Tim Steidten was the name on everyone’s lips during West Ham’s vital draw with Man United as one prominent journalist took aim at the former technical director.
While the Hammers battled for a crucial point on the pitch at Old Trafford, the club’s former recruitment chief Tim Steidten was suddenly a hot topic of conversation off it.
West Ham once again showed the character and resilience that has typified Nuno Espirito Santo’s early tenure as they came from behind and earn a much-needed point.
Hammers fans are fiercely proud of their Academy roots.
The self-styled Academy of Football has been providing top class players for club and country throughout its 130-year history.
Youthful West Ham show future is bright at Old Trafford
One only needs to look how the emergence of Freddie Potts as one of the first names on Nuno’s team sheet has galvanised the West Ham faithful.
So when Hammers supporters saw another four Academy stars named on the bench at Man United, excitement and pride was palpable.
Some fans were critical, suggesting the presence of so many youngsters on the bench was proof of a lack of quality and depth at the club.
While there may be some justification to that argument, many West Ham fans have been crying out for an overhaul around young stars for years.
Well, now it seems like it is here with a manager in Nuno who is not afraid to put young players in and trust them to perform, even in the pressure cooker environment of a relegation battle.
It is somewhat ironic that rebuilding West Ham around young stars was the mission statement of Steidten, the club’s short-serving technical director, who was sacked in January.
Steidten was handed £155m in what proved to be his only transfer window in full control of West Ham’s transfers.
There is debate over how much he had to do with the appointment of Julen Lopetegui. Only he, David Sullivan and the Hammers board know who was the driving force behind that appointment.
When the Spaniard was sent packing, Steidten followed closely behind.
Graham Potter came and went and Nuno has been busy trying to clean up the mess and keep the Hammers up.
So why was Steidten suddenly the talk of West Ham’s vital draw at Man United?
The German, who is being lined up for a return to football at Wolfsburg, was the name on the lips of West Ham fans and one prominent journalist even took aim at him.
Why Steidten was the talk of West Ham’s draw at Man United
Ahead of West Ham’s trip to Man United, word emerged from top insider ExWHUemployee that Nuno had made a big decision in the wake of the defeat to Liverpool.
Nuno had decided he was now going to turn to West Ham’s youth stars in place of players who are not in his plans and free to leave in January.
West Ham have had concerns over the attitude and lacklustre performances of wantaway striker Niclas Fullkrug.
The German is going to be one of the first players out of the door next month following his disastrous £27m move signed off by his pal Steidten.
Hammers fans know their football and had raised concerns over the signing of Fullkrug when the club was being linked with the ex Dortmund star.
While undoubtedly a top level finisher, Fullkrug was ageing, slow, immobile and injury-prone before West Ham signed him.
So his suitability for the Premier League was always seriously in doubt among supporters. But evidently not in Steidten’s mind or the Hammers boardroom.
Steidten pushed ahead with the signing of Fullkrug, electing to spread his £45m striker budget on the Germany international and untested Brazilian teen Luis Guilherme rather than sign Jhon Duran from Villa.
It proved to be the defining decision of Steidten’s tenure.
And one that was brought sharply into focus during West Ham’s draw at Old Trafford.
Nuno left both Fullkrug and Guilherme out and they now seem almost certain to depart in January with the club’s youngsters very much the present and future under Nuno.
The exclusion of Fullkrug and Guilherme was not lost on the club’s fans who laid into Steidten over the disastrous £47m double deal on social media and fan forums.
Journalist takes aim at Steidten over Fullkrug and Guilherme
Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg also had a pop at Steidten.
He took to X to sarcastically and brutally criticise the former Hammers technical director.
“Guilherme and Fullkrug not in the West Ham squad,” Steinberg said.
“Still, at least there were all those pics of Tim Steidten on private jet… £25m on Guilherme, a 19-year-old Brazilian who can’t get in ahead of homegrown academy players.”
It’s a salient point, and Steidten will never escape the fact the double signing has been a huge waste of money a club like West Ham simply cannot afford.
The same can be said of the £40m spent on Kilman.
On the flip side, though, credit must also be given where it is due.
Steidten was behind the bargain £500k signing of young midfield powerhouse Mohamadou Kante from Paris FC.
Why do you think Niclas Fullkrug failed?
There is every chance Kante, who made his West Ham debut at Old Trafford, can go on to be a first-team star worth tens of millions.
Steidten was also key in the signing of Jean-Clair Todibo. While the Frenchman has been a huge disappointment, he has knuckled down under Nuno and suddenly looks worth every penny of his £35m fee.
It’s difficult to get every transfer right and not every signing comes off, even for the likes of Brighton.
But Steidten’s most costly mistakes were brought home by Nuno’s big call over Fullkrug and Guilherme at Old Trafford.
West Ham fans will be enthused that the future does at least look bright.
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