Redknapp and Rio regime would bring identity back to West Ham

A couple of years ago Harry Redknapp put Rio Ferdinand’s name forward as a potential West Ham manager.

As ever with Harry, it wasn’t just a selfless pitch - this is a man who’s Twitter account says he’s ‘proper excited about Mobile Cryptocurrency!’. Not one to let a potential pay cheque pass him by, he said he’d go with Ferdinand to the club as director of football.

I’ve toyed with the idea of this partnership at the club for some time now, although with Redknapp as manager and Ferdinand as his assistant, and I think it is the solution we are now looking for.

Embracing his character flaws as personality quirks, I’ve long been a fan of Redknapp. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of thinking of him as a ‘wheeler dealer’ - although don’t tell him that - and to frame his career as one punctuated by leaning out of car windows, a cheeky pay day managing Jordan and his most recent failing at Birmingham, but just five years ago he was the man for the England job.

The FA shied away back then and Sam Allardyce’s acrimonious exit is probably illustrative of how a Redknapp reign could’ve ended too, but he truly earned the right to be favourite for the position. Mauricio Pochettino has transformed Tottenham Hotspur but it was Redknapp who picked them up from a similar position to where we currently sit and built the base from which Poch has sprung.

Redknapp gets players going, he gets the fans going, he’s clever in the transfer market and he plays a solid brand of football but also an attacking one. A fan of direct wingers, a maverick or two, a target man and a poacher, I think Harry could really do something with the likes of Michail Antonio, Andy Carroll, Chicharito and he may even be able to save the likes of Marko Arnautovic from becoming a very expensive flop.

He’s no Pep Guardiola-style philosopher but he does have a recognisable brand of football which we could all get behind. I’m not sure we want a Pep anyway. The fan behind me at the Liverpool game yesterday is unfortunately broadly representative of a fair few vocal Hammers and screeched ‘why are you passing it around!? Go forward!’ every time we played a bit of possession football, but then shouted ‘hoof!’ when we played it forward, summing up the directionless confusion which has already riddled our ground like a cancer.

Those negative fans, chasing this ‘West Ham way’ myth, frustrate me, but I do agree Slaven Bilic has to go. Whilst an honest and decent man, he has never shown any sign of an ideology and consequently we never impose ourselves on games. Redknapp would grab a game by the scruff of the neck and take it to the opposition in the intense way we are crying out for.

But the most important reason why I think Harry Redknapp would be a good fit is the fact he has his roots in our club. We are going through a clear identity crisis at the moment and walking away from that stadium towards the bright lights of John Lewis after each thrashing is leaving us in a very difficult place. Who are we anymore?

Redknapp knows who we are and, if not this ‘West Ham way’, I think he could bring the ‘West Ham feel’ back to the place.

While there are a significant numbers of doomsdayers, there are an admirable group of fans scraping around to make this place home, with grass roots initiatives from the new fanzine, to the boat events on the river, to the Hammers Social Club moving into trendy studios. Rather than rejecting the change they are gripping this new space and injecting it with ‘West Ham’.

Redknapp is someone who could engage with that process and like it or not, he is one of us. It makes sense to have a man at the helm who represents us and the club as we know it as we go through this struggle.

And I think having Ferdinand on-board would go some way to satisfying those who would inevitably turn their nose up at Redknapp as a manager of the past and, at 70 years-old, an appointment with no longevity.

Ferdinand is a classy operator, a modern man and would be an obvious heir to the throne. He’s the kind of statesman-like figure any owner would want representing the club on the national and international stage and, as perhaps our famous academy’s most esteemed graduate who went on to reach the pinnacle of the game, he has the rare trait of embodying both our club and raw, powerful success.

Ferdinand speaks intelligently as a pundit, is doing his coaching qualifications and Redknapp emphasises how he would regularly consult him as the pair were reunited at QPR towards the end of Rio’s playing career. He commands respect and, Redknapp aside, an upbringing under Tony Carr and the majority of his career under Sir Alex Ferguson will surely help his prospects.

