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5 reasons West Ham should bring in a long term director of football

By Scott Johnson

West Ham behind closed doors. (Photo by Will Oliver - Pool/Getty Images)
West Ham behind closed doors. (Photo by Will Oliver - Pool/Getty Images) /
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We can get back to being an academy of football

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Ajibola Alese of West Ham battles for possession with Thomas Mayer of Hull City during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between West Ham United and Hull City at London Stadium on September 22, 2020 in London, England. Sporting Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors (Photo by Will Oliver – Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Ajibola Alese of West Ham battles for possession with Thomas Mayer of Hull City during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between West Ham United and Hull City at London Stadium on September 22, 2020 in London, England. Sporting Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors (Photo by Will Oliver – Pool/Getty Images) /

West Ham fans love to refer to the club as the academy of football, and most older fans will also tell of the time we won the World Cup. Well, we’ve fallen a long way since the dizzying heights of producing three English world cup winners when we’re struggling to keep hold of anyone past the age of 21 who looks capable of playing in the Premier League. But a director of football in place would mean that we keep more of our prospects, and probably produce more too.

With a director of football looking long term, there is more likely to be spending on young players who will be ready for the first team in a few years. Talents aren’t always capable of improving or playing in the team straight away, but getting them early can be cost-effective and the key to getting the most out of them in terms of both playing style and squad fit. But, as I said earlier, a manager isn’t likely to want to sanction any significant part of his budget being spent on future improvements that he won’t be around to see.

Plus, a director of football will consider not just the squad in play right now, but the squad for future years. Lets put this hypothetical situation into play. Let’s say you have a left-winger capable of making the step up from the youth side, but probably on a rotation role. Mostly off the bench minutes. But, really, you need someone capable of playing in that position now because it’s a gap in the squad. So, a manager would want to spend big on someone to play there now and for the next few years. But that could stifle the development of your young star. What happens in a year or two when that player is ready to step up fully? Do you bench the big wage man? Probably not. You might even end up selling the youngster. What a crazy hypothetical situation…

A director of football in place would have ensured a plan was in place. Maybe someone who was Premier League standard but towards the end of their career would have been a better move to plug that gap. Or a loan. But certainly not buying someone for a record fee when the risks and rewards beyond the first season weren’t considered. But now we’re in this situation and the manager who wanted it done isn’t here to deal with it.

dark. Next. David “woe is me” Sullivan pleads poverty at West Ham

If I haven’t convinced you yet that a Director of Football would be the right way to go, then I’d be very interested to hear why. For me, West Ham can begin making plans to move into European contention, rather than fishing at the bottom of the league season after season.