West Ham United co-owner David Gold has admitted the club are short of a striker, but echoes David Sullivan in saying we must sell before we can buy due to imposed wage caps.
Andy Carroll is currently struggling with a heel injury, which leaves Mali international Modibo Maiga as the clubs only fit striker at the moment.
Gold, speaking to SkySports News, confirmed that players need to be jogged on before we can add to our squad:
We have reached our target laid down by the new rules in terms of wages.
The only possibility now is if players are sold. That’s up to Sam, that’s in his hands. If he releases wages, that will give us the opportunity to bring in replacements for those players.
I think it’s clear that we are still short of a striker. David Sullivan agrees with that, Sam agrees with that, but until we release those wages by players leaving, there is little we can do.
The next couple of weeks, we will see what happens.
In my opinion West Ham still need two quality players to come in, a striker and another central defender.
Even though Diarra can play in central defence if needed we only really have Tomkins as backup for Collins and Reid, so should one of those get injured and Tonks still looks shaky, we could suffer defensively.
With Maiga as our only fit striker its obvious that we need to bring in a quality striker to give Big Sam more options up front.
Who should we let go?
I think this is always going to be a bone of contention among West Ham fans but I think it could be time to let the following three guys go:
- Matt Taylor
- Ricardo Vaz Te
- Jack Collison
Taylor
When we signed Taylor I was really pleased as he always looked to have a really sweet foot when he played for Portsmouth and Bolton, I remember some quality goals being scored by the left-sided player as well as pin point crossing and set-pieces.
However, I have not seen that player since he signed for us and I would have let Taylor go before O’Neil, and that’s saying something as I was never a big O’Neil fan!
West Ham are now pretty well covered at left-back and the left-wing where Taylor plays so I don’t think we need him anymore.
Vaz Te
With interest apparently mounting from Nottingham Forrest for Ricardo Vaz Te, I think it’s time we say thanks for the memories and the play-off final goal and good luck for the future Ricky!
I really thought Vaz Te was going to kick on from his excellent season in the Championship last year, but he never really showed to me that he could step up and be a quality Premier League player.
Vaz Te was often deployed out on the wing so maybe this accounts for some of his performances, but if I had the choice of someone like Vaz Te as a striker or bringing back someone like Demba Ba, there would be no contest and it would be Ba every time for me.
For the same reasoning as Taylor, I think West Ham are more than covered in the wide positions now and I would prefer a better striker up front than Vaz Te.
Collison
I have always liked Jack Collison, when he burst on the scene with his bundles of energy and box to box style of play, I thought he would be a fixture in the first team for a long time to come.
It’s not really worked out for Collison though, what with a few nasty injuries that have kept him out for extended periods of time, central midfield is now a position where West Ham are very strong, with Noble, Nolan, Diame, Diarra and Morrison etc all fighting for three spots.
Collison is someone who I would like to move on purely because I think his chances of playing at West Ham are slim and I would like to see him get regular football elsewhere.
So what about you guys? Knowing we need to sell to buy, who would you let go?
About Iron Bobby
What about Linda? With Rat, Joey and Potts, I would actually rather see him go than Taylor, but would not be against both of them going. Vaz Te can go too, as can Maiga. Both too lazy for my liking. Collison could have been a superb player, but I think he will never get near his capability now following the injuries. I would move him on too. We wouldn’t get more than £4m for these 5 players but would release the cash from the wage bill for 2 new players.
I reckon Vaz Te we should keep if we can’t get another striker in. Would like to see him play down the middle rather than wide & I think offers more goal scoring potential than Maiga. As we’re well served in midfield at the moment I think we should move Collison (reluctantly as he’s an academy graduate) & Taylor on.
how can west ham be hindered by wage restrictions and spurs not be. the only club it is affecting is west ham. spurs have a ground capacity of a few thousand more and yet they are still buying after £60m, with more to come!!!!!!
can someone explain WHY?
I also keep asking the same thing but no one seems to have an answer.
Could it be that the higher you finish in the league the more you can shell out on wages? Who knows?
I do think we’re asking tho and if anyone comes in it will be on loan or if we somehow get a good fee for anyone we don’t need. Personally I’d shift Diarra or Taylor and Vaz cos he’s lazy whereas maiga seems willing to put a shift in, but only let vaz go if we’ve another striker lined up.
….ignore asking, meant to write skint.
its because they have a bigger income!
I agree with first two but not sure with collison we can hold on to him till January transfer window
Agree with the Taylor one because lets face it he has been terrible often just coming on to run down the time in games, he didnt even make a difference in the Championship where he should have stood out!! Vaz Te its hard to be critical when his goal got us up, but in the prem there is no room for sentiment and he just does not cut the mustard at this level!!! But with Collison there would be no value in letting him go would rather he was in and around our squad cos we wont get penny with his injury record, we need to sell someone more establihed in order to raise funds imo!!
Nolan. It won’t happen but its time.