There’s a lot of talk of a David Moyes and Phil Neville combination this morning - it’s a similar idea, but it’s Everton’s version. When we’re desperately clinging to our identity in a storm of total change, we need to be looking closer to our old home as we look to build our new one.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93.

Problems for West Ham despite Chelsea win

Dreams fading and dying is literally in the script for West Ham fans, so I can’t help bringing myself back down to earth after our win against Chelsea by pointing out a few concerns.

First things first, our start to the season has been exhilarating and we have a squad with sufficient depth to maintain our form over Christmas and beyond. I don’t want to drag the mood down - I just think there are some potential issues worth noting before they materialise.

Sakho’s Sacrifice

The Senegalese striker will not score as many goals under Slaven Bilic as he did under Sam Allardyce. This doesn’t mean he is giving any less to the team; his work-rate has been incredible since Bilic came in and his relentless running, tracking back and dragging defenders out of position   should not be underestimated.

Diafra Sakho’s willingness to take on this role has been impressive and I don’t think it’s one that his strike partner of last season, Enner Valencia, would have the discipline or the positional intelligence to do. But I don’t think it’s something he, or anyone for that matter, can maintain over the whole season.

"could a hint of envy set in?"

He’ll keep his head down and get on with it whilst we are winning, but he’s in danger of becoming frustrated when we inevitably, like every team does, hit a bad patch. He was a revelation when he came in last season, surpassing everybody’s expectations by winning October’s Premier League Player of the Month and matching a league record of scoring in all six of his first starts.

That was a taste of the high-life for Sakho, and it would be understandable if he were to want that flavour again. At the moment he is putting in all the hard-yards whilst the likes on Manuel Lanzini and Dmitri Payet take the plaudits - could a hint of envy set in?

Payet Reliance

Payet is the best player we’ve had at the club since Carlos Tevez in terms of technical ability, and whilst we have a large and very talented squad, his importance is obvious, widely-documented and is becoming increasingly so.

"the psychological effect could be devastating"

‘Give it to Payet’ is becoming a familiar call on the terraces and, whilst every great team often has a talisman, we need to be wary of over-reliance. I have no doubts that the squad would have enough to get by without Payet if, God forbid, he were to pick up an injury - but I think the psychological effect could be devastating.

The Frenchman was faultless yesterday and, if he keeps this up, Didier Deschamps can’t ignore him for the national team. It seems a little too good to be true that we managed to sign him in the first place and we’ve had such terrible luck with injuries to key men that I can’t help worrying. Let’s pray that he’s an exception.

Slaven Bilic’s ‘philosophy’

The problem being that I can’t see much of one at the moment. It’s great in some ways. A purist like Arsene Wenger or Roberto Martinez might have been too stubborn to turn to an option like Andy Carroll yesterday afternoon, and it was proved how effective that can be.

But we did set up like an away-team, and gave a bit too much respect to Chelsea at times, especially for the first quarter of an hour in the second half when they were already down to ten-men.

"There’s no better feeling than a giant-killing, but we need to maximise points against the lesser teams"

It’s great that Bilic seems to have mastered this counter-attacking style. It’s led to four very memorable wins so far this campaign, but we still need to get our head around how to control the game and take it to the opposition rather than waiting for reactive opportunities to break. That much is clear from our troublesome home form against the lesser teams, particularly Norwich a few weeks ago.

Time will tell on this one. Everton at home will be a very interesting clash to see how we go up against a team of similar stature. There’s no better feeling than a giant-killing, but we need to maximise points against the lesser teams if we are to really stake a claim for Europe.

Man-management

And now the obvious one. Luka Modric and Vedran Corluka have spoken in the past about how Bilic is a top man-manager from their time working with him for the Croatian national team. He will certainly need his players at West Ham to respect him similarly at West Ham.

"the bench was worth around £52m yesterday"

Mauro Zarate has four goals in his last five starts, Michail Antonio had scored four goals in five appearances for Nottingham Forest this season before he joined for £8m. Just a year ago, it would have been inconceivable to think that players with those statistics would not get in the side.

