Want to Act Like a Big Club? Look to Everton

The move to the London Stadium was billed to be one that launched the Hammers into the big time. However, after this season’s results saw the Irons regress from the previous season, it showed that just physically moving the pitch wasn’t going to actually change the results without some investment in the side. Yes, the team did go out and make some signings but some of those were loans, some of those were on a free and most of them were disasters. The team whiffed and whiffed again on strikers, while really not making an impact signing (maybe Andre Ayew). But, before this spirals into an article about transfer policy, let’s reset and talk about ambition.

Ambition - noun - a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work; desire and determination to achieve success

The Board talk about the ambition to be a big club, yet they have yet to back it up. All fans have to do is look a little bit up the table to see a club that is backing up their big-club ambition talk with action: Everton. The Toffees have hit the ground running this summer, signing Jordan Pickford (who was linked with the Hammers) and Davy Klaassen for a combined £48.8m; they are also linked with a £16m move for M’Baye Niang (who was ALSO was linked to the Irons).

West Ham have, again, talked a huge game this summer and brought in an older right back on a free (sound familiar?) and have been linked with countless other players (including every striker to have ever lived). But again, there has yet to be any action. With Slaven Bilic presumably starting the season on the hot-seat, the Board need to provide him with the resources to bring in players to help him keep his job and without a large investment over the summer, the club would be setting up Slav for failure. (Side note: the Board may have stars in their eyes with Thomas Tuchel interested in a move to England albeit to a Champions League club apparently, but who knows.)

We don’t know where the Board wants to take this team, or what their long-term vision is, but right now they are showing a lack of ambition.