Is West Ham’s Rob Newman experiment failing with little to show for it as new season looms large?

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Is West Ham’s Rob Newman experiment failing with little to show for it as the new season kick off looms large?

It is a year ago this week that Newman was placed on gardening leave by Manchester City after agreeing to become West Ham’s new head of recruitment.

West Ham had to wait three months – until October last year – to make Newman’s appointment official.

But you would have to be born yesterday to believe Newman was not already set to work by the Hammers during his “gardening leave”.

Therefore West Ham’s new talent spotter has had as much as a full year – and at least nine months – to help identify players that A) fit David Moyes’ recruitment philosophy, B) might be available for fees the Hammers are willing to pay and C) would want to move to the London Stadium.

West Ham made a positive start to the window with the £30m signing of Nayef Aguerd.

But this was a player rated one of the top centre-backs in Ligue 1 and an established international. It could hardly be argued Newman had unearthed a little known gem.

West Ham’s only other signing so far has been to make goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s loan move permanent, a signing Newman would have had zero input on.

So West Ham fans are rightly asking just what is the head of recruitment doing? How is he benefitting the Hammers in the transfer market?

They are asking is the Newman experiment failing as West Ham approach the season kick off with little to show for it?

The new Premier League campaign kicks off in just over four weeks.

Moyes admitted West Ham needed to sign at least six or seven quality players in a big rebuild this summer.

The Hammers have managed to make two signings – and only one new addition – in the two months that have passed since the end of last season.

The transfer window opened on June 10th but West Ham’s Premier League rivals have been getting deals done and announced for players since long before then.

Supporters felt the club – having not signed any of Moyes’ targets in January – would be primed and ready to go as soon as the season ended to bring in players.

Especially with such a big turnaround needed.

An unprecedented season is looming in which West Ham will play 16 Premier League games, a Carabao Cup match and – should they make it through a two-legged qualifier – EIGHT European fixtures between August 7th and November 12th when the league pauses for the first ever winter World Cup.

So West Ham need to have a thick squad in place from the get go.

In a parting message to the West Ham owners, Mark Noble said West Ham were already three players short last season BEFORE he and a host of others departed this summer.

But with a month to go until we face Manchester City the only new face thus far is Aguerd.

The arrival of Newman was expected to tie in with Moyes’ Red Bull model at West Ham with the new recruitment chief helping the Hammers identify promising players before they are on the radar of the established elite.

Of course we must wait to see what happens between now and the end of the window.

But so far West Ham essentially have one signing to show for Newman’s input in the last nine months to a year.

With that conversion rate the Hammers are seriously risking being left behind.

Other clubs seem to have their targets and get deals done quickly and efficiently.

Villa signed four quality players before the window even opened. Spurs have done some excellent business as have Arsenal.

Even newly promoted Nottingham Forest signed one of the best young strikers from the Bundesliga within weeks and have added another quality player from Germany to their ranks today too.

It is perfectly reasonable to question West Ham’s Newman experiment.

So far there is little evidence to suggest it is paying dividends. The jury is certainly out.

Of course it may not be Newman’s fault that things are not working out as planned. For all we know he could be flagging up players left, right and centre.

But if the manager or owners don’t go for them or can’t get deals done then there is not a lot he can do about it.

We can only hope his best work is being done very much behind the scenes and on the quiet with the fruits of his labour soon to be there for all to see.

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