MOYES WILL BE MOYES
Since Tim Steidten’s appointment as West Ham technical director in early July, reports have abounded that he and David Moyes do not see eye to eye. The 44-year-old German arrived with a fine reputation for unearthing unpolished gems at Werder Bremen and then Leverkusen, with fans being told he would “be responsible for the club’s overarching player recruitment strategy and scouting department, working closely with [Moyes] and sporting director Mark Noble”. With £105m of Declan Rice money scorching a hole in the club coffers, it was important their windfall was invested wisely.
In Steidten, they had found one of those hip young German football eggheads who comes armed with one of those magic witch portals young people these days refer to as “a laptop”, and is a keen student of the kind of scouting and data-driven analytics that have established Brentford and Brighton as two of the best-run teams on the planet. The kind of man whose appointment will have prompted much eye-rolling and honks of derision from Proper Football Men everywhere, not least because his 12-year playing career appears to have been restricted to 48 appearances for Seattle Sounders and SV Meppen. What does he know about the Premier League, Jeff? What does he know?
Whatever it is, Steidten has found himself partnered with a man who, maybe unfairly, has garnered a reputation for being something of a meat-and-potatoes footballing dinosaur with a preference for gnarled British or Irish dogs-of-war types over the kind of untried fancy dans who ran rings around his side when they recently played Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly. Given his preference for McTominays over MacBooks, it was small wonder speculation mounted that Moyes and Steidten were at war. On Wednesday morning it became apparent who is winning that one, when news that Manchester City have set their beady eye on West Ham’s other world-class midfielder Lucas Paquetá was quickly followed by confirmation that the Tin Pot winners have agreed deals in principle to sign Harry Maguire and James Ward-Prowse for combined transfer fees of £60m, more than half their Rice “winnings”.
While thrashing out personal terms for two players who are as English as sewage-drenched shorelines, real ale with bits in and apologising to somebody else when they tread on your toes, the nitty-gritty of both deals has yet to be ironed out before West Ham ramp up their efforts to sign the hot young Scottish prospect that is Scott McTominay. Given Manchester City’s interest in Paquetá and their tendency to get whoever they want with a minimum of fuss, West Ham could soon find themselves another star player down, albeit while listening to the reassuring beep-beep noise of a sky-blue bin-lorry full of cash reversing into the London Stadium to pay for more replacements. With great spending power comes great responsibility, so expect the agents of Leighton Baines, Kevin Kilbane and Steven Naismith to be expecting calls as Steidten gazes forlornly at graphs on the screen of his fancy laptop.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“That picture afterwards, it was so crazy. It’s so crazy that we went through on that. The picture I’ve seen a lot, the penalty not so much. I don’t want to see it again, I get a little pain in my stomach actually” – Sweden’s Lina Hurtig might get a tattoo of the VAR image showing how her winning penalty in the last-16 shootout victory against the USA USA USA was over the line by a matter of millimetres, but only if they go on to win the World Cup. Some permanent body inking sounds ideal, then.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Being a long-suffering Wolves fan of several decades who foolishly hoped the city’s motto of ‘Out of Darkness Cometh Light’ might not be stuck in an infinite loop, your article on our current, erm, shenanigans (yesterday’s Football Daily) resonated. However, given the current mood of many supporters, and clearly discouraging any implications of actual violence, I would suggest the subject and object of the title ‘Shi hits the fan’ could easily have been swapped” – David Koppe.
Big Cup qualifying later: Rangers v Servette. I imagine the Gers will wipe the floor with them” – Steve Allen.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Steve Allen.
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