The transfer window blame game is underway at West Ham with board figures making a big claim about Graham Potter and admitting the club is already ‘on the floor’.
A hugely underwhelming summer transfer window is already causing friction at West Ham United.
Just four signings have been made by the Hammers with two weeks left to make further additions.
Only two of the new arrivals, Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf, have been signed for the starting XI.
It comes after the departure of eight West Ham first team stars, with more expected to follow in the remainder of the window.
Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio were released while Mohammed Kudus was controversially sold to Spurs and both Carlos Soler and Evan Ferguson returned to their parent clubs after loan spells.
West Ham’s window pain reflected on the pitch from day one
Graham Potter did say he wanted to trim down his West Ham squad.
But the Hammers have thus far failed to replace the pace and power Mohammed Kudus brought to the side.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
West Ham have left the midfield, indisputably the most important part of Potter’s rebuild, until last.
And options are running out with targets, such as Jacob Ramsey and James McAtee, moving elsewhere.
Meanwhile a £30m bid for Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes was rejected with a reported £20m gap in valuation.
West Ham have cited PSR as a big issue since before the January window.
Graham Potter and Niclas Fullkrug after Sunderland v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Any doubts many more additions are needed were dismissed comprehensively by West Ham’s opening day 3-0 defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland.
The weakness and fragility, both physical and mental, as well as the lack of pace and power that has been crying out to be addressed for two years was brutally exposed by a team West Ham are expected to be fighting with to avoid relegation.
Potter has continually called for the club to be aligned from top to bottom, particularly when it comes to recruitment.
The manager works alongside his self-appointed head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay, who has accompanied him at each of his professional clubs, to identify targets.
It is then down to de facto director of football David Sullivan, who also has an input on transfers, to try and get deals done.
Transfer blame game begins as Hammers board make big Potter claim
Vice-chair Karren Brady has also been involved in the financial side of West Ham’s transfer negotiations in the past.
Sporting director Mark Noble is also consulted on recruitment and had a big say in the Hammers signing young striker Daniel Cummings from Celtic.
The opening day shambles at the Stadium of Light has piled pressure back on Potter, who failed to convince with just five wins from his 19 games last season.
Hammers fans wanted to give Potter a summer window and pre-season before casting judgement.
But the performance, particularly in the second half, and result at Sunderland was his worst yet.
Now the first fissures have started to appear in West Ham’s fragile structure it seems.
West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady watches on at the London Stadium alongside husband Paul Peschisolido
Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images
Because the West Ham transfer window blame game has begun as the board make a big Potter claim while admitting the club is already ‘on the floor’.
After the defeat, mischievous reports emerged that police were called to West Ham’s dressing room over an incident.
Hammers News moved swiftly to put those claims to the club with a top West Ham spokesman dismissing reports officers locked down their changing room.
West Ham insider Sean Whetstone counts Sullivan and Brady among his close contacts.
Doubling down on the denial, Whetstone’s board source stated that the claims were not true but admitted tensions were inevitable.
“I imagine everybody was very p—– off with each other,” the West Ham board source told Whetstone.
“We all sat through the second half, it was a very bad performance.”
Brady suggests Potter and Macaulay to blame for lack of signings
Then came official word from vice-chair Brady during an interview on talkSPORT.
Conversation turned to transfers, which is being seen as the last bastion of hope the Hammers have to get Potter some help in order to avoid relegation.
And Brady said the board want to make signings but Potter and Macaulay are only interested – understandably many fans would argue – in their own targets.
Brady even said it was ‘sad’ the owners cannot pull rank and go out and make their own signings.
“It was a very bad second half!” Brady said.
“We are on the floor, we need something (in terms of signings).
“Sadly the board can’t just go out and buy players the manager and Kyle don’t want.”
While the situation is all rather ominous and unsavoury, this has been building since the poor form of last season.
If any positive is to be gleaned from this board leak it is that Sullivan and co do at least seem to be respecting Potter and Macaulay’s wishes over transfers – for now.
Whether that was the case over the Wilson and Walker-Peters deals is anyone’s guess.
Although the manager has repeatedly praised the duo and insisted he did want them during interviews and press conferences since.