Wednesday news (includes West ham)
Posted: 06 Nov 2024, 10:24
BBC
Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal want to sign Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, in time for next summer's Club World Cup. (Talksport)
Barcelona are also interested in signing Salah when his Liverpool contract runs out at the end of the season. (Sport - in Spanish)
Liverpool plan to open talks on a new contract with their Scotland international full-back Andy Robertson, 30, in the summer. (Football Insider)
Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation for lost earnings if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the league's financial rules. (Times - subscription required)
Former Arsenal sporting director Edu rejected a lucrative new contract to stay with the Gunners in favour of taking up a multi-club role with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. (Mail)
Manchester United are planning a fresh move for Everton and England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, 22, in the summer. (Talksport)
Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim wants a trio of Sporting players - Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio, 23, Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande, 20, and 26-year-old Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres - to join him at Old Trafford. (Sky Sport Switzerland - in French)
England centre-back Harry Maguire, 31, will refuse to consider leaving Manchester United in January and believes he can earn a new contract at the club. (TBR Football)
However, Manchester United will wait to assess developments from the UK government's Budget before deciding whether to demolish Old Trafford and build a new stadium, or redevelop their current home. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has admitted he has had offers to manage in the Premier League in the past and, while the English top flight intrigues him, he is happy at his current club. (Mail)
Paris St-Germain are preparing a bid to sign Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 20, from Aston Villa. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
Manchester City may make one or two signings in January after their injury-hit start to the season. (Football Insider)
Chelsea and England forward Cole Palmer will have a scan on his left knee after the 22-year-old was injured in Sunday's draw with Manchester United. (Standard)
New England manager Thomas Tuchel will not influence interim boss Lee Carsley's selections for the Nations League matches later this month. (Mail)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Liverpool are tracking three left-backs as potential long-term replacements for Andy Robertson - Fulham's Antonee Robinson, David Raum from RB Leipzig and Ipswich's impressive Leif Davis.
Manchester United may need to hold an end of season fire sale to give new boss Ruben Amorim January transfer wriggle room.
Harry Maguire will miss England's Nations League deciders against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says he hopes to raise his club's stadium capacity to 40,000.
Joshua Zirkzee is on course for the exit door at Manchester United just four months after arriving, according to reports.
An injury has forced a last-minute cancellation on the undercard Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson.
DAILY MAIL
Barcelona are reportedly keen on signing Mohamed Salah once his contract with Liverpool expires in the summer.
Manchester United remain keen to build a new stadium, despite a final decision on what next for Old Trafford being delayed until next summer.
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has revealed that he has turned down offers to manage in the Premier League ahead of his side's Champions League clash against Arsenal.
Barcelona are considering a shock move to cut Alex Valle's Celtic loan short in January.
Newcastle midfielder Lewis Miley has signed a lucrative deal to become sportswear giants Under Armour's face of the north.
DAILY MIRROR
The West Ham penalty which condemned Manchester United to defeat on what turned out to be Erik ten Hag's final game in charge should not have been awarded according to referees' chief Howard Webb.
Rasmus Hojlund is excited for Ruben Amorim's arrival at Manchester United - with the striker rubbishing two major doubts at the Premier League club.
Manchester City and Chelsea will be obliged to field their strongest teams throughout next summer's FIFA Club World Cup - while still having to release players for international duty immediately before it.
Arsenal narrowly avoided being penalised by UEFA for delaying their press conference ahead of their clash with Inter Milan as the media briefing started just before the cut-off time of 8pm.
THE ATHLETIC
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is part of a consortium that has made an offer to purchase a stake in Premier League club Crystal Palace.
Matty Cash will miss Aston Villa's Champions League trip to Belgian side Club Bruges on Wednesday.
Norwich City's Josh Sargent will be out until 2025 due to a groin injury.
Real Madrid have appointed former futsal player and coach Marcelo Serpa Coelho to Juni Calafat's scouting staff.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Manchester United have put back a final decision on stadium development until next summer.