By my estimations, the bench was worth around £52m yesterday. That’s an unprecedented array of talent for a West Ham team. Keeping Sakho happy whilst he is playing might be difficult, let alone some of the big names who won’t get in the team.

Andy Carroll won’t be happy making cameo appearances forever, Mark Noble’s place is at risk with Alex Song on the way back, Enner Valencia will want game time, remember Reece Oxford? The FA Cup can’t come soon enough for us to give us another platform to get these players on the pitch.

Bilic will have to be careful to rotate where appropriate to keep people happy, and that’s easier said than done when those in the first-team have been so impressive that it would be impossible to drop them. The Croat is renowned for treating players with respect, like friends, but as we saw with Morgan Amalfitano, he certainly isn’t a pushover.

" don’t think we’ve sold anybody who we wasn’t comfortable with letting go"

The biggest compliment that I can pay to David Sullivan and David Gold is that every year since we got promoted, I’ve thought “next season, our squad won’t be this good”. But we held onto the likes of Carroll, Winston Reid, now Song and also Mohammed Diame for as long as we wanted to.

I don’t think we’ve sold anybody who we wasn’t comfortable with letting go. That’s great and long may it continue, with other clubs certain to cast an eye towards Payet and Lanzini. But with success comes victims, and Bilic will need to make sure squad members feel valued.

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Hopefully, none of these things manifest into real problems, but there’s nothing to be gained in avoiding them. If early impressions stand for anything, Bilic has the sense and mettle to tackle them head on, and continue leading us

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Is Valencia really so 'super'?

Enner Valenica has had few sceptics up to this point but I’ve been cynical of his worth ever since he missed the penalty which sent us out of the League Cup against Sheffield United.

The Ecuadorian international was also guilty of missing a number of opportunities from open-play that evening whilst fellow new recruit Diafra Sakho, signed for a fraction of the price, was the more impressive and managed to score the first of what was to become many.

Things have continued in similar fashion. Sakho has obviously been an absolute revelation. It seemed like the club even pre-empted him to become a Modibo Maiga-esq flop when they tried to pull the plug in favour of Connor Wickham, but thank God FC Metz forced through the sale.

Sakho slides effortlessly into any system, whether it be with the big man Andy Carroll, as a lone striker or with Valencia. His direct running and fearsome finishing is unlike any forward seen at Upton Park in the past decade - it's great to see David Sullivan already ironing out a new deal for him.

However, the Senegalese striker’s success and that of the team overall has hidden a number of flaws in Valencia’s game. Firstly, his hold-up play has been particularly poor – Valencia can be rapid if he is slid behind the defence but if Sakho isn’t there to catch up, he rarely retains the ball while back-up surges forward.

His game is also heavily reliant on confidence and this seems to affect much of his decision-making. After that goal at Hull, which was great admittedly, the South American seemed to take a shot every time he got within 40 yards of the goal for the next few games. A player that backs his ability is something we have missed for some time, but Valencia’s frequent inability to look up was worrying.

Many of these imperfections were painfully illuminated against Swansea when Sam Allardyce rightly replaced him with Sakho half way through. The difference in class was visible as the African’s clever runs gave him three clear goal-scoring opportunities, one of which he converted whilst the other two hit the post.

As Allardyce has duly warned, January will be a telling time for the Hammers. With Sakho off on international duty in Equatorial Guinea along with the absolutely imperial Alex Song and his fellow central-midfield powerhouse Chiekhou Kouyate, it would be surprising if performances didn’t dwindle.

With this trio gone, the forward nicknamed ‘Superman’ will have nowhere to hide. Much of the pressure will drop onto his shoulders to maintain our form and time will tell – with him being such an emotional player – whether he will thrive with the responsibility or become a frustrating figure at the Boleyn.

Valencia is evidently technically gifted - the Hull strike, Burnley header and assist for Morgan Amalfitano against Manchester City are evidence of this – but these magic moments all came via instinct. To cut it at the top level in the Premier League, a forward needs to be intelligent enough to outwit his opposing defenders.

