It has taken just 10 days for the Graham Potter feel-good factor to dissipate at West Ham as the focus turns sharply on Tim Steidten.
West Ham served up a typically Julen Lopetegui-esque show of woe in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
But little, if any, blame lays with new boss Graham Potter.
Lopetegui was finally shown the door by West Ham last week – but many fans and observers felt it was two months too late.
With no Europe, no chance of qualifying for Europe, out of both cups and no real threat of relegation, West Ham’s season was ended by Palace.
Most fans accept the rest of the campaign can and will now be used by Potter to try and implement his style and philosophy.
But more importantly to identify who he wants to keep, who he wants to ship out and where he needs to strengthen.
West Ham have several injuries at the moment.
However, the Hammers are among the six Premier League teams least affected by injuries this season.
Until recently they were the team least impacted.
So a few injuries cannot justifiably be used as an excuse for the squad Potter was forced to work with against Palace.
West Ham reaction to woeful defeat piles pressure on Steidten
Technical director Tim Steidten led the West Ham rebuild in the summer with big promises made.
The German, dubbed ‘the pearl diver’ in his homeland, pledged to reinvent West Ham around dynamic, exciting and versatile young players.
The reality is that Steidten – as head of West Ham’s football operation – has overseen a disastrous rebuild which has taken the top flight’s second oldest squad and made it the oldest.
That was on show against Palace.
From the 40-year-old goalkeeper to a weak and error-prone defence being propped up by 35-year-old Aaron Cresswell. From the laughably immobile central midfield to relying on a 32-year-old misfit striker up front.
A few injuries should not leave any Premier League club in this position.
And West Ham’s reaction to the woeful defeat piles the pressure on demoted Steidten.
The technical director has been under fire as the wheels have come off this season.
That is to be expected after Steidten led the £155m rebuild which saw 12 go out and nine come in.
Ahead of the January window, angry majority owner David Sullivan demoted Steidten – reassuming ultimate control of transfers.
As a result a top Hammers board source claims Steidten is already 50 per cent gone at West Ham.
The former Bayer Leverkusen director had started the season by being front and centre at West Ham.
Doing interviews, attending press conferences, being pitchside pre-match, speaking to players in the tunnel before kick-off and even travelling with the first team to games.
He has slowly faded from view as the months have ticked by on this most dismal of seasons, though.
Hammers make transfer anger clear
And Steidten’s future is surely in serious doubt after West Ham voiced their anger at the club’s summer transfer record.
Steidten signed Max Kilman for £40m from Wolves, committed £32m to pay for injury-prone Jean-Clair Todibo in the summer and shelled out £26.5m for striker disaster Niclas Fullkrug.
That was despite fans questioning the wisdom of the Fullkrug deal given his long history of serious injuries.
Steidten also pushed hard to sign untested Brazilian teen Luis Guilherme for nearly £25m.
That was despite the 18-year-old having barely featured for Palmeiras.
Even on a free transfer, Guido Rodriguez looks terrible value for money.
It is said he was a Lopetegui signing – but as the man in charge of recruitment, that is still on Steidten for allowing it to happen.
The only players who look anything like value for money are Aaron Wan-Bissaka at £15m and Crysencio Summerville for just over £20m.
It was revealed by Sean Whetstone earlier this season that it was Sullivan who pushed to sign Summerville.
Hammers News put it to the top source inside the London Stadium that the squad situation is unacceptably bad and asked whether Steidten was under pressure as a result.
The response is pretty damning.
“We were very poor against Palace,” the key senior spokesman told Hammers News.
“We have to improve.
“Summerville at £20m was the only VALUE for money signing. We hope he’s back soon.”
Related Topics