Edu turned down a lucrative pay rise at Arsenal to pursue his aim of becoming a global head of football.
Jason Ayto, the well-regarded assistant sporting director, is set for a wider role while Arsenal co-chairman Josh Kroenke and key executives Tim Lewis and Richard Garlick decide with Arteta on how best to move forward.
Thomas Tuchel has no intention of having any say on the squad or the teams Lee Carsley picks for his final games as England interim manager, against Greece and Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.
Gary Lineker has cast further doubt on his BBC future by revealing he could quit Match of the Day to focus on his podcast empire full-time.
England's Sam Curran says that he is dreaming of playing in an international match against his older brother Ben who recently moved to Zimbabwe.
THE GUARDIAN
A majority of Manchester United fans favour a new stadium rather than the redevelopment of Old Trafford, a survey has found.
Jason Kelce has apologised after he responded angrily to a confrontation with a fan before Ohio State's game with Penn State at the weekend.
DAILY EXPRESS
England's new manager Thomas Tuchel will not attend next month's World Cup qualifying draw as it falls before his official start date of January 1.
THE TIMES
The controversial penalty that led to Erik ten Hag being sacked as Manchester United manager less than 24 hours later should not have been given, according to Howard Webb.
A number of Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation against Manchester City over the club's 115 alleged rule breaches before a deadline on Tuesday.
Imane Khelif, one of the boxers at the centre of the Olympic gender row in Paris this year, is taking legal action in response to the latest reports in France claiming the gold-medal winner in the women's welterweight division has male XY chromosomes, the International Olympic Committee has said.
DAILY RECORD
Southampton are keeping close tabs on Motherwell's teenage sensation Lennon Miller.
Reports in South America have indicated Alexandro Bernabei could be in line for a sensational Argentina call-up - and the player says it would be a 'dream' realised.
Supporters of Celtic and Rangers will split tickets down the middle for the blockbuster League Cup final at Hampden next month..
The Athletic
Travelling with the West Ham fans to Nottingham Forest: ‘I think the transfers were pretty awful’
By Roshane Thomas
It is 10.30am and a group of West Ham United fans are forced to stand on a rammed five-carriage East Midlands Railway train heading to Nottingham.
Paul Mead, 53, Kerry Whicks, 50, Oscar Whicks, 22, and Jack Mead, 16, are en route to West Ham’s away fixture against Nottingham Forest. As they bond over M&S-branded Helles Lager, they give The Athletic their thoughts on the season so far, the summer transfers, concerns over Julen Lopetegui’s impact as head coach and much more.
After a summer expenditure of £130million ($170m) on nine players, there is one subject Paul wants to address first.
“I think the transfers were pretty awful,” he says as he tries to maintain his balance while the train gathers speed. “Danny Ings, Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug have a combined age of 97. We don’t have any young fresh legs up front. But my biggest concern is midfield, which must be one of the slowest in the Premier League. Guido Rodriguez keeps getting booked and is becoming a liability like Edson Alvarez.
“We’re buying players who are too similar to the ones we have. Most haven’t been able to add anything different. But when you have a unique talent like (Crysencio) Summerville, for some reason, he can’t get in the team.”
West Ham’s central midfield options are Alvarez, Rodriguez, Andy Irving, Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek. Lopetegui’s preferred midfield pairing has been Rodriguez and Soucek, which has not had the desired effect.
Other West Ham fans nearby nod their heads in agreement.
“Lopetegui doesn’t know his best starting 11,” says Kerry. “But in fairness to him, he will change it. The frustration with (David) Moyes was he took ages to make substitutes. Lopetegui makes changes earlier, but most of the time it’s to correct the line-up because he got it wrong. I’m still unclear what Lopetegui’s philosophy and vision is. It feels like he’s making it up each week.”
Ten minutes into the journey and the topic changes to Jarrod Bowen. In August, the England international was appointed captain, with long-serving defender Aaron Cresswell as vice-captain. Bowen is the face of the club having signed a seven-year contract in October 2023. Although his attacking pedigree speaks for itself, the group do not view him as a leader.
