Danny Murphy empties both barrels on West Ham owners
Danny Murphy has emptied both barrels on West Ham owners for their lack of January investment, claiming they “missed a trick”.
The Hammers were desperate for reinforcements in the transfer window amid injuries to centre-back duo Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna with Michail Antonio also needing back-up.
The former Liverpool player suggested David Moyes would have been upset with the lack of business at the Irons could have done much better this season had they got their targets over the line.
He said on talkSPORT: “I do think they missed a trick in not getting someone.
“All the top clubs in the Premier League, when a team makes a signing in your position you automatically jump up a gear.
“You know you may get your place taken. When Antonio is fit, generally he plays. Although he [Moyes] said the right things, I don’t think he got what he wanted [in January].
“He’s an intelligent man, why wouldn’t he want someone in?”
Murphy added: “West Ham are in a good position, but they were in an even better one. They were still in the cup a few weeks ago and in a better position in the league.
“A bit of strengthening and a bit of risk, not stupid in spending hundreds of millions, but one or two in attacking areas – every West Ham fan was saying the same thing.
“There’s no way Moyesy didn’t want someone in.
“The West Ham owners have only once, in recent history, shown real gumption in the market when they backed Pellegrini.”
Must learn
The truth is the owners left it way, way too late to dive into the market.
Everyone at the club could see the areas within the squad that were crying out for reinforcements but apparently, the recruitment team couldn’t…
It seemed as if there was no plan at all ahead of the window, instead West Ham just winged it. They waited far too long to move for many of their key targets and by that time there wasn’t enough time to get the deal done or they had been tempted elsewhere.
Moyes and the players can play as well as they like on the pitch but if the Hammers don’t sort out their recruitment strategy the club won’t develop.
It is vital to maintain the high levels within the squad and offer your players competition for places as well as rotation. Antonio is the perfect example of that this season.
Hopefully, they learn from these mistakes in the summer window.
In other West Ham news, View: Moyes blames Antonio for the defeat suffered at Tottenham.
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