May as well get going with this since with Sullivan at the helm, season ticket renewals slow, and the football vacuum to commence, this will soon be all the "news" there is.
Can Potter and MacCauley pull multiple rabbits out of the hat, or will Sullivan 'try really hard' with all of them before grabbing a few aging bargains from Big Willie Salthouse?
Window this close season comes in two parts:
Part 1: 1st June to 10th June
Part 2: 16th June to 1st September
Nick at C&B saying that he thinks KWP’s agent is Will Salthouse? Is that true?
I like Nick’s “heart on a sleeve” videos even if, by his own admission, he doesnt get all his facts right
But back to KWP, while there is sense to the deal and gives cover and he’s decent, versatile, no fee, the real problem is not the player its the tact that it proves Sullivan still controlling everything. This is what will continue to undermine everything at West Ham. His ego or need for validation is relentless. He’s beaten or silenced the traditional fans with the move so no protests. We just got to outlive him.
Keep healthy lads coz people like Sullivan live until a 100
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 12:16
by Eerie Decent
How many times have you seen that Martinez play, Russ?
I'm going to guess as many times as Sir Alf & eusebiovic.
Russ of the BML" wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 08:36
Logistically KWP is a sound move.
It makes our full back positions probably the strongest in the squad with AWB, Diouf, Scarles and (apparently) soon to be announced KWP who can play both sides. And with AFCON looming we will need Scarles and KWP.
£75k a week is alot for KWP. But he comes with no fee and we do have the wages available. And if, against all of my better judgement and sense, we are unbelievably having a half decent season by AFCON, he could be a very important player for us.
Does make me laugh though, we have been linked with Arnau Martinez (RB at Girona) who is 22 and up and coming. Girona had agreed to sell for £13m and player wanted move yet we have procrastinated and now that move will be off. Sulli's backers will say its shrewd as its saved us £13m, but we all know the truth.
The lad at Girona would be a far better signing, less wages plenty of top level match experience under his belt and ready to kick on. Plus decent resale value if he gets homesick and wants to return to Spain.
Which is highly unlikely because he's a northerner...that type of Spaniard can adapt like a fish to water over here...
Totally agree that Martinez would have been a better signing. Would've been a bolder and more dynamic signing. But, bold and dynamic are not two words that are generally linked to the dwarf's transfer policy.
Lee Trundle" wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 10:34
"AWB could play on the right side of a back 3"
I keep seeing this suggestion. He's never played there in his life from what I can gather. I have no idea why people suddenly think this.
(you're not the only one Brenty)
Also I don't understand why anyone would want to put him there anyway, one of his biggest assets is bombing forward and assisting and popping up with the odd goal.
That’s weird, given this time last season all I read was that AWB was great defensively but offered nothing going forwards.
He’s pretty good at both, it turned out. He can definitely play in a back three, such is his defensive ability. I’m sure he did at Man Utd from time to time but could be wrong.
Nobody is saying he should be there every game, just that it’s an option, and that KWP is a sensible signing.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:47
by Eerie Decent
fraser wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 11:35
There were a few of us that rated AWB..
Yeah probably was, just remember debating against a few.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:43
by southbankbornnbred
Probably his wages, 360. I doubt Besiktas were going to pay him £75k a week.
He's most likely a squad player in the way Ings and others were, so I won't linger on it. The team needs players in starting positions that are far more important, as people (including Eerie) have said.
We definitely need legs, and speed, in central midfield otherwise we'll be crab-crawling around next season.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:41
by Jean-Luc Paul Goddard
Some people will cream themselves about spending £20m on a 20 year old prospect they've never heard of from eastern Europe, then cry about getting an established PL player at his peak, who fills a lot of squad holes, on a free transfer.
I guess it's just a case of better the devil you don't know. If you've never heard of or seen the player there's always the hope that he's going to be great. Whereas with players they think they know, like AWB or Craig Dawson, people are unimpressed or even upset about their signing.
BillyJenningsBoots wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 11:25
Oh and his age? Well hes 6 months older than AWB!
The age thing for me is that he’s senior and should expect to be 1st team at his age rather than a backup. So just wondering how that fits in if he we’ve bought diop in as well.
I suppose diop and Scarles are the junior players and KWP and AWB are the senior 1st team players here? (Assuming Emerson is going). that would make sense to me.
Im still not sure if Potters plan is to play AWB as the right side of a three. Which means KWP will be first choice RWB.
