John Simkin Posted June 14, 2007 Author Share Posted June 14, 2007 It looks like West Ham will have nine points after the first three games. Saturday 11 August Arsenal v Fulham Aston Villa v Liverpool Bolton v Newcastle Chelsea v Birmingham Derby v Portsmouth Everton v Wigan Man Utd v Reading Middlesbrough v Blackburn Sunderland v Tottenham West Ham v Man City Tuesday, 14 August 2007 Birmingham v Sunderland Portsmouth v Man Utd Reading v Chelsea Tottenham v Everton Wigan v Middlesbrough Wednesday 15 August Blackburn v Aston Villa Fulham v Bolton Liverpool v West Ham Man City v Derby Newcastle v Arsenal Saturday 18 August Birmingham v West Ham Blackburn v Arsenal Fulham v Middlesbrough Liverpool v Chelsea Man City v Man Utd Newcastle v Aston Villa Portsmouth v Bolton Reading v Everton Tottenham v Derby Wigan v Sunderland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 14, 2007 Author Share Posted June 14, 2007 I see Darren Bent has decided not to come to West Ham. This article appeared in the Guardian about West Ham Wages: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/06/...y_as_premi.html It will be dismissed as anecdotal but within English football, and specifically among agents, the following story is circulating and generating huge excitement. A player from a third-tier club who moved recently to a Championship club - one not so long ago in the Premiership - has seen his basic £1,500-a-week salary increase not five times, nor 10, but 15 times. The player's agent did not demand this sum; it was the club's opening gambit. The belief that wages in football are soaring uncontrollably is understandable. In April a Professional Footballers' Association survey found that the average annual salary of a Premiership player is now £676,000 - £13,000 a week - a rise of 65% on 2000. The accountancy firm Deloitte puts the figure much higher. It is repeated continually that agents are driving this inflation, and numerous chairmen and directors will support that theory. What is acknowledged less often by these chairmen is that clubs have long contributed to the situation. Behind the scenes now, however, some Premiership chief executives are very anxious about wage escalation. "There's a little bit of fear out there at the moment," Nicky Hammond, Reading's director of football, said yesterday. "Everyone seems to be keeping their powder dry. The numbers being talked about this season are well in excess of last year in terms of both wages and transfers." Although no one has gone public - yet - the club many are pointing the finger at is West Ham United. Their chairman, Eggert Magnusson, is now being branded "Father Christmas" by some rivals and, perhaps more worryingly, "Ridsdale" by others. "There's no doubt in my mind that West Ham has had an effect," says a senior figure at another Premiership club. Annoyance stems from an open-wallet approach to the market, demonstrated on January 22 when Blackburn's Lucas Neill walked into Upton Park on a free transfer. Sources close to the deal have confirmed that Neill, by no means a star player, earns £72,000 a week in east London. He had the option to go to Liverpool but his wage there would have been "a fraction" of what he gets at West Ham. Within boardrooms the Neill deal is being regarded as a landmark transfer. When asked on Tuesday about the Australian, the Middlesbrough chairman, Steve Gibson, said: "I don't know the details of Lucas Neill other than what I read. What I can comment on are the demands we have suffered from in the last three or four weeks. That would suggest agents are trying to push the barriers again. But that's the business and I am a businessman. But I have seen some of the deals that have gone through in recent weeks and I'm glad we haven't been involved in them." Gibson is in a slightly tricky position. Middlesbrough, because of fashion and location, have had to pay sometimes exorbitant wages and Tuncay Sanli, whose signing was confirmed yesterday, is believed to be on £60,000 a week after his free transfer from Fenerbahce. One Istanbul sports daily printed pictures of his head on £20 notes to illustrate one reason why he is moving to Teesside. But he may be Middlesbrough's big glamour signing, whereas at West Ham and elsewhere the water-carriers are also being lavishly rewarded. One agent recounted a tale of another West Ham player - who is less regarded generally than Neill - having his wages trebled a few weeks ago. Harry Redknapp knows the market better than most and the Portsmouth manager - formerly at West Ham - lamented: "Craig Bellamy would do for us. But West Ham want him and would double his wages to £100,000 a week. How do you compete with that? We've got no chance of getting Bellamy. We're all looking for strikers but the market's gone crazy." A new television deal is one explanation of the sharp rise in wages but new owners are also a factor. The Icelandic owners' fortune underwrites West Ham but even so the comparison is being made with Peter Ridsdale's Leeds. It was only this January that Ken Bates revealed that Gary Kelly's weekly wage at Leeds since 2001 has been £46,000 a week. "Twelve million pounds over five years," said the chairman. "I worked out that all the money that Leeds earned getting to the semi-finals of the Champions League was handed to Kelly with his new contract." Five years on, Leeds are in the third division. By 2012 they may still