A visibly agitated David Moyes has fired a transfer ultimatum to the West Ham owners and threatened big changes.
After West Ham’s lethargic pre-season draw with Reading at the weekend Moyes warned his players they simply must up their levels.
The Scot cut a frustrated figure, which – given it was only a pre-season game – suggests the manager has very real concerns.
When West Ham threw away the lead to lose 3-1 to Brighton on the final day of last season and miss out on a Europa League spot, Moyes lambasted his players and sent them into the summer with their tails between their legs.
West Ham have not recruited quickly enough this summer, the key positions that have needed strengthening for years – namely up front and at left-back – have still not been addressed with the new season just over two weeks away.
It was apt then that Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell put in performances against Rangers that highlighted just how gravely West Ham need upgrades in their positions.
The week started with so much promise in the wonderful world of West Ham transfer gossip. Multiple sources talking of deals being close for the likes of Armando Broja, Gianluca Scamacca, Jesse Lingard and Amadou Onana.
And even links to coveted German left-back David Raum.
But hand in hand with a massive wake up call from Rangers came an injury to new £30m defender Nayef Aguerd and news filtering in that in fact West Ham are not close to signing any of those targets.
Pre-season IS all about fitness. But if that’s the case then the performance against Rangers suggests the Hammers are miles off it just two weeks out from having to chase Man City’s all stars around the pitch for 90 minutes.
West Ham desperately need an injection of quality in all those key areas and quickly.
And an agitated Moyes fired a transfer ultimatum to the West Ham owners as he threatens big changes at the club.
“I’m disappointed with a lot of elements of the game and things we done,” Moyes said on the club’s website.
“Not on tonight I didn’t (see the improvements I want to see in fitness), I felt they were sharper in their head… I didn’t see it as being a good team performance at all…
“We’re certainly needing to make a lot of changes and do something different that’s for sure.
“We’ve got bids in for players and we’re trying to bring players in. Getting them in at the moment is seeming quite difficult.
“But I think watching what I’ve seen from the opening games we’re needing to add very quickly to the squad of players we’ve got.”
Whatever the claim and counter claim about Moyes, Rob Newman and the owners and who is to blame for deals not getting over the line, there is a simple unavoidable fact…
The owners, David Sullivan, Daniel Kretinsky and David Gold, should be paying the prices it takes to get deals done for the players Moyes wants. End of story.
Otherwise what’s the point of all this?
If Lille want £40m for Onana and that is the player Moyes wants, pay £40m.
If Jesse Lingard wants big wages but the club don’t want to break their structure then pay him a big signing on fee and adjust his salary accordingly – like so many other clubs do.
And if Raum is valued at £35m by Hoffenheim and that is the left-back Moyes wants, go and pay it. Simple.
If West Ham are ambitious they should be backing the manager’s choices and paying what the selling clubs want to get them.
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