Steidten Out

[Massive Attack]

I want this costly clueless conniving cսnt gone. We have suffered persistent injuries to expensive key signings this season, as well as others who just don't cut it against Premier League opposition, or have suspect temperaments/injury records previously known and they're all his picks. He clearly doesn't do his due diligence well enough as one of the stories of the season has been us suffering injuries to key new signings..

Fullkrug £27M - Suspect Injury History 

Todibo £34M (if avoid relegation) - Suspect Injury History/Suspect attitude problems at Barcelona 

Mavropanos £19M - Just utter dogshit (and ironically probably now out injured as well due to concussion for 10 days like Fabianski)

Alvarez £35M - Nowhere near good enough for the money we spent on him looking lost and slow as arseholes against Premier League opposition 

Kudus is just about the only costly signing that's come off that's genuine quality, although even he now has suspect temperament issues when getting himself a 5 match ban for fighting an entire Spurs Team in front of everyone. So fuck knows what he's also like behind the scenes..

Just sick of the persistent injuries to key players that has derailed our season and continues to do so on tonights evidence with Fullcrock, as well as all the unsettling bollocks behind the scenes. There's no smoke without fire and I now make that not 1 but 2 Managers in quick succession that allegedly told him to stay away from the Training Ground. It makes me wonder whether he is our Club Mole all along who has persistently leaked things out to the Media from either within the Dressing Room/Snaps with managers behind another managers back that then coincidentally get leaked at just the right time? A manager who was humiliated in the media for taking at least 2 Training sessions and possibly a 3rd on the last day he eventually got sacked and the whole thing was handled terribly which again points to Steidten and his breakdown in his 2nd relationship with a manager. And he's supposed to work with them, not against them!

On the radio yesterday when discussing Steidten someone mentioned how odd they thought it was to see him down by the players tunnel/dressing room area as well as doing interviews with TNT during the Chelsea loss earlier in the season and they thought good Technical Directors aren't seen front and centre as much as this one always appears to be. He's certainly got an impressive holiday snap collection he leaks to the media as soon as he takes them. 

The longer this season has panned out the more and more I've thought something just doesn't sit right at the Club and I genuinely think he has been at the heart of a lot of our issues. I suppose that's why it's now been known his position is under review and they're already on to him, hence why Potter swerved the Steidten question possibly knowing something we don't about him. 

Or does anyone still believe he's the right man to guide our Club making such big decisions within it?

 

[Lee Trundle]

Who really knows, but it wasn't the same role he had at Leverkusen.

Going from a squad manger (which I'd imagine his role at Barca may look like) to a Technical Director role is some promotion.

[factory seconds]

It can't be for the same role he had here.  No way they're that stupid (like Sullivan was).

I'd imagine it would be the same role/job he did at Leverkusen.

pray tell, what was his role here?

i imagine whatever barcelona have in mind, he will have more power to actually perform his duties.

[Manuel]

As LT said it won't be the same role that he had here, not a fucking chance.

[On The Ball]

You need to keep in mind that in Sully's eyes, we are a successful Club - we retain our PL status each year.

[El Scorchio]

Yup. The little freak refuses to give anyone else the reins with players because he can’t help getting involved and pushing his agenda. It’ll be this way until he’s left the club. NO successful club is run this way. The owners leave it to the fucking experts and just sign the cheques. 

[Sir Alf]

The role at West Ham was “Technical Director” and not DOF with full control of all footballing matters.  Its why we still had 3 people choosing who we recruited last summer.  

He should have been given the title “Football Director with one hand tied behind his back and a mill stone around his neck”. The “mill stone” was Sullivan. 

West Ham the only top flight club that does not employ a DOF. Sullivan set up everything half arsed and was probably pleased it failed as expected. He then claims very quickly “ we tried a DOF bit that didnt work” 

[Lee Trundle]

It can't be for the same role he had here.  No way they're that stupid (like Sullivan was).

I'd imagine it would be the same role/job he did at Leverkusen.

[El Scorchio]

In talks with Barcelona, apparently.

[Sydney_Iron]

Not sure any of Steidtens signing last summer have been that good, and certainly not outstanding in any way?  If anything like our season, been disappointing TBH

Todibo, who i do like (when he does play well!) but is being bigged up all the time but in reality, he's hardly been consistent or pulled up any trees, has he? Seems being linked with ManU is the only catalyst to him being considered a "must keep" or a top drawer CB of the future in this way.

Zee German looked good when he came on yesterday, but how can you say with any conviction he's the striker we need, hardly played, on the old side and has injury issues.

The young Brazilian lad looks lost to me, hope he comes good but not sure he was worth the fee paid???

Irving, looks a workhorse but does he have the quality, hope so but like the Brazilian lad, got a lot to prove if you ask me!

