancelled out by Odemwingie before referee Pawson inexplicably allows Stoke defender Muniesa to get away with a penalty so blatant that had a human being been refereeing the match (rather than the cloned Rileybots that are employed these days) he'd have died of shame. Stoke go on to net two more times to give them a flattering win.
Former Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards, who famously wouldn't compete on Sundays due to his religious beliefs, announces that he no longer believes in God. Whilst the athlete doesn't go into too much detail, we wonder if, like us he wonders about a supreme deity who, would, if he existed, surely have hit Howard Webb with a plague of boils or something by now.
Another West Ham tradition is maintained as it is revealed that Boriello, who has made just two sub appearances since arriving on loan, joins the long list of signings who get injured never to be seen again.
FIFA announce that from June 1 any player displaying a message on his undershirt would receive an automatic yellow card for the offence. The decision takes the relevant committee so long to come to, that they run out of time to take steps to ensure that referees enact the laws already there to punish players for diving. Similarly all the stuff about preventing corruption within FIFA gets put off until after brown envelope season has closed.
Jack Collison looks to be on his way out as he signs for Wigan on loan to the end of the season. I'd check that contract Jack if Whelan has signed it.
After a longer than usual delay in announcing the award, the powers that be finally run out of excuses not to give Sam Allardyce February's manager of the month thingy. Joe Kinnear scoffs dismissively claiming to have won dozens of the titles.The fact that they used to give out those massive bottles of scotch for the award could explain a lot.
"Madder than a whole box of Kinnears" defender Toms Repka admits to have given away a penalty in a Czech league match in 2012 in order to get back at his old club. The resulting goal helps Liberec win 4-0 with them eventually going on to win the league by two points over Repka's old club Sparta Prague. "I wasn't thinking straight" Repka points out helpfully in his autobiography which, totally coincidentally, is out at the time.
The good people at Birdseye announce the retirement of Captain Birdseye from our tv screens,. "Our decision is designed to breathe new life into the brand and is in no way connected with Operation Yewtree" claims a spokesman.
We go down to Man Utd 2-0 at home. The opening goal has the tv pundits going into fawning overdrive as Rooney volleys in from near the halfway line having shoved Tomkins out of the way. Let's just ignore the laws of the game shall we then for the sake of something to talk about? Manchester United boss Moyes breaks years of tradition by doing us the courtesy of actually turning up at a press conference.
We return to winning ways as Hull are beaten 2-1. Hull 'keeper McGregor knocks himself out colliding with Mo Diame. Having given away the penalty McGregor recovers enough to leave the field only to see Mike "Look At Me" Dean show him the red card. Noble puts the spot kick away. Jelavic equalises in the second half before Chester diverts Demel's cross into his own net. The team's performance is poor enough to have sections of the crowd booing, with Allardyce, perhaps unwisely, cupping his ear to supporters in response. Earlier in the match the centre-half curse strikes again as James Collins limps off after only nine minutes. Roger Johnson, who earlier describes himself as a "season-ticket holder" in the Soccer AM crossbar challenge thing, comes on and inspires one of the wittier chants of the season, suggesting that "he's off to Brazil".
West Brom sack Nicolas Anelka for "gross misconduct" hours after the player announces that he's torn up his contract anyway. An Albion spokesman says that his "resignation" doesn't count as he only announced it on twitter which makes the club's sacking the decision that counts, an announcement that in no way reeks of sour grapes at all.
So a mixed month comes to an end in 12th spot with Man City and the Liverpool diving academy fighting over top spot. We look safe enough to me, though with a tough run-in and not many points separating the occupants of the lower half of the table a few more wins in the next month or so wouldn't go amiss. Meanwhile the relationship between the manager and fans is balanced on a knife-edge. Best not get relegated then.....
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POYET ALREADY IN FRANCE WITH HAMMERS SQUAD
By Iain Dale 7 Jul 2014 at 12:04
West Ham Till I Die
It seems Diego Poyet is already in France judging by this picture which Adrian has posted on his Twitter account. He's pictured with Mauro Zarate at a restaurant in Geneva. An interesting way for the club to confirm the transfer. I wonder if Adrian will be in a bit of trouble! Meanwhile, Sky Sports News are reporting on Twitter that West Ham have signed Irish defender Chris Baird on a year long deal. Baird is best known for his time at Fulham, where he made 127 appearances, scoring four goals. He is a Northern Ireland international with 65 apps under his belt. However, could this be the very same Chris Baird who is also reported as signing for West Bromwich Albion? Oh dear, Sky Sports… Doh!
UPDATE: It's confirmed. Baird has indeed signed for WBA.
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A new look West Ham is set to take shape – potentially!
Posted on July 7, 2014 by Headmaster — 1 Comment ↓
Claret & Hugh
OK, I have to admit that transfer activity is beginning to look quite interesting at West Ham just now. The early captures of Zarate (forward) and Kouyate (defensive midfielder) have now been added to by the signing of a left back with already impressive pedigree in Aaron Cresswell and what looks highly likely to be the impressive capture of the 19 year old creative midfielder Diego Poyet, despite alleged interest from more illustrious suitors.
On the face of it, that combination looks exciting and undoubtedly strengthens the squad. The culling of the mediocre Matt Taylor and the over the hill Joe Cole add to the sense of the changing of the guard, albeit those two were bit-part squad players last season. However, in terms of the starting 11 and the preferred strategy and formation, at the moment there are far more questions than answers.
Here are a few that immediately spring to mind:
If Kouyate is to play as a first choice defensive midfielder, what does that mean for Mo Diame? Is he going to be moving on? Is he going to be asked to play out of position on the left hand side again? Or is only one of Diame and Kouyate playable?
If Kouyate is going to play in that role for which he is renowned, and presumably signed, then that hints at a 5 man midfield and, as a consequence, a 4 – 5 – 1 or perhaps a 4 – 4 – 1 – 1 formation. That would presumably mean Carroll up top again, then. Accordingly the question has to be asked, what of Zarate? Is he seen as back up for Carroll? Is he to be accommodated in a new philosophy of Sheringham inspired, attack-minded football. If so, does Nolan or Noble make way?
Does even Allardyce now have to accept that Nolan's usefulness is questionable and his inclusion in the team is detrimental to the development and creativity of the football? (unlikely)
Finally, what of Diego? A 19 year old who only broke into the Charlton first team during last season and showed great promise he may be but surely to Heaven he is not going to be first choice for Allardyce in the premier league as long as we've all got holes in our you know wheres!
Cresswell – great signing. No questions there! Nailed on, left back.
In fact, all of the signings intrigue me, even excite me. The proof of the pudding though will be in terms of the team shape and selection that Mr Allardyce makes. Will the potential match the reality?
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