Lets see what he does. I guess it depnds on his 3 Central defenders. Is Aguerd staying and playing?
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:36
by threesixty
BillyJenningsBoots wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 11:25
Oh and his age? Well hes 6 months older than AWB!
The age thing for me is that he’s senior and should expect to be 1st team at his age rather than a backup. So just wondering how that fits in if he we’ve bought diop in as well.
I suppose diop and Scarles are the junior players and KWP and AWB are the senior 1st team players here? (Assuming Emerson is going). that would make sense to me.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:35
by fraser
There were a few of us that rated AWB..
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:34
by southbankbornnbred
Oh dear!
For the record, I jokingly told my mate that the only way Southampton would score would be through Flynn because he has West Ham blood. Then that it actually happened (Downes played well that day, IIRC). So sue me for laughing at the time.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:33
by threesixty
So I’m getting good going forward but shit defender vibes.
I suppose Potter really wants to play a back 3 and doesn’t want his fullbacks being pinned back making last ditch tackles etc.
I just think if he can’t sort out our central midfield problems it’s all going to go to mush anyways. No matter how attack minded you want to be with all that wingback stuff. So often it’s ended up as a back 5 in two banks as the better teams push us back and we have no midfield outlet to control the game.
so I’m cautiously optimistic about KWP etc if we get a powerhouse CM in to get this team functioning properly.
are we looking at any??
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:25
by BillyJenningsBoots
If Potter wants to play a 3 and wing backs then KWP as a right sided wing back makes perfect sense. Plus as some are saying if he wants flexible players he can do a job at left wing back.
He is good going forward but hit and miss from what Ive heard defensively.
If you check his stats for last year in a poor Southampton side he looks pretty good. Then compare his stats with AWB from his last season at Man Utd and KWP are way better. Even more interesting is obviously AWBs stats are mssively better in his first season with us.
So who's to say KWP wont improve with a better system and players around him.
Oh and his age? Well hes 6 months older than AWB!
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:17
by Eerie Decent
Deflection from what? You think the lad is absolute pony, I'll hold my hands up and say I haven't watched him as much as you. AWB I had seen enough of to know he was going to be a very good player for us, against pretty much every other cսnt on here at the time, this lad I don't, so you can have that one. Although claiming he is on Sam Byram's level is ridiculous, which makes me doubt your story.
I'm not going to let any of that get in the way of a supposed West Ham, watching Southampton regularly, and cheering a goal they scored. What the fuck.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:06
by southbankbornnbred
I celebrated Flynn scoring the equaliser, as it was a running joke between me and my mate. I told him they only had one good player, and he was ex-West Ham.
southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 10:01
KWP is a Partridge signing if ever there was one.
A player whose best is the bottom 25% of the Prem and the top 25% of the Championship, signing for a manager who inhabits that world in his mind and (with one exception) in his achievements.
It’s Glenn Roeder meets Sam Byram.
I’m delighted, naturally. Can’t wait.
In what games did you watch him, and what was it that has made you liken him to Sam Byram? Or was it when you watched him get his couple of caps for England?
Unlike you I don't watch loads of Southampton, but I thought he played really well against us, good on the ball and very quick, something we massively lack in the squad.
Looks pretty good in that montage to me. Shrewd signing.
Well, one of the people I work closely with is a huge Southampton fan, so I got dragged off to the pub to watch them quite a bit last season.
I remember KWP getting murdered by Liverpool's wingers (Diaz and Salah) when Liverpool went down there and beat them, scoring three (or four?). The Japanese winger (Mitoma?) at Brighton brutalised him, and scored, during what was an otherwise dull game (I think Flynn scored for Southampton, as I remember celebrating that). Other televised games, too. Watched him against us at the athletics track, during the 1-1 draw. He was bang average, although lively when he had space to run. And we weren't great - as everybody knows.
Honestly, every time I've seen KWP he has been poor, or bang average. Genuinely can't recall a moment where I thought he's got something we really need - apart from his pace. He played in a terrible side, admittedly, so confidence was probably very low and they rarely had possession. You'd hope he'd be more effective with us, but I think the quality of our squad is heading in the wrong direction at the moment. Let's hope that changes.
He's a squad player, and a freebie, so it's not the end of the world. But my bigger worry is that it's indicative of the club's (and manager's) mindset at the moment.
I stopped reading when you said you celebrated a Southampton goal.
