Rutashubanyuma
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- Sep 24, 2010
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Hammers boss at breaking point
Published 23:00 18/12/10 By Paul Smith
Avram Grant has virtually reached breaking point at West Ham.
Despite the looming threat of the sack, close friends claim he has been severely undermined and reached the conclusion that it is near impossible to achieve *minimal goals at Upton Park.
A depleted squad of long-term and short-term injuries have left Grant claiming he is now in an *untenable position at Upton Park.
And a significant lack of funds to strengthen the squad leaves the Israeli coach unsurprised to find the Hammers propping up the *Premier League.
This week Grant was given a *temporary stay of execution that amounts to 180 minutes of football to save his job.
Prior to visiting Blackburn *yesterday, the club had taken just 12 points from a possible 51 and *recorded just two home wins all season against Tottenham and Wigan.
On his appointment, Grant made it clear to the West Ham board that he had a five-year plan, which involved purchasing young players who could develop at the club.
They bought into the idea, but maintained that, while money would be made available, he would have to generate funds by selling players. Grant urgently required a striker and his No1 target was 23-year-old French marksman Loic Remy. The £10million deal had been due to be financed by Carlton Coles sale to Liverpool.
But when West Ham *valued Cole at £15million, *Liverpool pulled out and the Remy deal collapsed.
Grants future plans were already being severely undermined by *restrictive spending, so he was told to go out and get loan players to strengthen his squad.
Former Portsmouth marksman Frederic Piquionne was only ever intended to be signed as a back-up striker from Lyon. But Grant *quickly realised he was spending £850,000 on a first-team player. Loan players such as Tel Ben-Haim and Victor Obinna were brought into the club as the young players whom Grant had targeted were firmly out of his price range.
The club also maintained recently that they had spent £16million on *players to date but it can be *revealed they have spent £8million, with payments *structured over three years.
To make matter worse for Grant, he has had to deal with a nightmare injury-list, long-term victims including Danny *Gabbidon, Herita Ilunga, Jack Collison and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
While a host of players are out of contract in the summer, including Matthew Upson, Kieron Dyer, Lars Jacobsen and Gabbidon.
The beginning of the end for Grant came around five weeks ago when calls were made to players and staff to evaluate his training methods. The atmosphere in and around the training ground completely disintegrated as players came to the conclusion Grant was *merely living on borrowed time.
To add injury to insult, Grant was pulled up on Friday by a *senior official for failing to take more than one goalkeeper to Blackburn, following Robert Greens failure to travel.
And Grant was left stunned to be told that the Ewood Park *outing could be his last game in charge.
Published 23:00 18/12/10 By Paul Smith
Avram Grant has virtually reached breaking point at West Ham.
Despite the looming threat of the sack, close friends claim he has been severely undermined and reached the conclusion that it is near impossible to achieve *minimal goals at Upton Park.
A depleted squad of long-term and short-term injuries have left Grant claiming he is now in an *untenable position at Upton Park.
And a significant lack of funds to strengthen the squad leaves the Israeli coach unsurprised to find the Hammers propping up the *Premier League.
This week Grant was given a *temporary stay of execution that amounts to 180 minutes of football to save his job.
Prior to visiting Blackburn *yesterday, the club had taken just 12 points from a possible 51 and *recorded just two home wins all season against Tottenham and Wigan.
On his appointment, Grant made it clear to the West Ham board that he had a five-year plan, which involved purchasing young players who could develop at the club.
They bought into the idea, but maintained that, while money would be made available, he would have to generate funds by selling players. Grant urgently required a striker and his No1 target was 23-year-old French marksman Loic Remy. The £10million deal had been due to be financed by Carlton Coles sale to Liverpool.
But when West Ham *valued Cole at £15million, *Liverpool pulled out and the Remy deal collapsed.
Grants future plans were already being severely undermined by *restrictive spending, so he was told to go out and get loan players to strengthen his squad.
Former Portsmouth marksman Frederic Piquionne was only ever intended to be signed as a back-up striker from Lyon. But Grant *quickly realised he was spending £850,000 on a first-team player. Loan players such as Tel Ben-Haim and Victor Obinna were brought into the club as the young players whom Grant had targeted were firmly out of his price range.
The club also maintained recently that they had spent £16million on *players to date but it can be *revealed they have spent £8million, with payments *structured over three years.
To make matter worse for Grant, he has had to deal with a nightmare injury-list, long-term victims including Danny *Gabbidon, Herita Ilunga, Jack Collison and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
While a host of players are out of contract in the summer, including Matthew Upson, Kieron Dyer, Lars Jacobsen and Gabbidon.
The beginning of the end for Grant came around five weeks ago when calls were made to players and staff to evaluate his training methods. The atmosphere in and around the training ground completely disintegrated as players came to the conclusion Grant was *merely living on borrowed time.
To add injury to insult, Grant was pulled up on Friday by a *senior official for failing to take more than one goalkeeper to Blackburn, following Robert Greens failure to travel.
And Grant was left stunned to be told that the Ewood Park *outing could be his last game in charge.