When the shadow of Sakho, which has protected Valencia until now, fades away in the New Year, there’s a substantial chance that ‘Superman’s knack of saving the day might not follow the script.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Redknapp is the man for West Ham

There’s a school of thought surrounding the current Sam Allardyce situation which preaches: ‘better the devil you know’. Well, there’s another devil we know, and his name is Harry Redknapp.

Firstly, on a personal level, I have never been anti-Sam and would have been more than happy to give him another season but it looks as though, with fan resentment at its highest since he took the job back in 2011, his position may have become untenable. Therefore, with the 78% who voted Allardyce out in the recent mass poll in mind, I’ve started to look at alternatives.

There have been countless cases of terrible managerial swaps in recent years. Too many of the more unfashionable managers doing solid jobs have been switched with suit and tie, foreign coaches promising Barcelona-esque football who have failed miserably.

Fulham, Cardiff and West Brom, for example, all went down this route and ended the season making up 3 of the Premiership’s bottom 4. West Ham are in a very similar situation. People will look to Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton as a success story but the Saints are in for a tough Summer in terms of transfer business and I think the Argentine could well come unstuck next season.

Even if Pochettino does continue his success, his appointment was a roll of the dice by a very financially stable club with a settled squad. With the much discussed Olympic Stadium move beckoning, West Ham are in no such position and must play it safer.

‘Premier League Manager of the Year’ Tony Pulis was undeniably the best managerial appointment in the previous campaign and unsurprisingly he is a tried and trusted man at this level who plays with practicality rather than lofty ideals. Obviously he would be a sideways step from Sam but West Ham still need to learn from this triumph.

This is also a time when the Hammers should look to someone who knows the club very well. An identity crisis is nigh with regards to the stadium move and the club need someone who they can relate to their history.

The perfect candidate is thus British, experienced in the Premier League, affiliated with West Ham and obviously a promoter of attacking football given the root problem with the current regime. In one word: Redknapp.

I know there are plenty of West Ham fans who won’t want Redknapp back for whatever reason, be it the long-ago backstabbing of Billy Bonds, the more recent link to Tottenham Hotspur or just the generally crooked perception of him, but there is no one else who ticks all the boxes.

Just a few years ago Redknapp was managing in the Champions League and favourite for the England job, making him unanimously considered the best English manager. The FA eventually opted for a less volatile option but most rightfully believe Redknapp to have been avoided for media reasons and the contemporary tax evasion case rather than managerial ability. I hope David Sullivan and David Gold aren’t so deterred by his potential for controversy.

Despite his ripe age of 67 years-old, after being replaced by Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham (another failed case of British manager swapped with a potential mini-Mourinho), Redknapp proved he still has the thirst for football as he dived straight back in, first with a brief role at Bournemouth until he rashly took the helm of the sparkling, sinking ship in the form of QPR.

QPR hasn’t gone well for Harry; his squad wasn’t hungry enough to avoid relegation and the reckless spending before he arrived has left him with a big clear-up job. I get the feeling his heart was never really in QPR, it was more an attempt to keep his foot in the door through fear of being left in the wilderness and considered an old ‘has-been’.

But surely, regardless of what becomes of QPR in the upcoming Play-Off final, his heart would be in taking his local club, where he grew up looking up to Bobby Moore, played 149 games and managed for 7 years, out of their home and into the future. It’s the perfect final project.

I appreciate Redknapp may not always have remained loyal to West Ham since his controversial firing just after the Millennium, but he is still an East End bloke from Poplar with those memories.

Crucially, Redknapp is also a combination of attacking football and pragmatism. He has always encouraged his sides to get forward and partake in exciting games, but he will also play with the cards he is dealt with rather than being too attached to a certain philosophy.

Like it or not, West Ham have invested a great amount in Andy Carroll in terms of transfer fee and his bumper contract; unlike how Liverpool did, we can not afford to get a manager like Brendan Rodgers who will sacrifice him at a massive loss because he doesn’t fit a certain system. And also, why would we want to? The majority of the West Ham faithful like Carroll, even if they don’t like Allardyce, he is at a good age and one of the best at what he does.

