Tim Steidten deserves praise for West Ham exit call after what has been said
Southampton boss Ivan Juric has called out the attitude of ex-West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes, and the Irons appear to have made the right call last summer.
West Ham have had an active season when it comes to transfers with plenty of incomings matched by several outgoings.
Recently departed Tim Steidten oversaw the majority of that business, plenty of which will be rightfully labelled as a failure, but there have been a handful of good decisions made at the London Stadium.
Downes was one of those to have packed his bags last summer, joining Southampton in a permanent deal after his loan, and if Juric’s comments are anything to go by, Steidten deserves credit.
Flynn Downes called out at Southampton
The Saints crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Burnley, but Downes was nowhere to be seen and his omission from the squad left questions, to which Juric has seemingly provided an answer.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent (9 February), Juric said: “During the transfer window we have lots of players who are always professional. Some players make mistakes. [Downes’] attitude was not good.”
While very few would have anticipated Downes having attitude issues, the Irons deserve credit for offloading the midfielder based on that.
West Ham are already enduring a troubled season, and having another bad apple on the side would do them no good and his departure is something that Steidten deserves credit for finalising.
West Ham cannot afford attitude issues
The Hammers are in a period of transition under Graham Potter, and for that to be seamless, everyone needs to be on the same page with the same goals in mind.
Given the concerns raised by Juric on Downes, it seems highly unlikely that the midfielder would have fit into that atmosphere without unsettling it.
Throughout the years, West Ham have had several players who failed to show themselves in the best light which is part of the reason behind the regression over the last 12 months.
The Irons are now looking forward to a better future, and the decision to offload Downes should be looked at with a sly smile on their face with his future at Southampton only likely to take a turn for the worse.