“One of my biggest concerns is the captaincy,” says Kerry. “I love Bowen, he’s a club legend and works hard for the team, but he should never have been appointed captain. He doesn’t strike me as a leader and he’s not that vocal on the pitch.”
“We don’t have many leaders in the team,” Oscar interjects.
“It has to be Kilman,” says Kerry.
“It’s an area we have struggled with and our previous captain, Kurt Zouma, struggled to unite the team,” Paul adds. “Plus his form took a massive dip and he had issues with his knee. We took for granted just how brilliant Declan Rice was on and off the pitch. Leadership is something you have. I don’t think you can become a leader over time. You either have it or you don’t. Sadly, Bowen doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy to tell the players off when things go bad.”
Transfers become the topic again and there is frustration that the club are yet to sign a proven No 9. West Ham missed out on signing Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran following a failed offer of more than £30million. The 20-year-old has subsequently scored eight goals across 15 appearances.
“We spent all that money in the summer, yet we still need another midfielder and a striker,” says Kerry.
“We’ve been needing a forward for the last five seasons,” adds Oscar. “Antonio can’t do it any more.”
“We should’ve given Aston Villa what they wanted for Duran,” says Kerry. “The money we spent on Fullkrug (£27m) and (Luis) Guilherme (£25m) should’ve been spent on Duran. A young exciting forward, not a 30-odd striker in Fullkrug who won’t be a long-term option for us.”
“Duran did the Hammers sign on social media,” adds Paul. “He clearly had interest in joining us.”
The group are sharing their memories of the West Ham sides they grew up watching. A popular theme was the emergence of youth, which West Ham have recently struggled with. In April 2023, the youngsters beat Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup, but first-team opportunities have been hard to come by for academy prospects.
“We have some talented young players and they can’t even get a sniff,” says Kerry. “When you see how bad our midfield is doing, you can’t tell me Lewis Orford or George Earthy (who is on a season-long loan at Bristol City) could do worse than them. They were key players for the FA Youth Cup and haven’t been rewarded. The young lads at Arsenal (Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly) have been playing, why can’t we do that?
“To be fair, the young lads who played under Moyes have gone on to basically do nothing,” Paul responds.
“But now we have some top prospects,” says Kerry. “It’s also harder for them with Lopetegui struggling. He’s had issues at most of his clubs, like at Real Madrid and Wolves. West Ham will probably give him time because they don’t want to pay him off. (David) Sullivan (the majority shareholder) will try to give it as long as possible in the hope Lopetegui turns it around, but I can’t see that happening.”
In May, Lopetegui signed a two-year deal when he was announced as Moyes’ successor. Despite the slow start to the season, the Spaniard retains full support from the board. But 20 minutes into the two-hour journey, the group explain why they are not happy with Lopetegui’s coaching ability.
“When it was confirmed Moyes was leaving, I wanted us to appoint Eddie Howe (the Newcastle manager) or Ruben Amorim (the soon-to-be Manchester United head coach),” says Paul. “Howe did a brilliant job at Bournemouth and is doing great at Newcastle. He improves players and that shows how good of a man manager he is. I’m yet to see that side of Lopetegui. Howe plays attractive football and isn’t afraid to drop players who are out of form. (Lucas) Paqueta and Rodriguez have been rubbish, yet Lopetegui keeps playing them.”
“Summerville must regret coming to West Ham,” says Kerry.
“He should be playing with (Mohammed) Kudus suspended,” adds Paul. “He isn’t the same Kudus that played well under Moyes. His head has dropped this season and that red card against Tottenham was very telling. It’s a split dressing room right now. I dread to think how loud the boos will be if we lose to Everton.”
Having stood for almost 30 minutes, The Athletic moves on to carriage B in the hope of finding a seat. Daniel Donnelly, 36, with his son, Alfie, 16, kindly offers his on the condition he gets to add perspective on why patience is needed.
