Some West Ham United fans have been reacting on social media after the London Stadium outfit announced Rob Newman as their new Head of Recruitment.
The Hammers have moved to shake-up their off-the-field structure with added experience in their transfer department. Newman joins West Ham after working more than 12-years with Manchester City as an International Scouting and Recruitment Manager.
Newman joined Manchester City as a scout and became a key figure at the Etihad Stadium in scouting global prospects. He will now oversee a similar role and a team of scouts in east London as part of their restructuring.
Newman has just 13-weeks to get up to speed at West Ham before the January transfer window opens. The Hammers have set a high bar with their recent acquisitions since David Moyes returned to the club.
West Ham have enjoyed great success from raiding the Czech Republic for bargain talents in Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek. The Irons paid Slavia Prague a mere £5.5m for the right-back last October after paying £19m for their midfielder.
Craig Dawson also made a big impact under Moyes last season after joining on an initial loan from Watford. The 31-year-old helped to keep seven clean sheets and qualify for the Europa League over 22 Premier League outings. Thus triggering a £2m obligation to buy.
West Ham fans react to Newman appointment
West Ham thrilled some fans when announcing Newman as their new Head of Recruitment, but not all. That’s because some questioned the need for a shake-up in their structure given the success enjoyed in some recent transfers.
However, others believe the decision was long overdue, having lacked a Director of Football type since sacking Mario Husillos. The Argentine left the London Stadium in December 2019 with Manuel Pellegrini after a string of poor signings.
The pair agreed to spend £45m on Sebastien Haller, £36m on Felipe Anderson and £17.5m on Andriy Yarmolenko. Only the latter of the trio remains in east London but only to serve a back-up role in Moyes’ squad. With Haller sold for £20m and Anderson for £2.5m this year.
So, here are some of the messages West Ham fans shared on Newman’s appointment…
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