A LOT of fans are wondering what is happening at West Ham United Football Club.

It’s just two months since the club won the European Conference League. Hopes were high for the new season but that all quickly dissipated after the celebrations on Stratford Broadway.

Top player Declan Rice has departed for neighbours Arsenal in a £105 million move. Other players have wanted away. Few seem to want to come to the London Stadium. 

All this despite winning the club’s second European trophy in almost 60 years.
So, what is going on, are West Ham’s owners once again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?

The biggest stumbling block appears to be the appointment of Tim Steidten as technical director of football. He has been charged with buying and selling players but his choices seem to be at odds with those of manager David Moyes.

Moyes clearly stated, as far back as the final press conference at the London Stadium, last season, following triumph over Leeds, that he wanted English based players to build the side around. The manager rued the difficulties when a lot of foreign players were brought in last season and took a long time to settle.

Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes was believed to be one of the players Moyes wanted — he has since joined Newcastle United.

Then, West Ham appointed Steidten, known as the pearl diver due to his ability to discover potential talent.

Steidten favoured younger foreign players with potential, rather than tried and tested campaigners.

The owners drew their inspiration for the Steidten strategy from clubs like Brighton, who lack the spending power of a Manchester City, United or Chelsea but have operated an excellent recruitment policy. The pearls Brighton have discovered like Ecuadorian Moises Caciedo has enabled them to punch well above their weight.

Bought for £4.5m two years ago, Caiciedo now commands a fee in excess of £80m.

Whilst the policy may seem enlightened in financial terms, the way it is backfiring at West Ham spells disaster. Manager and technical director have to be in agreement.

Despite European success, the club struggled against relegation for much of last season. Now, Rice has gone and not been replaced. More European commitments beckon in the Europa League this season. West Ham should have brought in at least five or six players but at time of writing there have been no additions.

There is talk of Steidten or Moyes leaving. The two men have to be in agreement. No club works where the director of football is buying players the manager does not want. The manager must have the final and predominant say.

These are worrying days for West Ham supporters. When they should be looking at the new season, with hope and optimism, most are apprehensive, fearing another campaign fighting relegation. It doesn’t have to be that way if the board backs Moyes and gets the players in he wants.