“Lopetegui hasn’t had that new manager bounce, but things take time,” he says. “We’re going through a transitional period and we should give it at least until December for him to turn it around. You can’t get any momentum if you change things after 10 games. We need to be patient with Lopetegui. Naturally, he will be under a lot of pressure given the amount of money we spent in the summer.
Daniel Donnelly with his son Alfie (Roshane Thomas/The Athletic)
“My only frustration with him is he hasn’t utilised the squad well. Summerville deserves to start, but it reminds me of when Bowen joined us from the Championship (in January 2020). He had a slow integration into the team and it took him a while to adapt to the league. Then there’s the frustration with Fullkrug being injured. I wouldn’t write him off just yet. It’s the West Ham curse him being sidelined, but if he gets a run in the team when he returns, he could potentially improve us.”
We arrive in Nottingham at 12.30pm and supporters unite with a rendition of “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”. Daniel and his son decide to head to a local bar, while The Athletic makes the 20-minute walk to the City Ground.
It was another disappointing weekend for Lopetegui, with West Ham losing 3-0 at Forest. Goals from Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina saw West Ham suffer their fifth league defeat of the season. Lopetegui’s side have only gained 11 points from 10 league games and the head coach apologised to supporters afterwards and challenged his team to respond to the setback.
“I am responsible in front of all of them, we have to use this bad moment in the dressing room to push us forward, looking at the next challenge,” said Lopetegui. “It’s not a moment to say, ‘Your fault, your fault’, it is a moment to stay together. The players know they can choose better and they have to do better in this moment.”
The 6.50pm train heading to London St Pancras International sees supporters sing a number of chants in an attempt to lift spirits. But the loudest boo comes when one fan sings the Moyes chant. Even if Lopetegui is jettisoned, many believe Moyes should not be considered as a potential candidate.
“We look clueless at the minute, but I still wouldn’t take Moyes back,” says John Dyer, 23. “Today we hardly posed a threat and that’s been a regular theme this season. We took a short corner in the game and I was fuming! Cross the damn ball in the box. It was a wasted opportunity. The manager needs to go. I expected good things and I know it takes time, but he’s lost the dressing room.
“The players don’t look like they want to play for him. West Ham have been a hard watch this season and that’s down to Lopetegui. We beat Ipswich Town, a newly promoted team, and got a lucky win over Manchester United who should have battered us. It’s the same old story with West Ham. We wanted to go in a new direction but got the appointment wrong. I’m not filled with much confidence that the board will get the next managerial appointment right if they sack Lopetegui.”
We arrive back in London at 8.30pm with everyone heading in different directions.
“What a sh*t day,” The Athletic overhears a supporter say on the escalator. It is a view that is shared by many. Only time will tell us if Lopetegui is able to lift the mood.
SportsView
West Ham want to sign Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson
by Max Fletcher
It has been a woeful start for West Ham United in the Premier League this season.
Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest means the Hammers are currently 14th in the standings with just 11 points from 10 matches.
Julen Lopetegui’s side could be forced to go back into the transfer market to turn their season around, despite spending over £120 million last summer.
According to Turkish outlet Takvim, West Ham are interested in signing Galatasaray star Victor Nelsson.
The 26-year-old has been struggling for game time at the Rams Park, starting just two matches in the Super Lig.
He is reportedly not happy with his current situation and has therefore rejected the offer to extend his contract that expires in 2026.
West Ham signed Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo in the summer but with Konstantinos Mavropanos as their only other senior centre-back, they could do with another defender.
Nelsson is young and has proven his abilities in Denmark and Turkey. He has made over 300 senior appearances during his stints at Nordsjælland, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.
The Hammers could secure a deal for the 26-year-old for around £13 million, which is a reasonable fee.
However, the Londoners face competition from several other European clubs for the defender, including Sevilla, Bologna and Lille.
It is also uncertain whether Nelsson would be willing to join the Premier League club where he is unlikely to get regular game time.
Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal want to sign Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, in time for next summer's Club World Cup. (Talksport)
Barcelona are also interested in signing Salah when his Liverpool contract runs out at the end of the season. (Sport - in Spanish)
Liverpool plan to open talks on a new contract with their Scotland international full-back Andy Robertson, 30, in the summer. (Football Insider)
Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation for lost earnings if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the league's financial rules. (Times - subscription required)
Former Arsenal sporting director Edu rejected a lucrative new contract to stay with the Gunners in favour of taking up a multi-club role with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. (Mail)
Manchester United are planning a fresh move for Everton and England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, 22, in the summer. (Talksport)
Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim wants a trio of Sporting players - Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio, 23, Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande, 20, and 26-year-old Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres - to join him at Old Trafford. (Sky Sport Switzerland - in French)
England centre-back Harry Maguire, 31, will refuse to consider leaving Manchester United in January and believes he can earn a new contract at the club. (TBR Football)
However, Manchester United will wait to assess developments from the UK government's Budget before deciding whether to demolish Old Trafford and build a new stadium, or redevelop their current home. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has admitted he has had offers to manage in the Premier League in the past and, while the English top flight intrigues him, he is happy at his current club. (Mail)
Paris St-Germain are preparing a bid to sign Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 20, from Aston Villa. (Fichajes - in Spanish)
Manchester City may make one or two signings in January after their injury-hit start to the season. (Football Insider)
Chelsea and England forward Cole Palmer will have a scan on his left knee after the 22-year-old was injured in Sunday's draw with Manchester United. (Standard)
New England manager Thomas Tuchel will not influence interim boss Lee Carsley's selections for the Nations League matches later this month. (Mail)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Liverpool are tracking three left-backs as potential long-term replacements for Andy Robertson - Fulham's Antonee Robinson, David Raum from RB Leipzig and Ipswich's impressive Leif Davis.
Manchester United may need to hold an end of season fire sale to give new boss Ruben Amorim January transfer wriggle room.
Harry Maguire will miss England's Nations League deciders against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says he hopes to raise his club's stadium capacity to 40,000.
Joshua Zirkzee is on course for the exit door at Manchester United just four months after arriving, according to reports.
An injury has forced a last-minute cancellation on the undercard Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson.
DAILY MAIL
Barcelona are reportedly keen on signing Mohamed Salah once his contract with Liverpool expires in the summer.
Manchester United remain keen to build a new stadium, despite a final decision on what next for Old Trafford being delayed until next summer.
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has revealed that he has turned down offers to manage in the Premier League ahead of his side's Champions League clash against Arsenal.
Barcelona are considering a shock move to cut Alex Valle's Celtic loan short in January.
Newcastle midfielder Lewis Miley has signed a lucrative deal to become sportswear giants Under Armour's face of the north.
DAILY MIRROR
The West Ham penalty which condemned Manchester United to defeat on what turned out to be Erik ten Hag's final game in charge should not have been awarded according to referees' chief Howard Webb.
Rasmus Hojlund is excited for Ruben Amorim's arrival at Manchester United - with the striker rubbishing two major doubts at the Premier League club.
Manchester City and Chelsea will be obliged to field their strongest teams throughout next summer's FIFA Club World Cup - while still having to release players for international duty immediately before it.
Arsenal narrowly avoided being penalised by UEFA for delaying their press conference ahead of their clash with Inter Milan as the media briefing started just before the cut-off time of 8pm.
THE ATHLETIC
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is part of a consortium that has made an offer to purchase a stake in Premier League club Crystal Palace.
Matty Cash will miss Aston Villa's Champions League trip to Belgian side Club Bruges on Wednesday.
Norwich City's Josh Sargent will be out until 2025 due to a groin injury.
Real Madrid have appointed former futsal player and coach Marcelo Serpa Coelho to Juni Calafat's scouting staff.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Manchester United have put back a final decision on stadium development until next summer.