Redknapp will not shy away from using a target man with wingers, and may even put someone up top with the big Geordie which would satisfy the wishes of many supporters, even if it might seem a slightly outdated system.

I’m not usually a believer in ‘going back’, I’m not sure a return for Alan Pardew would work although I liked him the first time round, but Redknapp has been gone long enough and is a big enough character to deal with the potentially tricky situation.

Also, an apt bonus is that Redknapp has been working with Ravel Morrison since February and reuniting the pair at Upton Park would dramatically improve the chance of him becoming a success. Redknapp’s man-management skills have seen him get the best out of many a difficult character, most notably Paolo Di Canio, and I would suggest no one would do a better to do a job with Morrison.

So if Sam has to go, why not go all out for Redknapp? He’s a fair more suitable option than a confidence-stricken David Moyes, a still unproven Malky Mackay or a Premiership unknown Ronald Koeman.

To really get back to West Ham traditions, why not also appoint a number two to be Redknapp’s apprentice in a manner reminiscent of John Lyall under Ron Greenwood? I’m not sure who would be heir to the throne but it would be great for a younger coach to learn under Redknapp and then eventually have the opportunity to take main stage after a few years in the Olympic Stadium to give the club some real identity and stability.

A bitter Tony Fernandes would certainly drive a hard bargain but if Redknapp fancied it he’d get what he wanted by hook or by crook. He could throw it back in our face, and that would be it, the already ropey relationship between club and man would be fully severed. But if he took it I can not envisage Harry failing. The return of the devil we know is, ironically, one made in heaven.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

West Ham to sign Romanian striker

In addition to the possible return of Carlton Cole, West Ham could yet make another signing in the attacking department.

The club are considering offering a trial, or even an immediate deal, for Romanian forward Ciprian Marica.

Marica had been linked to various other clubs throughout the Summer, including Arsenal, however the former Schalke man is still in the hunt for a professional contract.

Standing at 6’1”, Marica fits the physical mould of Sam Allardyce’s preferred forward. He is also more than comfortable playing on the wing or behind the striker, meaning that his versatility would be very attractive to the Hammers.

As well as being his fellow countryman, Răzvan Raț, who was recruited by West Ham on a free transfer this Summer, also played with Marica at Shakhtar Donetsk and thus it is thought Raț’s influence will be integral to any deal going through.

Having plied much of his recent career in Germany with VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04, Marica has been tested at a good domestic level. He has also amassed 62 caps for the Romanian national side, scoring 21 goals.

Whilst for his club sides he has mainly offered his services on the wing or as a second-striker, Romania have often needed to use Marica as a centre-forward and he has impressed in the role. West Ham would obviously utilise this versatility by using him as an under-study to Andy Carroll as well as an option elsewhere in the front three.

With David Sullivan and David Gold now confined to searching for targets in the free-agent market, it is thought Marica could be one of the only viable options available if the Cole deal falls through completely or even in addition to this.

Jack Sullivan, the chairman's son, has recently tweeted that Cole is not fit enough for Premiership football at this current time and that the club are looking at other non-contract players; Marica is the most serious of these targets.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93 for more West Ham news and articles.

Learn to appreciate the new direction

My overriding memory of the last Premiership fixture at Upton Park is the crowd bellowing out: ‘Andy Carroll, we want you to stay!’ Jeremy Nicholas (rather embarrassingly) asked the fans to get behind the cause to keep Andy but in truth it was not needed. It seemed every supporter was desperate for the big man to put pen to paper on a permanent deal.

There is great irony in the fact that the chant desperately aiming to persuade Carroll to remain at West Ham was in the same tune as the dreaded ‘we play on the floor’ drone which was so commonly sung by those disgruntled with Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce must be left scratching his head when fickle supporters express displeasure with his style of football, yet sing the praises of the forward who epitomises his tactics. The fact is; if you’re a fan of Andy Carroll then you are inevitably a fan of Sam Allardyce.

If Allardyce and Kevin Nolan were not at the club, a pairing who a section of supporters take issue with, then the England international forward would not be at West Ham United. It is as simple as that.