Mavros, can see why Arsenal got rid, has the odd decent game but if we want to push for Europe and top 6-8 each season then he's back up at best, we need better and he's prone to the fuck up all too often.



 

[Manuel]

So with hindsight...

Steidten

• Todibo...our best CB and looks a good signing.
• Füllkrug...our best striker, looks a goal threat and important to the team. Unlucky with injury, but most likely to score when on the pitch.
• Guilherme...looks like he's finding his feet, some good cameos and deserving of more minutes. Good prospect.
• Irving...tidy when he's played, and we'll make a profit.
• Mavropanos...not very good...but for 3rd choice as a sub...we've had worse 

Lopetegui

• Rodriguez...shit
• Soler ...expensive and ineffective
• Kilman...average...40m worth of average

Sullivan/Salthouse

• Wan Bissaka ...probably player of the season
• Summerville...very injured. Zero meaningful impact. 4 years older than Guilherme.

Noble

• Kudus...struggling with second season syndrome
• Alvarez...one paced. 

On balance, Steidten did pretty well when left to his own transfer devices. Still...Sullivan has now decided DoFs are a waste of time (despite neither of the two appointed actually being given the reigns) and he's 'back in the hot seat' permanently....what could go wrong?!



 

Blimey, not sure about your Steidten view, Todibo isn't capable of playing 90 mins when he's meant to be a top athlete and was shit yesterday, Fullkrug a beast when fit, yes, the others have either been crap or contributed very little.

How can you say Summerville has been very injured and not say the same about cripples Fullkrug and the frog?? Laughable.

[El Scorchio]

Funny how all these numerous stories form Sullivan's sources about Guilherme being shit and us wanting him gone in January were rife when Stiedten was still around, built up to a crescendo the time Sullivan decided he wanted the guy out and then all of a sudden totally dried up after he'd left.

It's almost like the stories were made up bollocks and an 18 year old player was being namechecked as a waste of money and shit and just being used as a stick to try and beat the TD with. Really fucking classy Sullivan. As per usual.

[honky cat]

I think thats a bit unfair on Summerville. Both he and Fullkrug have had injury hit seasons, yet Fullkrug is a good Steidten signing and Summerville is a poor "sullivan" signing? and being four years older than guillerme hardly makes him an OAP.
I know you dislike Sullivan but he has brought in two quality players this season, and AWB is for most of us, is hammer of the year.
​​​.

[stubbo-admin]

So with hindsight...

Steidten

• Todibo...our best CB and looks a good signing.
• Füllkrug...our best striker, looks a goal threat and important to the team. Unlucky with injury, but most likely to score when on the pitch.
• Guilherme...looks like he's finding his feet, some good cameos and deserving of more minutes. Good prospect.
• Irving...tidy when he's played, and we'll make a profit.
• Mavropanos...not very good...but for 3rd choice as a sub...we've had worse 

Lopetegui

• Rodriguez...shit
• Soler ...expensive and ineffective
• Kilman...average...40m worth of average

Sullivan/Salthouse

• Wan Bissaka ...probably player of the season
• Summerville...very injured. Zero meaningful impact. 4 years older than Guilherme.

Noble

• Kudus...struggling with second season syndrome
• Alvarez...one paced. 

On balance, Steidten did pretty well when left to his own transfer devices. Still...Sullivan has now decided DoFs are a waste of time (despite neither of the two appointed actually being given the reigns) and he's 'back in the hot seat' permanently....what could go wrong?!
 

[Sir Alf]

Thats not a good sign but likewise we dont know exactly why? Moyes resented any interference. Nit Steidtens fault, he shoukd not have been appointed if Sullivan was not clear to both who had authority to identify and recruit players.  Lopetegui we even less clear about. Maybe he was a devisive influence on players and yes you cannot have that but even if true its been projected in the media as @a failure in the summer window” that led to West Ham letting him go. 

Sullivan owns and controls the club even having veto power over board members. In any business, regardless of industry, its all his responsibility. Sorry the word “insidious” used by Simon Jordan is a perfect summation of his character. Steidten didnt have much of a chance and Potter /Macaulay will be shown as solely to blame if things go pear shaped or do not improve.

”The Sullivan Effect”

[Lee Trundle]

Both are as crass as each other, in my point of view.

We can only guess on a lot of the things he did, or didn't, do as none of us are sure what he actually did.

But we pretty much know he fell out with both the previous managers.  That's not a good sign.

[stubbo]

I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibly that Dan Ashworth might rock up as the Technical Director in the not too distant future.

Steidten was promoted into this role from Leverkusen, he was never the Technical Director there.  I doubt he was much of a Technical Director with us given his roles, regardless of his title.

The thing that annoyed me the most about him, was that it appeared he was a MASSIVE social media whore constantly leaking stuff to Fabrizio Romano.  So I do find it a bit funny people praising his for the way he conducted deals.

