West Ham’s summer transfer business has been the subject of much debate but one signing in particular has flopped spectacularly.
Now for the first time new West Ham boss Graham Potter has hinted at one of the big reasons why.
West Ham made nine signings as Tim Steidten took full control of recruitment in the summer.
After a slow start to the window, West Ham’s transfer activity suddenly spiked with a flurry of deals five days apart.
Among them was World Cup-winning midfielder Guido Rodriguez.
Aged 30 and having never played in the world’s best league, the move raised eyebrows given the Hammers had promised to rebuild the team around young, exciting players.
As a player who had also won the Copa America twice, though, West Ham fans were sold when word came from Spain about who they had beaten to Rodriguez’s signature.
It was Julen Lopetegui who allegedly pushed hard to sign Rodriguez on a free from Real Betis.
Rodriguez’s alternative up to that point was the mighty Barcelona.
With a good word from ex West Ham favourite Pablo Fornals, Rodriguez arrived surrounded by intrigue.
The Argentina midfielder was all set to join Barcelona on a free with their then manager Xavi Hernandez seeing him as the ideal heir to the great Sergio Busquets.
The only reason he was even available was because Xavi left Barca before the deal could be signed.
Enter West Ham.
Hammers flop Rodriguez was meant to be Barca’s Busquets heir
There were a couple of encouraging glimpses from Rodriguez – like the first half at Spurs away.
He was quickly picked out as being a real weakness in West Ham’s midfield, though.
Not only by pundits and fans but the opposition too.
A disastrous home defeat to Chelsea, saw Rodriguez hooked on 33 minutes.
It was then the midfielder probably realised he’d made a mistake joining West Ham.
The team’s midfield was desperately in need of an injection of pace, power and dynamism in the summer.
But while Rodriguez might be a solid midfielder in the slower-paced La Liga and international game, Steidten and Lopetegui had somehow made West Ham’s midfield even more immobile and cumbersome.
The flop has gone from Barca’s Busquets heir to fourth choice behind the ‘Irn-Bru Iniesta’ at West Ham.
Rodriguez undoubtedly hit a new low on Monday night at Chelsea.
Edson Alvarez – his old Club America midfield partner – had to pull out of the game through injury late in the day.
Rather than turn to highly-paid World Cup-winning midfielder Rodriguez in Alvarez’s stead, Potter gave Andy Irving a shock first Premier League start.
Irving’s underdog story has enthralled Hammers fans.
Rodriguez now fourth choice behind ‘Irn-Bru Iniesta’ at West Ham
He has become a cult hero despite barely featuring for the team he’s only at as part of a Steidten-led £1.5m feeder club deal with an Austrian outfit Hammers fans had never heard of.
Irving – cheered on all night by West Ham’s fans – played well and showed he can carve out a career in the claret and blue.
West Ham fans, renowned for their wit, have christened Irving the Irn-Bru Iniesta in a nod to his Scottish roots.
There was a further slap in the face for Rodriguez too. When Irving was subbed off, on came young midfielder Lewis Orford.
Potter has showed he truly gets West Ham.
This is exactly as it should be of course. Young emerging Academy stars should be getting first team chances ahead of overpaid big name foreign stars.
Especially if they are not performing or applying themselves.
When asked why Irving had started the game, Potter’s response felt like a direct message to Rodriguez.
Potter even underlined that he felt it was important for other players to see Irving get the start his application in training warranted.
“Andy has trained really well,” Potter told West Ham’s website.
“His spirit and his application and I think his training performances have merited that start…
“I think the decision was clear for Andy because he’s trained really well and I think it’s important for the group to know that. I’m pleased with him.”
Even on a free West Ham look to have overpaid for Rodriguez.
He reportedly wanted out in January but West Ham put him on sizeable wages and that has deterred the Spanish clubs most likely to be in for him.
It’s likely Rodriguez will be one of the first out in the summer. And the only saving grace for the Hammers is that he didn’t cost them a transfer fee.
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