Ollie Norman
@ono.bsky.social
Christ looking at the players signed by West Ham while he was there is actually grimmer reading than I thought. Lost money on basically every single player bar Kudus, and the ones that remain are awful: www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-ham-uni...
December 2, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Christ looking at the players signed by West Ham while he was there is actually grimmer reading than I thought. Lost money on basically every single player bar Kudus, and the ones that remain are awful: www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-ham-uni...
Oh well, at least the last club he had a big say in the transfers for isn't now having enormous squad-building issues two years later that are leaving them in a massive hole and genuinely relegation-threatened...ah.
December 2, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Oh well, at least the last club he had a big say in the transfers for isn't now having enormous squad-building issues two years later that are leaving them in a massive hole and genuinely relegation-threatened...ah.
Paddy specifically said that in the piece which has somewhat surprised/shocked me. I thought that level of involvement was a necessary stopgap until James Smith was in post
December 2, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Paddy specifically said that in the piece which has somewhat surprised/shocked me. I thought that level of involvement was a necessary stopgap until James Smith was in post
Sorry for the instant moan Paddy haha. Good reporting as always. One question: is there any talk about a new no. 6/DM at the club? From the outside looking in it seems like equally as important as a RB, and honestly moreso than striker, but since the club looked at Palinha there's been silence
December 2, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Sorry for the instant moan Paddy haha. Good reporting as always. One question: is there any talk about a new no. 6/DM at the club? From the outside looking in it seems like equally as important as a RB, and honestly moreso than striker, but since the club looked at Palinha there's been silence
Anyone seeking to saddle us with players like Soucek on permanent contracts shouldn't be anywhere near the final decision making process imo...
December 2, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Anyone seeking to saddle us with players like Soucek on permanent contracts shouldn't be anywhere near the final decision making process imo...
The manager both dictating profiles *and* having final say on transfer targets for a club right at the start of a long-term rebuild is really worrying. No other club seeking to change their long-term position has successfully done that - managers are just too short term necessarily.
December 2, 2025 at 9:27 AM
The manager both dictating profiles *and* having final say on transfer targets for a club right at the start of a long-term rebuild is really worrying. No other club seeking to change their long-term position has successfully done that - managers are just too short term necessarily.
Agreed it's annoying. The whole thing could be framed from the start like - look, we're in the middle of a rebuild, we've got a great core of players and our aim is to steadily improve over the next few seasons. Nights like this will happen but we move onwards and upwards. Instead it's this!
December 1, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Agreed it's annoying. The whole thing could be framed from the start like - look, we're in the middle of a rebuild, we've got a great core of players and our aim is to steadily improve over the next few seasons. Nights like this will happen but we move onwards and upwards. Instead it's this!
Feel the club needs to have a more consistent and united message about the rebuild. Moyes talking up Europe at the start of the season seems insane and ill-advised. Times like this are inevitable while the squad is still so thin. It is what it is!
December 1, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Feel the club needs to have a more consistent and united message about the rebuild. Moyes talking up Europe at the start of the season seems insane and ill-advised. Times like this are inevitable while the squad is still so thin. It is what it is!
Friedkins, Kinnear etc surely must be asking serious questions about Moyes' use of young players and new signings soon Paddy. McNeil instead of Dibling felt staggering. Can't build for the future like that.
November 4, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Friedkins, Kinnear etc surely must be asking serious questions about Moyes' use of young players and new signings soon Paddy. McNeil instead of Dibling felt staggering. Can't build for the future like that.
People are waaay too down on Barry. Lot of groupthink going on imo. He's looked fine in his limited minutes. Couple bad matches, couple good matches, perfectly okay for a young striker in a new league and team. Talk of reserves or wasted money is bafflingly over the top
October 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
People are waaay too down on Barry. Lot of groupthink going on imo. He's looked fine in his limited minutes. Couple bad matches, couple good matches, perfectly okay for a young striker in a new league and team. Talk of reserves or wasted money is bafflingly over the top
Tbf I was thinking of it in terms of permanent signings. A loan would make sense. Otherwise it's spend a lot of money on an excellent striker, in which case what's the point in Barry, or spend not much on an average striker, in which case why not stick with Beto?
