Technical director Tim Steidten has aimed a clear dig at David Moyes as Luis Guilherme is unveiled as West Ham’s first signing of the summer.
Things were never going to work out long term at West Ham between David Moyes and Tim Steidten.
Hammers News called it when Steidten was first appointed as we hailed the technical director to be the best appointment the club had made for decades.
Things ended between Moyes and Steidten much like they started, fraught with tension. It was a match made not quite in hell, but in purgatory.
Two football men from completely different eras with completely different perspectives and philosophies.
Steidten almost walked just a month into his role at West Ham last summer.
The top source inside the club exclusively confirmed to Hammers News at the time that the German was ‘finding the manager hard work’.
Steidten and Moyes were match made in purgatory
Because old school Moyes simply wasn’t having the situation with someone dictating transfer policy and recruitment.
Moyes had power of veto on all deals written into his contract and he wasn’t afraid to use it.
Some common ground was found for Steidten to sign brilliant duo Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez while Moyes pushed for James Ward-Prowse.
When there was a clamour for Moyes to be handed a new deal around Christmas time, Hammers News exclusively revealed the Scot’s contract would be ‘subject to terms’.
Those terms were that Steidten would have full control of recruitment and Moyes’ power of veto would be removed.
The moment that was revealed, it was clear Moyes would be leaving the Hammers.
Moyes certainly made the most of his last chance to use that power of veto back in January.
According to Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol Moyes resisted a host of signings Steidten was trying to make.
Instead the Scot insisted on signing walking disaster Kalvin Phillips. Enough said on that front.
January snubs were last straw for uneasy relationship
It was the last piece of evidence that David Sullivan needed to part ways with Moyes and hand the recruitment keys to Steidten as planned.
Moyes knew what was coming this summer and banned West Ham’s technical director from being around the first team as relations turned sour.
It was a last public show of power, defiance and ego given Steidten was simply doing his job by lining up potential replacements for the Scot if he was to leave the club.
In the end Moyes was let go and Steidten has since declared his euphoria at finally having full control at West Ham.
Moyes did a tremendous job at West Ham over his two spells.
But he failed – by his own admission – to change the style of football and make West Ham more attractive to watch while getting results.
By the end Moyes even conceded he understood why fans wanted change.
For all his many successes with the Hammers, Moyes’ biggest failure is the mess he put together under the guise of a squad.
When he returned to east London, Moyes stated he wanted to build a new-look West Ham around young, hungry talent having studied the Red Bull model closely during his time out of the game.
But it proved to be nothing more than lip service with Jarrod Bowen as good as it got on that score.
Moyes left behind the smallest and second oldest squad in the Premier League.
A squad he had nearly five years to put together. A squad he was in full control of shaping.
Steidten aims dig at Moyes as Guilherme is unveiled
Yes he may not have always had the funds he needed to sign his number one targets but how many managers outside the European elite do?
Julen Lopetegui has now inherited that mess with a complete overhaul of around eight signings required.
The size of the task of so many new players coming in while trying to gel them together with those who remain from the previous manager – all while playing in a completely different style AND getting results – cannot be understated.
Not to mention the fact several young Academy stars have left the club after growing frustrated with the lack of a genuine pathway to the first team under Moyes.
Two more may yet follow if Ben Johnson and Divin Mubama reject last ditch offers of new deals.
Moyes completely failed to future-proof this West Ham squad despite his pledges to the contrary.
The Scot was always signing for the here and now which, again, is not all on him as that is the environment he came into at West Ham.
Now we are seeing the first plays of the new Steidten-led era.
The German has signed exciting 18-year-old Brazilian attacker Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras in a deal worth around £25m.
It is a deal Moyes would likely never have signed off on.
And the technical director did not miss his opportunity to take a shot back in the former manager’s direction.
Steidten has aimed a clear dig at Moyes as Guilherme is unveiled by West Ham.
Discussing the new arrival, Steidten has explained why he represents a necessary change in approach to transfers from the days of Moyes.
Steidten says Guilherme has been specifically targeted in the club’s new recruitment approach because he will not only make an impact immediately but will also be a player West Ham can actually build their future around.
Instead of big influxes – both in and out – of established players, usually on big money, who are approaching or beyond the wrong side of 30.
Steidten’s message to Moyes was clear – he understands the need to sign players to ensure the team is competitive.
But what’s just as important is signing players who can benefit West Ham and make them strong for the long-term not just a season or two.
Steidten explains why necessary change from Moyes approach
“Luis is obviously still very young, but we have no doubt that he is ready to make an impact in the first team here,” Steidten told West Ham’s official website.
“He is coming to a great environment, where he will be surrounded by other exciting young players and good people who will support him every step of the way…
“We are very excited about his immediate potential and are looking forward to seeing the progress he can make at West Ham United…
“This is a very important signing for us – we’ve worked hard across the club, working closely with the board, to secure Luis’s signature. We know how the tough the Premier League is, and we want a squad that is competitive next season, but also to find the balance of ensuring that we plan for the longer-term future. Exciting young players like Luis Guilherme will help us to reach those goals.”
West Ham have gone from having Moyes push for the likes of Danny Ings, Ward-Prowse, Harry Maguire – albeit without success – and Kalvin Phillips to targeting – and now signing – genuine top class young stars who can be the next big thing.
Not only that but here we are with the club having made a top signing in mid-June – BEFORE the transfer window is even open – instead of scrambling around at the last knockings having dithered for weeks and months.
No prizes for guessing which approach most Hammers fans prefer.
Now it’s up to Lopetegui to make sure he knits it all together on the pitch by combining style with substance.
Do that and he will have succeeded where Moyes failed.
But the real West Ham success story behind it all will be Steidten.
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