Edu turned down a lucrative pay rise at Arsenal to pursue his aim of becoming a global head of football.
Jason Ayto, the well-regarded assistant sporting director, is set for a wider role while Arsenal co-chairman Josh Kroenke and key executives Tim Lewis and Richard Garlick decide with Arteta on how best to move forward.
Thomas Tuchel has no intention of having any say on the squad or the teams Lee Carsley picks for his final games as England interim manager, against Greece and Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.
Gary Lineker has cast further doubt on his BBC future by revealing he could quit Match of the Day to focus on his podcast empire full-time.
England's Sam Curran says that he is dreaming of playing in an international match against his older brother Ben who recently moved to Zimbabwe.
THE GUARDIAN
A majority of Manchester United fans favour a new stadium rather than the redevelopment of Old Trafford, a survey has found.
Jason Kelce has apologised after he responded angrily to a confrontation with a fan before Ohio State's game with Penn State at the weekend.
DAILY EXPRESS
England's new manager Thomas Tuchel will not attend next month's World Cup qualifying draw as it falls before his official start date of January 1.
THE TIMES
The controversial penalty that led to Erik ten Hag being sacked as Manchester United manager less than 24 hours later should not have been given, according to Howard Webb.
A number of Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation against Manchester City over the club's 115 alleged rule breaches before a deadline on Tuesday.
Imane Khelif, one of the boxers at the centre of the Olympic gender row in Paris this year, is taking legal action in response to the latest reports in France claiming the gold-medal winner in the women's welterweight division has male XY chromosomes, the International Olympic Committee has said.
DAILY RECORD
Southampton are keeping close tabs on Motherwell's teenage sensation Lennon Miller.
Reports in South America have indicated Alexandro Bernabei could be in line for a sensational Argentina call-up - and the player says it would be a 'dream' realised.
Supporters of Celtic and Rangers will split tickets down the middle for the blockbuster League Cup final at Hampden next month..
The Athletic
Travelling with the West Ham fans to Nottingham Forest: ‘I think the transfers were pretty awful’
By Roshane Thomas
It is 10.30am and a group of West Ham United fans are forced to stand on a rammed five-carriage East Midlands Railway train heading to Nottingham.
Paul Mead, 53, Kerry Whicks, 50, Oscar Whicks, 22, and Jack Mead, 16, are en route to West Ham’s away fixture against Nottingham Forest. As they bond over M&S-branded Helles Lager, they give The Athletic their thoughts on the season so far, the summer transfers, concerns over Julen Lopetegui’s impact as head coach and much more.
After a summer expenditure of £130million ($170m) on nine players, there is one subject Paul wants to address first.
“I think the transfers were pretty awful,” he says as he tries to maintain his balance while the train gathers speed. “Danny Ings, Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug have a combined age of 97. We don’t have any young fresh legs up front. But my biggest concern is midfield, which must be one of the slowest in the Premier League. Guido Rodriguez keeps getting booked and is becoming a liability like Edson Alvarez.
“We’re buying players who are too similar to the ones we have. Most haven’t been able to add anything different. But when you have a unique talent like (Crysencio) Summerville, for some reason, he can’t get in the team.”
West Ham’s central midfield options are Alvarez, Rodriguez, Andy Irving, Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek. Lopetegui’s preferred midfield pairing has been Rodriguez and Soucek, which has not had the desired effect.
Other West Ham fans nearby nod their heads in agreement.
“Lopetegui doesn’t know his best starting 11,” says Kerry. “But in fairness to him, he will change it. The frustration with (David) Moyes was he took ages to make substitutes. Lopetegui makes changes earlier, but most of the time it’s to correct the line-up because he got it wrong. I’m still unclear what Lopetegui’s philosophy and vision is. It feels like he’s making it up each week.”
Ten minutes into the journey and the topic changes to Jarrod Bowen. In August, the England international was appointed captain, with long-serving defender Aaron Cresswell as vice-captain. Bowen is the face of the club having signed a seven-year contract in October 2023. Although his attacking pedigree speaks for itself, the group do not view him as a leader.