October 29, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Tbf I was thinking of it in terms of permanent signings. A loan would make sense. Otherwise it's spend a lot of money on an excellent striker, in which case what's the point in Barry, or spend not much on an average striker, in which case why not stick with Beto?
Getting a new striker in January would be tragic. How exactly is Barry supposed to develop and get used to the league then?
Immediately sacking off a new young player when they take some time to adapt sends an awful message to potential signings.
Immediately sacking off a new young player when they take some time to adapt sends an awful message to potential signings.
October 29, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Getting a new striker in January would be tragic. How exactly is Barry supposed to develop and get used to the league then?
Immediately sacking off a new young player when they take some time to adapt sends an awful message to potential signings.
Immediately sacking off a new young player when they take some time to adapt sends an awful message to potential signings.
That Grealish radar is a thing of beauty lol
September 12, 2025 at 1:50 PM
That Grealish radar is a thing of beauty lol
Fair enough but that feels like a pretty spicy gamble on a ~36 year old who's going to AFCON...! Sort of banking on Tim to raise his game fairly significantly between now and December. Which perhaps they're pretty confident on, the lad can certainly tackle. Thanks for the insight again!
September 5, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Fair enough but that feels like a pretty spicy gamble on a ~36 year old who's going to AFCON...! Sort of banking on Tim to raise his game fairly significantly between now and December. Which perhaps they're pretty confident on, the lad can certainly tackle. Thanks for the insight again!
Great read and great news!
September 4, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Great read and great news!
Interesting that multiple tackle/interception monsters very much in the Gana vein moved this window that were affordable & went to clubs at or below our level (thinking of Magassa and Florentino Luis mostly) but we didn't try. Perhaps not going to go for a like for like long term
September 4, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Interesting that multiple tackle/interception monsters very much in the Gana vein moved this window that were affordable & went to clubs at or below our level (thinking of Magassa and Florentino Luis mostly) but we didn't try. Perhaps not going to go for a like for like long term
*every single signing* - with the exception of Alcaraz who was the retention of a loan really - had notably high ball carrying numbers. For some (Dibling and Rohl) it's quite literally the only thing they've shown at a high level! Absolutely all-out on dribbling up the pitch.
September 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
*every single signing* - with the exception of Alcaraz who was the retention of a loan really - had notably high ball carrying numbers. For some (Dibling and Rohl) it's quite literally the only thing they've shown at a high level! Absolutely all-out on dribbling up the pitch.
I really enjoyed this article. Everton went absolutely bananas trying to up their dribbling and ball carrying this summer - it was the most obvious trend I (as a lay person) have ever seen in a single recruitment window.
September 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I really enjoyed this article. Everton went absolutely bananas trying to up their dribbling and ball carrying this summer - it was the most obvious trend I (as a lay person) have ever seen in a single recruitment window.
Appreciated. Always really interested in the behind the scenes views. Thanks for the reporting. And yes the ball carrying seems undeniable - consistent with pretty much every single piece of recruitment this summer! Up the dribbly toffees
September 4, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Appreciated. Always really interested in the behind the scenes views. Thanks for the reporting. And yes the ball carrying seems undeniable - consistent with pretty much every single piece of recruitment this summer! Up the dribbly toffees
Does the 'eye for a pass' strength come from the club's view? They'll have access to much more advanced data/footage than is available publicly, but it stuck out to me that the only really consistent thing in his data is ranking among the absolute lowest in pretty much all passing stats each season
September 4, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Does the 'eye for a pass' strength come from the club's view? They'll have access to much more advanced data/footage than is available publicly, but it stuck out to me that the only really consistent thing in his data is ranking among the absolute lowest in pretty much all passing stats each season
Small fun note on the Chermiti transfer. The DoF who bought him at Everton is now the DoF at Rangers who just bought him again.
September 3, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Small fun note on the Chermiti transfer. The DoF who bought him at Everton is now the DoF at Rangers who just bought him again.
Hahah yeah that's about as far as I could narrow it down too.
September 1, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Hahah yeah that's about as far as I could narrow it down too.
Anything particular marking him out as fun to you? I can't make head or tail of him tbh, no idea what he is stylistically
September 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Anything particular marking him out as fun to you? I can't make head or tail of him tbh, no idea what he is stylistically