c+p who:lta Eggyn mietteitä...
The thoughts of our esteemed Chairman Eggert Magnusson
North Bank 22 Mar 2007
When Eggert Magnusson took over as chairman of West Ham last November, he never expected the rollercoaster ride he has faced on and off the pitch here are his candid views on what’s happened and what the plans are for the future of West Ham United.
MAGNUSSON ON... The best thing about West Ham
The fans, they have never let us down, Never. Not through all these problems and through all of the rumpus they are reading in the press.
They know not to believe everything they read, and I want to thank them.They can be assured that what I'm trying to do here is genuine.
We are trying to build a really successful club that they deserve.
I'm here and I'm going to stay for as long as I have the drive and capacity to do so.
MAGNUSSON ON...Nasty surprises
What has worried me most is all the press about contracts: if they are valid or not valid; if the club has done right or wrong; about the financial things that have been in the press constantly. It's not nice.
I cannot go into details, but some things have surprised me since I took over.They were not as good as I thought - both regarding the club as a business and what has happened with the team and so on.
But we are getting a grip on things, slowly but surely. We've been in business all our lives.
Sometimes things are difficult, but problems are there to solve and that's what we are going to do.
MAGNUSSON ON...Results
We won at Blackburn, which is very, very important. How that win came about doesn't matter.
We haven't had the breaks and we needed one. The next game is Middlesbrough, and if we win that game everything can change.
As I see it, I'm not worried about other teams. I just think it's one game at a time for West Ham United and if we get to 38 points - around there - we will be OK.
Once the confidence comes back to the team - there obviously has been lack of confidence - once that is back and the players feel we can beat any team, we have a good chance.
It has really surprised me the position we find ourselves in, because I think we have good enough players to stay in the Premiership and still think so.
West Ham is a big club. They should be in the Premiership. If relegation happens, and I still don't think it should, then it will still be the same big club that should be in the Premiership, and we will do our best to come straight back.
It is difficult to pinpoint what has been the problem. I can't go into details, but from pre-season there have been a lot of issues.
Many of our key players have been injured, not once, not twice, but three or four times, and that tells me something has gone wrong in the pre-season.
MAGUNUSSON ON...Sacking Alan Pardew
I have no regrets. I fully explained that at the time and there has been no change in my thinking.
I said there was a reason behind it, but I would rather keep that to myself. There are reasons for the club struggling on the pitch.
I've been in football almost all my life, and I've had on some occasions the job of sacking the manager.
It's always difficult, but as a chairman or president of the FA, you have an obligation. If you feel things are not right and that you have to make a change, you have to make that change.
You are alone with that decision. It's not easy.
MAGNUSSON ON...Curbishley's future
There is no question about him either, now or for the future. He is the man to move us ahead.
Once I had taken the decision to replace the manager, Alan Curbishley was the man I wanted.
He is West Ham.
MAGNUSSON ON...Summer transfers
I think we have a surplus of players. We bought five in January. If we have to sell some, we might buy others. I think it's totally up to the manager who stays and who goes.
Maybe you need some other players in the Championship, I don't know.We are still a Premier League side, and we want to be a Premier League side next season. Once things become clearer about where we will end this season, we will look at it then.
As for Carlos Tevez, I'm sorry, but I have no control of that. It is not West Ham who owns Tevez. That's no secret, so how can I control that?
I would never enter into contracts where the club does not own the player. You'll have to ask the former owners why they did.
MAGNUSSON ON...The FA investigation over Tevez & Mascherano
I see no threat there. I don't see that the Premier League has any case to deduct points from West Ham.
As I see it there are no problems with registration of these two players. My lawyers tell me so and that is our thinking.
There are no problems with the registration. There are other problems, but at this stage I cannot speak publicly because of the inquiry.
I hope now that a decision may be a matter of two weeks away.
MAGNUSSON ON...What I feel for West Ham
People talk about Tottenham, but that was a very long time ago.
I hope everyone can see now, West Ham is in my blood. This is always how I have been on the football pitch. I'm an emotional man and I love my football.
Despite everything I am enjoying it. My grandson Eggert is coming again at Easter, and he is a fan.
My vision is to build a new stadium and to build a successful team that will challenge for the highest honours in England and Europe.
That will take at least five years, but I am sure it can happen.
oikeestaan ei mitään uutta ja ihmeellistä, kuulostaa lupaavalta että mitään suurtyhjennystä ei oo tulossa. (tai sitten tulee) kyllähän varmaan 5-10 kaveria lähtee mutta saa mennäkkin kunhan Ashton, Neill, Upson, Green, Yossi, Collins, Gabbs, Noble, Zamora? ja muutama muu jää. NRC, Slopehead, Cole, Ethers, Anton, Konch, Sheri, Carroll?, Newton, Paintsil, Dailly (tai ei ehkä sittenkään) on varmaan lähtijöitten listalla.
Jostain luin myös että suunniteltu muutto uudelle stadionille tapahtuisi ennen vuotta 2012.
