Tim Steidten under pressure as Troy Deeney delights in West Ham United development
West Ham director of football Tim Steidten is surely under pressure following the club's poor start to the season, Troy Deeney has said.
Speaking on talkSPORT (13 November, 7:39am), Deeney said he'd been proven right in his scepticism of Julen Lopetegui's appointment, and questioned Steidten's role in their squad rebuild over the summer.
Steidten and Lopetegui oversaw nine new first-team signings at the London Stadium in their first transfer window in charge, but over £100million spent hasn't translated into success on the pitch.
Deeney said: "A lot of us said it beforehand – I got battered actually by West Ham fans, for being quite negative on the appointment.
"I think to spend £100million which they have done, and brought in some decent players – they're not bad players – surely the director of football has to come under a lot of pressure as well.
"To spend £100m, and the presentation in which it was done – there's going to be this whole new revamp, new style, attacking play – then just to get that, for £100m quid, is quite disappointing."
Tim Steidten's signings have to improve at West Ham United
The Irons' hierarchy put all their eggs in one basket this summer, backing Steidten and Lopetegui to the hilt with over £100m to complete a huge overhaul of the existing squad at the London Stadium.
Of the club's nine new arrivals, though, very few have played consistently and played well, with the insipid style of football imposed by Lopetegui not helping a single player in the team to shine.
Only Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Crysencio Summerville have remotely impressed in the Irons' first 11 league games of the season, with the likes of Guido Rodriguez failing to hit the heights.
While Rodriguez's signing was on Lopetegui's watch [Daily Mail, 24 October], big-money Steidten arrivals like Luis Guilherme and Niclas Fullkrug have hardly had a kick in claret and blue, with the latter suffering from persistent injuries.
Lopetegui is undoubtedly starting to feel the pressure due to his new-look side's slow start, but attention must also turn towards Steidten as the architect of a squad which still looks woefully unequipped.