A minority of West Ham fans have expressed some dismay with Sam Allardyce’s transfer policy after rumours emerged that AC Milan veteran Massimo Ambrosini is in London for talks with the Hammers.
In his recent interview with the Mirror, David Sullivan
spoke glowingly of Allardyce, arguing that ‘he is intelligent, he prolongs
careers and he is brilliant in terms of maximising players’ potential’.
Prolonging the careers of older players thus seems to be an attribute which
makes Allardyce a valuable asset for Sullivan and co-owner David Gold.
The prospective Ambrosini deal is not one which is out of
character for Allardyce. The man affectionately known as ‘Big Sam’ has taken a
number of international superstars and squeezed a few extra years out of their
careers at the highest level.
Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff, Gary Speed, Fernando
Hierro and Ivan Campo are just a few footballers who were entering the twilight
of their careers when Allardyce utilised them at Bolton Wanderers.
Many Irons supporters also doubted Allardyce’s choice to
rely on 38 year-old Juusi Jääskeläinen for the first season back in the
Premiership following Robert Green’s departure but have gone on to be proved
wrong by the Fin who was eventually voted runner-up Hammer of the Year ahead of
the likes of Andy Carroll, Momo Diame and Mark Noble.
Although his image may be moulded into that of an
old-fashioned, unforgiving ‘gaffer’, Allardyce is famed for his focus on
fitness and the cutting edge technology he uses to maintain this. Just recently
West Ham were featured of ‘Sky Sports News’ for their use of an ice chamber to
aid muscle recovery.
Allardyce and aging players can thus have a great
relationship. They can use him to prolong their careers and he can use them to
add quality and depth to his squad.
Another important factor for Allardyce, and of course the
owners, is that he is extremely unlikely to pay for these players despite the
competitive market. Razvan Rat, the recent acquisition from Shakhtar Donetsk,
came on a free transfer, as will Ambrosini if the deal is completed.
Saving money on players like these to fill out the squad
allows Allardyce to spend large bulks of his transfer budget on quality players
for the first eleven, who also have re-sale value. If Allardyce wanted to spend
£6-7 million on additional centre-midfielders and left-backs with no experience
of the Premier League, there is no way a £16 million deal for Andy Carroll
could be financed, especially with the new Financial Fair Play regulations.
The intent shown by West Ham and Allardyce to sign
Carroll proves that they are not manipulating supporters by sexing up the
signings of over-aged ‘has-beens’. As an English striker under the age of
twenty-five, Carroll is in the most expensive bracket of footballers. If fans worry
that Allardyce is creating a short-term team of OAPs they need only look at the
genuine ambition shown to get Carroll permanently.
Additionally, the experience, attitude and aura of a
multi-Champions League winner in the squad who has played over 300 times for
one of the world’s biggest clubs can only be positive for a team like West Ham.
In order to grow as a club it is important to have experienced winners amongst
the ranks and whilst West Ham linger in the mid-table zone, they will need to accept
those coming towards the end of their careers.
How any football fan can moan about having a few aging
players in the squad on the back of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy at Manchester
United is beyond belief. Ferguson continued to use the likes of Paul Scholes,
Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs well into their thirties and persistently won
trophy after trophy. Many of Ferguson’s veterans will continue to be utilised
by David Moyes.
Also, Ferguson wasn’t shy to bring in aging players in
order to strengthen his squad with quality and experience at a low price.
Henrik Larsson was drafted into his title-winning squad of 2007 at the ripe age
of 36. Ferguson even wanted Larsson to continue at Old Trafford but due to
family promises in Sweden, the former Celtic and Barcelona striker felt obliged
to leave.
Finally, some West Ham fans are often desperate to hang
on to their proud reputation with regards to producing young players in Tony
Carr’s academy and therefore scoff at the idea of an older recruit getting
first-team chances ahead of youth players.
If Allardyce and the staff around him felt that a player
was good enough to step up into the first-team, there is no doubt that he would
get the chance. Why would Allardyce waste any of his budget on a player if he
had a younger, hungrier version sitting in the reserves for free?
Signing older players will actually benefit the youth
players at West Ham. Not only do they gain from the experience of a man with a
magnificent career behind him, but there is a place in the squad with a nearing
expiry date which they could step into.
Short-term options therefore actually give enough time
for young players to develop and show whether they will make the cut. For all
we know, Allardyce could have big plans for the likes of Ravel Morrison next
season. By bringing in Ambrosini, he provides a young midfielder like Morrison
with a role model, competition and someone who plays in the same position,
which can relieve the sense of pressure on a young footballer who is likely to
burn out if he is heavily relied on for 38 games a season.
Similarly, Ambrosini is unlikely to be able to play two
games in one week so he would benefit from having a young protégée to take over
for certain fixtures in what will inevitably be a congested schedule. It is a
win-win situation for everyone. If West Ham had a decent youth prospect but
signed a 25 year-old midfielder in his position, the chances the unproven
youngster would play are likely to be far more limited.
Therefore signings like Ambrosini should be looked at
very positively. Moreno Roggi, Ambrosini’s agent, confirmed that there is an
offer on the table for West Ham. Let’s hope all parties agree as contrary to
popular thought, this is a forward-thinking decision rather than one rooted in
the past.
Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93
No comments:
Post a Comment