Fucking hell.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 202ive 5 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:03
by fraser
I've just read that Whetstone is putting it out there that there was a considerable signing on fee as well as agents fees and more expensive PL player wages... So maybe us saving money to spend elsewhere theories are being nipped firmly in the bud..
southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 10:01
KWP is a Partridge signing if ever there was one.
A player whose best is the bottom 25% of the Prem and the top 25% of the Championship, signing for a manager who inhabits that world in his mind and (with one exception) in his achievements.
It’s Glenn Roeder meets Sam Byram.
I’m delighted, naturally. Can’t wait.
In what games did you watch him, and what was it that has made you liken him to Sam Byram? Or was it when you watched him get his couple of caps for England?
Unlike you I don't watch loads of Southampton, but I thought he played really well against us, good on the ball and very quick, something we massively lack in the squad.
Looks pretty good in that montage to me. Shrewd signing.
Well, one of the people I work closely with is a huge Southampton fan, so I got dragged off to the pub to watch them quite a bit last season.
I remember KWP getting murdered by Liverpool's wingers (Diaz and Salah) when Liverpool went down there and beat them, scoring three (or four?). The Japanese winger (Mitoma?) at Brighton brutalised him, and scored, during what was an otherwise dull game (I think Flynn scored for Southampton, as I remember celebrating that). Other televised games, too. Watched him against us at the athletics track, during the 1-1 draw. He was bang average, although lively when he had space to run. And we weren't great - as everybody knows.
Honestly, every time I've seen KWP he has been poor, or bang average. Genuinely can't recall a moment where I thought he's got something we really need - apart from his pace. He played in a terrible side, admittedly, so confidence was probably very low and they rarely had possession. You'd hope he'd be more effective with us, but I think the quality of our squad is heading in the wrong direction at the moment. Let's hope that changes.
He's a squad player, and a freebie, so it's not the end of the world. But my bigger worry is that it's indicative of the club's (and manager's) mindset at the moment.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 11:00
by RootsRadical
I thought Potter played AWB right of a back 3 once or twice last season?
I could be wrong though.
KWP is still a good signing for all the other reasons I stated imho. Plus he's free which when you're trying to sign 6 or 7 new players with our buget is a big help.
Do also recall many on here having the same negative thoughts about AWB this time last year.
I'm feeling quite optimistic despite being well aware of the issues Sullivan causes. (Yes I know this is West Ham)
Fulkrug looking leaner & fitter with a full pre season. Todibo hopefully too. We still have Summerville & Guilherme and the new LB. Aguerd may stay and Mavro could be off.
if we can actually sign all or most of the heavily linked signings and shift the deadwood our squad would look consiberably stronger and younger.
I'm hearing we have serious interest in signing Grealish, Elliot, Morton, Khannouss & Pinamonti, plus a new keeper.
if that comes off I'm not going to complain.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 10:59
by Lee Trundle
dealcanvey wrote: ↑18 Jul 2025, 10:57
not sure what there is not to like about this signing.
It's a Sully special?
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 10:59
by John Drake
Decent going forward but a poor defender at this level is how I see KWP. If that fits in with what the manager wants then so be it
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 10:57
by dealcanvey
32 year old coufal replaced by 28 year old walker peters.
Has spent last few years at Southampton being one of their better players. Done well enough at times to earn himself an England call up. Something Wan Bissaka did not manage (which is hard to believe but that’s another discussion.
transfer fee amounting to zero. Experienced in the premier league and ticks the HG box.
can also like Coufal, offer cover on the left. From what I have seen of him he has a lot of pace.
not sure what there is not to like about this signing. Seems to me like a step in the right direction.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 10:56
by Eerie Decent
Funny thing is, most (and I mean most) on here were slagging AWB off to the heavens on here last summer, now he's the second coming of Cafu.
Even funnier, I was one of the very few who said he'd be class for us, and now I think everyone is going just a bit overboard on him, even though he is quality.
Funny old game.
Re: Summer Transfer Window 2025 | Official Thread
Posted: 18 Jul 2025, 10:51
by Eerie Decent
Who knows, I haven't watched him enough in full games to give absolutely clarity on how good/shit he is, like some have. But when I have seen him, he's looked decent to me, and again, he's very quick, which is in dire need for us.
Homegrown, quick, good on the ball, covers both sides at wing back or full back, peak age, and apparently the consummate professional. By no means a world beater, but you've got planks likening him to Sam Byram, so clearly they've never watched him play.
