Fans launch angry tirade after late West Ham statement on transfer decision

Hammers fans have launched an angry tirade of responses after a late night West Ham statement on a transfer decision.

As West Ham fans will be only too aware, the January transfer window deadline day came and went with no new arrivals.

That means 30-year-old injury-prone striker Danny Ings was West Ham’s only first team signing in the winter window.

West Ham are in the thick of what looks – for now anyway – an eight-team battle to avoid a disastrous and costly relegation.

But David Moyes or the club clearly didn’t feel they could help their cause by venturing into the market. Unlike nearly all their rivals – bar Everton – who spent over £350m between them last month in the fight for survival.

In fact it could be argued West Ham are the only club in the relegation battle to actually have a weaker squad now than at the start of the window given the departures of Craig Dawson, Harrison Ashby, Darren Randolph and academy midfielder Pierre Ekwah.

Meanwhile left-back Manny Longelo was allowed to join Birmingham – where he has been impressing on loan – on a permanent deal for £400k.

And it was that announcement late last night, while West Ham fans watched the final knockings of deadline day in hope rather than expectation, that was akin to poking a bear with a sore head.

Because fans launched an angry tirade of responses after the late night West Ham statement on the transfer decision.

A statement on the club’s website thanked the academy graduate for his contributions and wished him every success in his future career.

Posting the statement of Longelo’s departure on social media at 11.15pm, West Ham said: “We can confirm that Emmanuel Longelo has completed a permanent move to Birmingham City.”View Tweet

Hammers supporters were already angry at the lack of signings given so much is at stake in the second half of the season.

And they were infuriated further by the Longelo announcement. Many criticised the club for allowing another academy player to leave.

Not necessarily because supporters believe Longelo would have proved good enough for West Ham’s first team. But it is becoming a far too regular occurrence for a club proud to be known as the Academy of Football.

With Ashby, Longelo and Ekwah following Sonny Perkins – who snubbed a West Ham contract to join Leeds in the summer – out of the door many feel the club’s traditions are not being upheld by Moyes.

There was a stream of angry messages using some colourful language as West Ham fans made their feelings clear.

It is easy to see why many are so angry. The Scot’s recruitment over the last few windows has – in the main – been very poor indeed. After spending £170m in the summer Moyes has assembled what is officially the oldest squad in the Premier League.

With West Ham’s rivals pulling off some impressive business for talented young players, many Hammers fans feel Moyes has fiddled while Rome burns.

West Ham fans will be well aware of the business that has been done by relegation rivals Leeds, Leicester, Bournemouth, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

We can only hope the decision to stick rather than twist pays off come what May.