Hammers boss David Moyes has made bizarre Daniel Kretinsky money claims which raise more questions than answers at West Ham.
When West Ham released an official statement confirming Czech billionaire Kretinsky had become the club’s second biggest stakeholder back in November, the excitement was palpable.
Fast forward three months after one of the most disappointing transfer windows in West Ham’s history and some supporters are already questioning whether Kretinsky can and will take the club to a new level.
Reports and rumours abound following Kretinsky’s arrival at West Ham that his investment – £150m for 27 per cent of the club – would allow the Hammers to spend big in the January transfer window.
With so much to play for in a season where several top clubs are struggling or in transition, it was just what West Ham fans wanted to hear.
Too often in the past the club has failed to seize on the opportunity to seriously achieve something great and this may be as good as it gets for the Hammers for many a year.
But January came and went with no new signings. Fans were – and remain – furious. And injuries to any key players in the run in will see resentment bubble to the surface very quickly indeed. One only needed to listen to the chants of ‘lies, lies, lies’ from the away end when West Ham were trailing 2-1 at Leicester last week to realise that.
When opportunity comes knocking sometimes you have to open the door. West Ham instead, as has been too often the case over a barren four decades, looked through the peephole and didn’t answer.
In fairness to West Ham they were one of nine Premier League clubs not to make signings in January. And the likes of Spurs – who did – are weaker as a result of their winter window dealings according to their own manager.
West Ham fans were also given fair warning.
Speaking in an open letter to supporters via The Evening Standard after buying into West Ham, Kretinsky clearly stated there would be no lavish January spending splurge following his arrival in east London.
The thing is West Ham fans were not expecting “big spending”. But there is a massive difference between not spending big and not spending at all. Especially when you only have one striker, no serious back-up at left-back and problems in central defence.
The most worrying thing about the window was a seeming return to the scattergun, last minute approach of the bad old West Ham.
Bids that had no chance of being successful in any way, shape or form.
With money bags Newcastle in town, transfer funds and ambition were on the agenda when Moyes spoke to the press ahead of a big game for West Ham’s European ambitions.
And Moyes has made a somewhat bizarre Kretinsky money claim which frankly raises more questions than answers.
David Moyes makes bizarre Daniel Kretinsky money claims which raise more questions than answers at West Ham
“I think we don’t want to be out there flashing our nice handbag,” Moyes said (The Evening Standard).
“We’re going to walk about with a fake one and let people think that way.
“I’ll tell you what it does mean (Kretinsky’s investment), we’re not a club that needs money. People can talk whatever they like but we’re not a club that needs money, so from that point of view we are in a much better position than we have ever been in in years gone by and I see there being another growth period here, I really do. I think there is a chance to go again.
“I don’t think we can grow as fast as we have just grown but even if it gets down to five per cent better and do that little bit. We’re not a football club that needs money anymore.”
The handbag comment would be fair enough if West Ham were doing their business quietly and efficiently so as not to draw attention to their new financial muscle and therefore avoid getting fleeced for new signings.
But there was more written about West Ham than any other club during the transfer window. And they failed miserably to sign anyone inviting ridicule as a result. It’s very simple this football transfer business malarkey. To sign top players you need to pay the price the selling club values them at.
Or at least somewhere close to it. Like Newcastle did. Like Aston Villa have been doing.
West Ham aren’t walking around with a fake handbag. They’re walking around with no handbag at all after going into Harrods and trying to barter.
Moyes’s comments also appear to suggest that we should be in some way grateful or excited because Kretinsky’s arrival means we don’t need to sell players.
You’ll excuse us if we aren’t doing cartwheels across the London Stadium concourse considering we moved there from our beloved Upton Park on the premise it would enable West Ham to compete with the best in the transfer market, not just to keep our best players.
It is all well and good having an owner that can afford to pay the mortgage. But we had that already?
And if he can’t buy nice new furniture for the house then what is he doing here?
The likes of Declan Rice won’t be sold on a future at West Ham on the basis that we don’t need to sell our best players. They will want to see us competing to actually sign top quality players.
Moyes suggests the summer window will be crucial for West Ham.
But the golden chance Kretinsky and co have just passed up in the winter one could yet prove to be a watershed moment for the club.
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