A reassuring sign of things to come from West Ham’s owners

It’s no secret that West Ham are in the market for a new striker; the retirement of Dean Ashton and the injury problems with Carlton Cole have left the Hammers very short up front with youngsters having to fill in and it was always going to be the case that a striker was number one priority. The problem though was that West Ham had no funds to get that striker with and they were going to have to bring in a dirt cheap one regardless of quality, or sell key players to buy them. But now it looks like things have taken a turn for the better.

The takeover by David Sullivan and David Gold may not seem the most exciting of moves but the duo are trying to clear away the club’s debts, are making it so that key players like Scott Parket, Matty Upson and Robert Green do not need to be sold and now, importantly, they’ve promised the club money to spend on strikers as they look to help their new club rise up the table.

Gold and Sullivan were never known for spending big at Birmingham and they’re not offering many millions to bring in replacements but they’ll provide enough to get someone in. A number of players are being linked now – Benni McCarthy, Robbie Keane and Eidur Gudjohnsen have been linked in the last few days alone. None of them are ideal candidates but at least more names are being bandied around. Previously there was rumours of a loan move for Mario Balotelli, or a move for Adriano or Marouane Chamakh, both of whom seem more likely to move elsewhere. Having money available, even if it’s just a few million, offers West Ham a lot more flexibility in choosing who they sign and you can be sure that Gianfranco Zola will spend that money wisely.

On the whole then things are looking up for the Hammers although it’s still early days in the Gold/Sullivan reign. Zola’s future’s been assured, the big name players are expected to stay and there’ve already been revelations at the club this season with Alessandro Diamanti in particular looking a real catch for the club. West Ham may still linger down in the lower reaches of the Premier League but one or two shrewd signings and things can change drastically. Apart from their lack of strikers the Hammers have not been a bad side – their defence is pretty good although unremarkable and they have a pretty solid midfield unit with English duo Scott Parker and Mark Noble providing creativity through the middle. There are far worse teams in the Premier League and the addition of a striker to compensate for Cole’s injury, and then to partner or cover for him when he returns, would be the missing part of the puzzle.

West Ham have been through a lot in the last decade and the rollercoaster ride is far from finished. But there’s a reason most at the club show faith in Zola and I’m confident he’ll shine through, with help from the new owners, and help West Ham get away from this relegation fear. No club’s too big to go down but the foundations of a good club only need a slight bit of changing to alter their fortunes and this money to spend on a striker should prove just that.

Become a Fan of FootballFanCast.com via Facebook