The subject of Tim Steidten is still dividing West Ham fans and now Nottingham Forest are about to fan the flames of that particular debate.
It says something about how bad West Ham have been in the last 18 months that Nottingham Forest have managed to go from relegation candidates to replacing them as one of the Premier League’s representatives in Europe.
The Hammers were being tipped as Champions League darkhorses last summer as they handed technical director Tim Steidten the keys to recruitment and £155m to spend.
Nottingham Forest meanwhile were touted by many as one of the clubs who would be demoted back to the Championship.
West Ham and Forest on very different trajectories
How wrong those predictions proved to be.
West Ham were in a battle to avoid finishing 17th and were grateful the bottom three were so woeful.
Forest meanwhile were the Champions League darkhorses, agonisingly missing out on the final day – and by just two points.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will now look to emulate the Hammers by winning the Conference League next season.
Even though they have European football to offer, fans would expect West Ham can still rival Forest for signings in the summer transfer window.
The difference this window is that West Ham no longer have Steidten making deals.
As far as many Hammers fans are concerned, that’s not a bad thing.
Although majority owner David Sullivan reprising his role as de facto director of football has been just as controversial.
It is fair to say there has been an uneasy feeling among many other West Ham supporters about the ousted German.
Opinion is somewhat split over whether the club made the right call sacking Steidten.
Given how dismal things were after last summer’s splurge, the German had to take his share of the blame.
Forest to embarrass West Ham by signing star Steidten lined up
West Ham’s owners threw Steidten under the bus when his departure was officially announced back in February.
But West Ham actually got worse since Julen Lopetegui and Steidten were sent packing.
And so far in this summer window, there is no sign of any transfer deals, either in or out.
Now Nottingham Forest look set to embarrass West Ham by signing an exciting star Steidten had lined up before his axing.
Whatever your stance on Steidten’s time at West Ham – there is no getting away from the fact he got deals done.
The former Bayer Leverkusen ‘pearl diver’ even had one in the works that hit the buffers after he departed the London Stadium.
Steidten was in talks to bring Forest-bound Jesus to West Ham
Now that player is set to join rivals Nottingham Forest as the Tricky Trees close on a deal for Botafogo striker Igor Jesus.
Ahead of the January window, Steidten held talks with Botafogo about West Ham signing Jesus for around £30m.
Although Steidten had even reportedly discussed doing an initial six-month loan with an obligation to buy the Brazil international this summer.
Instead Steidten was pushed out and the Hammers signed flop Evan Ferguson on loan instead. The Irish striker did not register a shot on target, let alone a goal, in five months.
Now 24-year-old Jesus has agreed to sign for Forest and the deal is done for him to join Nuno’s side after the Club World Cup.
Meanwhile West Ham continue to have a watching brief during the window and are on the hunt for at least one, if not two, new strikers.
To rub salt in the wound, Jesus has been one of the stars of the Club World Cup so far – scoring the only goal as Botafogo shocked European champions PSG with a 1-0 win.
Jesus has been hailed the ‘modern Didier Drogba’ by South American football expert Tim Vickery.
Ironically Drogba was another striker West Ham were meant to sign before he joined Chelsea back in 2004.
West Ham fans are starting to vent their frustrations with the owners.
As debate continues to rage over whether the club made the right call letting Steidten go, seeing Forest snap up the player the German was looking to bring to West Ham begs the question – was he really the problem after all?
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