“One of my biggest concerns is the captaincy,” says Kerry. “I love Bowen, he’s a club legend and works hard for the team, but he should never have been appointed captain. He doesn’t strike me as a leader and he’s not that vocal on the pitch.”
“We don’t have many leaders in the team,” Oscar interjects.
“It has to be Kilman,” says Kerry.
“It’s an area we have struggled with and our previous captain, Kurt Zouma, struggled to unite the team,” Paul adds. “Plus his form took a massive dip and he had issues with his knee. We took for granted just how brilliant Declan Rice was on and off the pitch. Leadership is something you have. I don’t think you can become a leader over time. You either have it or you don’t. Sadly, Bowen doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy to tell the players off when things go bad.”
Transfers become the topic again and there is frustration that the club are yet to sign a proven No 9. West Ham missed out on signing Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran following a failed offer of more than £30million. The 20-year-old has subsequently scored eight goals across 15 appearances.
“We spent all that money in the summer, yet we still need another midfielder and a striker,” says Kerry.
“We’ve been needing a forward for the last five seasons,” adds Oscar. “Antonio can’t do it any more.”
“We should’ve given Aston Villa what they wanted for Duran,” says Kerry. “The money we spent on Fullkrug (£27m) and (Luis) Guilherme (£25m) should’ve been spent on Duran. A young exciting forward, not a 30-odd striker in Fullkrug who won’t be a long-term option for us.”
“Duran did the Hammers sign on social media,” adds Paul. “He clearly had interest in joining us.”
The group are sharing their memories of the West Ham sides they grew up watching. A popular theme was the emergence of youth, which West Ham have recently struggled with. In April 2023, the youngsters beat Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup, but first-team opportunities have been hard to come by for academy prospects.
“We have some talented young players and they can’t even get a sniff,” says Kerry. “When you see how bad our midfield is doing, you can’t tell me Lewis Orford or George Earthy (who is on a season-long loan at Bristol City) could do worse than them. They were key players for the FA Youth Cup and haven’t been rewarded. The young lads at Arsenal (Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly) have been playing, why can’t we do that?
“To be fair, the young lads who played under Moyes have gone on to basically do nothing,” Paul responds.
“But now we have some top prospects,” says Kerry. “It’s also harder for them with Lopetegui struggling. He’s had issues at most of his clubs, like at Real Madrid and Wolves. West Ham will probably give him time because they don’t want to pay him off. (David) Sullivan (the majority shareholder) will try to give it as long as possible in the hope Lopetegui turns it around, but I can’t see that happening.”
In May, Lopetegui signed a two-year deal when he was announced as Moyes’ successor. Despite the slow start to the season, the Spaniard retains full support from the board. But 20 minutes into the two-hour journey, the group explain why they are not happy with Lopetegui’s coaching ability.
“When it was confirmed Moyes was leaving, I wanted us to appoint Eddie Howe (the Newcastle manager) or Ruben Amorim (the soon-to-be Manchester United head coach),” says Paul. “Howe did a brilliant job at Bournemouth and is doing great at Newcastle. He improves players and that shows how good of a man manager he is. I’m yet to see that side of Lopetegui. Howe plays attractive football and isn’t afraid to drop players who are out of form. (Lucas) Paqueta and Rodriguez have been rubbish, yet Lopetegui keeps playing them.”
“Summerville must regret coming to West Ham,” says Kerry.
“He should be playing with (Mohammed) Kudus suspended,” adds Paul. “He isn’t the same Kudus that played well under Moyes. His head has dropped this season and that red card against Tottenham was very telling. It’s a split dressing room right now. I dread to think how loud the boos will be if we lose to Everton.”
Having stood for almost 30 minutes, The Athletic moves on to carriage B in the hope of finding a seat. Daniel Donnelly, 36, with his son, Alfie, 16, kindly offers his on the condition he gets to add perspective on why patience is needed.