I think it was obvious that Carroll was left unfulfilled by his time at Liverpool and would’ve liked to have proved doubters wrong. But in a World Cup year, he made the correct decision to join a club with whom he is already settled, who will base their team around him and, vitally, who will play a style of football to suit him perfectly.

Personally I have no problem with Allardyce’s style. It is, of course, direct at times, but with an asset like Carroll it would be foolish to not to utilise his aerial presence.

We should be proud to be one of few clubs preserving the dying breed of the old-fashioned English centre forward rather than internationalising ourselves like everyone else in an effort to become yet another cheap imitation of Barcelona.

With the signing of another England international in Stewart Downing secured, we can now look forward to the prospect of two top established wingers supplying the delivery to our number nine. Surely we don’t have to be ashamed of having an appreciation of that?

I am quite surprised at the amount of supporters who aren’t happy with the Downing signing. The wide-man has been to a World Cup with England and undoubtedly we would’ve all loved to have snapped him up during his time at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. Two average years does not mean he will not return to great form.

Unsurprisingly there was no such disapproval at the signing of Joe Cole. Cole was arguably a much poorer signing than Downing – he does not really fit into our current tactics, is older and was extremely injury-prone and out-of-form when we signed him.

Understandably the affection and nostalgia surrounding Cole provoked a reaction of sheer delight but, regardless of personal attachments and feelings, Downing will be a far more useful player to us than Cole this season.

Another fresh player in the squad is Ravel Morrison. Although he joined some time ago, his lack of action in a West Ham shirt and high appraisal gives him the intrigue and excitement of a big new signing.

Six goals in pre-season could show that Morrison is finally ready to fulfil the potential which was suggested when Sir Alex Ferguson said he was one of the best players he had ever seen. I am dubious to trust Morrison with his track-record and attitude problem, but he could be very useful if given the chance.

Apparently Allardyce has rejected several loan offers, including one from Birmingham who he was on loan with last year, and so it seems Morrison is finally ready to step into the first-team and prove whether he can make it at the highest level.

Morrison looks to be a fantastic player, and his skill was undeniable at the Pacos de Ferreira home friendly, but we can’t place too much responsibility on the shoulders of a young man who has proved he is liable to get a rush of blood to the head at any moment.

It is interesting that all the players mentioned in this article thus far are English. The English core at West Ham United is undeniably one of the strongest in the league now and something I’m sure all fans will welcome.

Of course it is great to have the exotic foreigner, we have certainly fallen for a few of them over recent years with the likes of Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez, but as an English fan I think it definitely gives you a greater intimacy with the squad when they are of the same nationality.

The sense that they understand the club and its culture is invaluable and something I think will help drive us forward this season to an improved Premiership position and hopefully an impressive cup run.

And, as mentioned, it is a World Cup year. Who’s to say we won’t have another three Lions in Brazil in the Summer? Exciting times are ahead, I hope the persistent moaners can recognise that and embrace the direction we are moving in.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Signing older players like Ambrosini could be the way forward for Allardyce’s West Ham

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

Liverpool could break Hammers' hearts

‘Big Sam Allardyce’ has made a great start to the Premiership era of his reign at West Ham. But he is not the only man who has already made a ‘big’ impact at Upton Park this season. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake of falling in love with Andy Carroll.

If any of you had the misfortune of tuning in to Sky Sports ‘Goals on Sunday’ featuring Allardyce himself, you would’ve heard the regretful confirmation that it is a distinct possibility that Carroll can be recalled by Liverpool in January.

We must applaud David Sullivan and David Gold for their ambition and determination to bring Andy to the club, but it appears that the deal is not as ‘watertight’ as it was first described. Insiders had previously claimed that Carroll could be ours for a figure of around £18 million at any point during the year, and also suggested that the transfer of Carroll was an offer exclusively available to West Ham United; however it has become clear that we could lose the player far quicker than the time it took to bring him to the club.

This clarity on the issue is just one example of what will become a repetitive battle of our owners’ claret and blue tinted eyes and desperation to please the fans, versus Allardyce’s cynical, frank realism.