not have recovered. But Gary Kelly will still be a multimillionaire. As will Lucas Neill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Loughran Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 The Ridsdale comparison is scary. I hear that when they [Leeds] signed Seth Johnson his agent wanted £13 - 15,000. Ridsdale opened with £30K, Johnson and his agent left the room to discuss i.e. laugh. When they returned Ridsdale offered £38K. Whether this is 100%, I don't know, but Mal Donaghy (with whom I'm quite friendly) said it was doing the football grapevine at the time. I'd be disappointed to lose Yossi, though the timing of the Liverpool bid seems to indicate a prior discussion between the parties considering Benayoun phoned from holiday to say on his return (yesterday) he would sign the deal he agreed with West Ham. Also it would a slap in the face to let him go the purported max bid of £3million considering we signed him for £2.5million and he's now established in the Premiership. Creative players, as you rightly say, are in short demand, and when you have one I'd say keep him. There are very few you could replace Benayoun with who also offer the extra attribute of being hard to knock off the ball, only Ronaldinho springs to mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 The Ridsdale comparison is scary. I hear that when they [Leeds] signed Seth Johnson his agent wanted £13 - 15,000. Ridsdale opened with £30K, Johnson and his agent left the room to discuss i.e. laugh. When they returned Ridsdale offered £38K. Whether this is 100%, I don't know, but Mal Donaghy (with whom I'm quite friendly) said it was doing the football grapevine at the time. Article on the official West Ham website: "The whole situation has left me very frustrated," says Mr Magnusson. "We were so close to signing Darren and thought everything was in place to conclude what would have been the biggest transfer in West Ham United's history for a player. "I was really looking forward to making an announcement to our fans as we continue with our plans to take this club forward and to challenge the best teams in England. "The deal we put in place seemed to work for everybody concerned. Throughout the negotiations all the signs were positive. Therefore I was surprised when I learned that Darren had decided not to join us. I feel let down and disappointed. But it is time to move on. "In the aftermath of this I have been encouraged by the reaction of our supporters. They appreciate the efforts we made and some of the feedback suggests they are less disappointed than I thought they might be. "The view seems to be that perhaps this wasn't the best deal we could do at this stage. I'd like to think the experience will eventually stand us in good stead and there's no doubt about it, lessons have been learned." Meanwhile, the Chairman once again expressed his dismay at some of the media speculation surrounding player wages, and has moved to reassure supporters that all transfer negotiations are carried out with the best interests of West Ham United at heart. "West Ham United is very much in the spotlight at the moment," he says. "I totally accept that as chairman of a Club with ambition and drive. However, I am disappointed that there is a widespread belief that the Club has a bottomless pit of money to spend on transfer fees and player wages. "This is a great football Club which will be run on sensible business lines to build a secure, long-term future. That includes our policy on players wages, set at a ceiling of £55,000 a week. Despite figures being circulated in the game, no player at West Ham United earns more than that at present. "Of course, as an ambitious club we will react to the marketplace, in common with most other football clubs. If the right player comes along at the right price, then we will look at that, but we want players who want to play for West Ham United. "I believe we are bringing together a team on and off the pitch which will bring success to West Ham United. It's been a tough week but you don't get involved with a Premiership football club in order to have a quiet life." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 16, 2007 Author Share Posted June 16, 2007 Latest from the newspapers: Shaun Wright-Phillips has been told he can leave Chelsea if an offer of £10m is received for him. West Ham are favourites to snap him up. (The Sun) Charlton striker Darren Bent rejected a £17m move to West Ham because he wants to join Liverpool. (Daily Mirror) West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has promised more big-name signings despite missing out on Darren Bent. (The Sun) And the Hammers could start with a swoop for Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy. (Daily Express) West Ham's Hayden Mullins will still join Charlton despite the collapse of the Darren Bent move. (Star) Yossi Benayoun wants to quit West Ham for Liverpool. (The Guardian) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 Six Premiership clubs are interested in Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe - with West Ham and Sunderland the leading chasers. (The Independent) West Ham have joined the battle to land Preston striker David Nugent after missing out on Bent. (The Sun) The Hammers have been rebuffed after making an enquiry for Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. (Daily Mail) Birmingham have had a £3m bid for striker Marlon Harewood rejected by West Ham. (Various) Blues boss Steve Bruce has been told he will have to pay £4.5m for Harewood. (Daily Express) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Loughran Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Six Premiership clubs are interested in Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe - with West Ham and Sunderland the leading chasers. (The Independent) West Ham have joined the battle to land Preston striker David Nugent after missing out on Bent. (The Sun) The Hammers have been rebuffed after making an enquiry for Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. (Daily Mail) Birmingham have had a £3m bid for striker Marlon Harewood rejected by West Ham. (Various) Blues boss Steve Bruce has been told he will have to pay £4.5m for Harewood. (Daily Express) Please let the Nugent story be a flyer from a bored journalist. The Mail have been increasingly reporting on WHUFC, and I've read on kumb perhaps, that the Mail is anti-West Ham. Do you know anything about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 Six Premiership clubs are interested in Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe - with West Ham and Sunderland the leading chasers. (The Independent) I hope this story is true. He is a very impressive player (been watching him in the European Under 21 championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 West Ham have been offered Argentina striker Javier Saviola to replace Carlos Tevez. (The Sun) Aston Villa and Birmingham are competing for the signature of West Ham striker Marlon Harewood. (Daily Star) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Liverpool will increase their bid for West Ham's Yossi Benayoun to £4.5m. (Various) Charlton are ready to accept Spurs' £16m bid for striker Darren Bent. (Guardian) Real Madrid say they are winning the race to sign West Ham's Carlos Tevez - and will pay £30m. (Various) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 Six Premiership clubs are interested in Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe - with West Ham and Sunderland the leading chasers. (The Independent) I hope this story is true. He is a very impressive player (been watching him in the European Under 21 championship. Royston Drenthe (Feyenoord) and Ryan Babel (Ajax) were the two star players in the European Under 21 championship. It would be great if West Ham could get either of these players. Babel could be another Thierry Henry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 Arsene Wenger will attempt to recruit Carlos Tevez from West Ham or bring back Nicolas Anelka in the wake of striker Thierry Henry's expected departure from the Emirates Stadium to Barcelona. (Various) West Ham boss Alan Curbishley wants Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge after growing frustrated at being unable to land Nicky Shorey from Reading. (Sun) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 Aston Villa are set to cool their interest in West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker as the clubs are 'poles apart' in their valuation. (The People) West Ham are prepared to spend £11m to sign Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. (News of the World) Meanwhile, West Ham striker Marlon Harewood is wanted by Birmingham, Fulham, Portsmouth and Aston Villa. (News of the World) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Loughran Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 (edited) Aston Villa are set to cool their interest in West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker as the clubs are 'poles apart' in their valuation. (The People) West Ham are prepared to spend £11m to sign Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. (News of the World) Meanwhile, West Ham striker Marlon Harewood is wanted by Birmingham, Fulham, Portsmouth and Aston Villa. (News of the World) It seems Magnusson is plays hardball as well. He won't let NRK go at a lower price than his valuation (I have a feeling he was hoping for a better U21 display from him.) I'd be impressed if the rumour is true that he has withdrawn the new contract offer to Yossi Benayoun. Whilst I don't want him to go, I don't want an unhappy player either - remember Berkovic? This, if true, would reduce his bargaining power in negotiations with Liverpool, as well as removing a 'fall back' option should these negotiations look like failing. Parry's appearance at the recent arbitration case, coupled with his obvious tapping up of Benayoun is making him/Liverpool look quite bad, at the moment, to WHU fans. Richardson has said he wants to leave Man U to get more first team opportunities. Richardson might come home to Upton Park, with SWP opposite him we might have two genuine wingers for the first time in quite a while. Are you aware if we get any money from any potential Tevez deal? I have heard Magnusson say we will - but I'm unsure if this is gamesmanship with Kia/PL. Edited June 24, 2007 by Gary Loughran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Simkin Posted June 25, 2007 Author Share Posted June 25, 2007 Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to stun Manchester City fans by making West Ham's Marlon Harewood one of his first signings. (Daily Mirror) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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