“Lopetegui hasn’t had that new manager bounce, but things take time,” he says. “We’re going through a transitional period and we should give it at least until December for him to turn it around. You can’t get any momentum if you change things after 10 games. We need to be patient with Lopetegui. Naturally, he will be under a lot of pressure given the amount of money we spent in the summer.
Daniel Donnelly with his son Alfie (Roshane Thomas/The Athletic)
“My only frustration with him is he hasn’t utilised the squad well. Summerville deserves to start, but it reminds me of when Bowen joined us from the Championship (in January 2020). He had a slow integration into the team and it took him a while to adapt to the league. Then there’s the frustration with Fullkrug being injured. I wouldn’t write him off just yet. It’s the West Ham curse him being sidelined, but if he gets a run in the team when he returns, he could potentially improve us.”
We arrive in Nottingham at 12.30pm and supporters unite with a rendition of “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”. Daniel and his son decide to head to a local bar, while The Athletic makes the 20-minute walk to the City Ground.
It was another disappointing weekend for Lopetegui, with West Ham losing 3-0 at Forest. Goals from Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina saw West Ham suffer their fifth league defeat of the season. Lopetegui’s side have only gained 11 points from 10 league games and the head coach apologised to supporters afterwards and challenged his team to respond to the setback.
“I am responsible in front of all of them, we have to use this bad moment in the dressing room to push us forward, looking at the next challenge,” said Lopetegui. “It’s not a moment to say, ‘Your fault, your fault’, it is a moment to stay together. The players know they can choose better and they have to do better in this moment.”
The 6.50pm train heading to London St Pancras International sees supporters sing a number of chants in an attempt to lift spirits. But the loudest boo comes when one fan sings the Moyes chant. Even if Lopetegui is jettisoned, many believe Moyes should not be considered as a potential candidate.
“We look clueless at the minute, but I still wouldn’t take Moyes back,” says John Dyer, 23. “Today we hardly posed a threat and that’s been a regular theme this season. We took a short corner in the game and I was fuming! Cross the damn ball in the box. It was a wasted opportunity. The manager needs to go. I expected good things and I know it takes time, but he’s lost the dressing room.
“The players don’t look like they want to play for him. West Ham have been a hard watch this season and that’s down to Lopetegui. We beat Ipswich Town, a newly promoted team, and got a lucky win over Manchester United who should have battered us. It’s the same old story with West Ham. We wanted to go in a new direction but got the appointment wrong. I’m not filled with much confidence that the board will get the next managerial appointment right if they sack Lopetegui.”
We arrive back in London at 8.30pm with everyone heading in different directions.
“What a sh*t day,” The Athletic overhears a supporter say on the escalator. It is a view that is shared by many. Only time will tell us if Lopetegui is able to lift the mood.
SportsView
West Ham want to sign Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson
by Max Fletcher
It has been a woeful start for West Ham United in the Premier League this season.
Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest means the Hammers are currently 14th in the standings with just 11 points from 10 matches.
Julen Lopetegui’s side could be forced to go back into the transfer market to turn their season around, despite spending over £120 million last summer.
According to Turkish outlet Takvim, West Ham are interested in signing Galatasaray star Victor Nelsson.
The 26-year-old has been struggling for game time at the Rams Park, starting just two matches in the Super Lig.
He is reportedly not happy with his current situation and has therefore rejected the offer to extend his contract that expires in 2026.
West Ham signed Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo in the summer but with Konstantinos Mavropanos as their only other senior centre-back, they could do with another defender.
Nelsson is young and has proven his abilities in Denmark and Turkey. He has made over 300 senior appearances during his stints at Nordsjælland, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.
The Hammers could secure a deal for the 26-year-old for around £13 million, which is a reasonable fee.
However, the Londoners face competition from several other European clubs for the defender, including Sevilla, Bologna and Lille.
It is also uncertain whether Nelsson would be willing to join the Premier League club where he is unlikely to get regular game time.