Whilst Gold and Sullivan would have you believe that Carroll was in awe of West Ham United as soon as he opened the door of his customised Range Rover and looked up at the castle-like exterior of the Boleyn Ground, Allardyce has admitted that Carroll was reluctant to leave Liverpool and is only really here in an effort to get some first-team football and capture Brendan Rodgers’ attention.

As supporters we must not judge Carroll too harshly for this attitude. We’re all huge fans of West Ham and believe all our players should love the club as much as we do, but what we must remember is that he moved from his boyhood team Newcastle to join Liverpool, in a deal which made him the most expensive British footballer in history.

Even the most biased amongst us can accept that Liverpool is a great football club with a massive fan base who are dedicated to their club in a similar way to we are. They may not be experiencing their most successful period at the moment, but Carroll would obviously love to become a part of Liverpool’s illustrious history and, understandably, does not wanted to be judged as a failure.

Liverpool are currently struggling just outside the relegation zone whilst we are enjoying life back in the Premier League in 8th position. Whilst this could be seen as a reason for Carroll to want to stay at West Ham, I think it is vital that Liverpool overtake us soon or the pressure will mount on Rodgers and he, or his replacement, will quickly give in to pressure to call for Carroll to return to Anfield in a blaze of glory.

Rodgers’ football ideology could not be more different from Allardyce’s practicality; his idealistic playing style evidently has no room for what is perceived to be a 6ft 3” powerhouse. And that’s exactly why we need Rodgers’ homage to Barcelona to work and convince everyone, including Liverpool’s owners, that the old-fashioned centre forward is becoming extinct in the modern game, paving the way for Carroll to join permanently.

The appointment of Rodgers suggests that Fenway Sports Group subscribe to his ‘project’ and will give him the time necessary to transform Liverpool into a vibrant, free-flowing, attacking side. However they have far less commitment to Rodgers than they did to Kenny Dalglish in terms of risking alienating the fans, and so the fact that they sacked Dalglish may worry Rodgers.

Carroll could easily be brought back as a stop-gap plan to pick up some points before Rodgers’ next major transfer window. If Rodgers is fired then it is likely a more results-based manager will replace him, such as Harry Redknapp, and they would be certain to bring Carroll back in a heartbeat.

A brilliant forward is something that West Ham have not been particularly blessed with in recent years. Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez are the only two amazing players who spring to mind; for the rest of the time we have had to settle for decent strikers who are confined to rare moments of quality such as Bobby Zamora, Dean Ashton and, in the current day, Carlton Cole.

Although Cole is certainly a likeable figure, undoubtedly committed to West Ham United and is not as useless as some would have you believe, the gulf in class between him and Carroll was shocking against Fulham.

Carroll controlled absolutely everything in the advanced positions of the pitch; he won almost everything in the air with ease, against a strong competitor in the form of Brede Hangeland, and showed an awareness when placing the ball which suggested he had been nurtured in that team for years when, in fact, he had minimal training time and was thrown into his debut in a reckless attempt to reconcile an embarrassing defeat at Swansea.

Anyone who tries to suggest that Carroll is a one-dimensional lump is talking absolute nonsense. I honestly believe he is one of the best players we have had in our squad for many years. Allardyce’s determination to force a deal through must be commended and I’m sure we are all relishing the thought of Matt Jarvis’ much-talked about cross completion statistics coming to fruition with Carroll providing the target.

He may not emit the same exoticism as the likes of Tevez did, and his towering frame and scruffy image complete with greasy pony tail does him absolutely no favours in terms of fitting in with the popular sleek, fashionable footballer stereotype of the moment (Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres etc.) but Carroll is a special player.

He may be unavailable today but we are still extremely lucky to have him considering we are in our infancy during this spell as a Premiership club. He completes what is one of the most competitive squads we have had in recent years and we could be in store for a solid campaign back in the top flight, especially if we maintain our 100% home record today against Sunderland.

Let’s hope Liverpool can also kick-start a successful season against Manchester United on Sunday as it could help us to hold on to a 23 year-old who is integral to fulfilling our dreams, as opposed to, predictably, seeing them fade and die.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93