I think the difference with Steidten was he generally told social media twats like Romano after the deal was al lbut concluded but before it was announced...or he used to to advertise what we were doing for our own ends (e.g. the advetisement of a switch to Mazraoui to give Man Utd the hurry up on Wan Bissaka).

Sullivan leaks purely to be seen to be doing something, and before we are anywhere with negotiation, so all it does is alert others and come across as failed attempts over and over.

[Lee Trundle]

I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibly that Dan Ashworth might rock up as the Technical Director in the not too distant future.

Steidten was promoted into this role from Leverkusen, he was never the Technical Director there.  I doubt he was much of a Technical Director with us given his roles, regardless of his title.

The thing that annoyed me the most about him, was that it appeared he was a MASSIVE social media whore constantly leaking stuff to Fabrizio Romano.  So I do find it a bit funny people praising his for the way he conducted deals.

[Gank]

Good point, Sir Alf - that is indeed the closest we’ve had to this model and as you say, it was terrible!

[Sir Alf]

Also agree that a DOF not even a Tech Director is needed.  But will never happen while Sullivan owns us and/or is in charge of his faculties ( theres doubt he’s ever been the “full ticket” but as far as we know he’s not got dementia yet?).

We risk falling further behind but have to hope Potter and Macaulay can fend off Sullivan and his agents meddling.  We need the Potter/Macaulay recruitment model to be the opposite of the last attempt resembling that structure, the infamous spell under Pellegrin and Husilos which was a disaster.

[stubbo]

Hard to judge his personal responsibility given the murky lines that exist at the top of the club. Hard to argue he’s been a stunning success though, I’m probably more disappointed that we’re lurching away from the model than Steiden leaving. 

I’m struggling to think of one signing he’s been involved in which you could call a success? Kudus is maybe the strongest case but he’s showing this season why bigger clubs weren’t ever really interested. 

Some say his strength was ‘getting deals done’ but it’s easy to sign players when no one else wants them and you overpay. Which has resulted in us having a squad full of mediocre / poor players on way too much money and with little to no sell on value… not to different to before his time, all told. 

Totally agree we need the model more than the individual. Now, if by some miracle in the Summer, Sullivan went and brought in Ashworth and handed him the keys, that would be a masterstroke....a guy who actually knows how to run a football operation.

Sadly I'm fairly confident we'll just lurch on with the Chairman-Manager-Head Of Recruitment hierarchy which has delivered such resounding medicority for us time and again.

I won't miss Steidten, but I'll miss what West Ham having a Technical Director represented in terms of direction of travel.

[Manuel]

I recall when and not long after he come the question was asked how do we judge him, that question never really got answered. Did he do a good job? No idea. I will say that I'm not convinced when I see it said he was good at closing deals, way too vague and baseless with what info is at hand to a clubs fan base. But I doubt he will be much of a miss and where he ends up next might give us an idea of his 'reputation' within the game, although I suspect many have already just blamed Sullivan anyways.

[moorethanjustananon]

Hard to judge his personal responsibility given the murky lines that exist at the top of the club. Hard to argue he’s been a stunning success though, I’m probably more disappointed that we’re lurching away from the model than Steiden leaving. 

I’m struggling to think of one signing he’s been involved in which you could call a success? Kudus is maybe the strongest case but he’s showing this season why bigger clubs weren’t ever really interested. 

Some say his strength was ‘getting deals done’ but it’s easy to sign players when no one else wants them and you overpay. Which has resulted in us having a squad full of mediocre / poor players on way too much money and with little to no sell on value… not to different to before his time, all told. 

[fraser]

The most west ham thing ever will be for all his signings to be a long term success, and then  kick ourselves for letting him go. I think this is more about Potter insisting on his own team. I liked him and the plane thing was a bit of a laugh. 

Isn't Potter's bloke just a scout though, a good one apparently.. But then who closes the deals? 

Cause Steidten was good at that. 

Seemed like a nice bloke too. 

[honky cat]

The most west ham thing ever will be for all his signings to be a long term success, and then  kick ourselves for letting him go. I think this is more about Potter insisting on his own team. I liked him and the plane thing was a bit of a laugh. 

[El Scorchio]

Yeah the falling out with two managers/banned from the training ground is a real red herring if you just look a bit deeper. Obviously he'd fall out with Moyes who would have been threatened with anyone coming in in that role which he was adament he was against before TS even rocked up, and as mentioned Lop fell out with everyone in his short time. Obviously he'd be at odds with a man who had a totally different philosophy about the direction of the playing staff, hired against his wishes. Seen as Sullivan asked him to find Lop's replacement it's no wonder they fell out.

Sullivan lumbered Moyes with a TD he was obviously going to make life difficult for, then as soon as Moyes went, Sullivan lumbered the TD with a new manager who was never going to be on the same page. It's like he was almost trying to purposely sow disharmony and create rifts in his own club not once but twice.